Even if it may sound paradoxical at first: too much soap, and especially soap that is too alkaline, damages the skin. Also, anti-aging creams are not the best choice for keeping skin young and glowing. In an interview with FOCUS Online, Yael Adler explains what really counts.
FOCUS Online: Ms. Adler, if I soap myself too much, I stink. That sounds a bit paradoxical, doesn’t it?
Yael Adler: We have bouncer bacteria on our skin that colonize us and form a unit with us. Body odor is not caused by sweat, but by the breakdown by bacteria. And depending on the type of bacteria, we smell better, worse or just differently. So we have an individual olfactory fingerprint.
So it has something to do with what I soap myself with?
Eagle: Exactly. If I use an alkaline soap, then my normal PH value increases from 5 towards 9 to 10. And then the body has to acidify again over many hours, which the bacteria don’t like so much. The acid mantle that surrounds us is supposed to allow the bacteria that protect us to multiply.
And with an alkaline soap, the “love” bacteria die, and as a result, the smell also changes. You can try it yourself.
How come?
Adler: Wash one armpit with an alkaline soap, the other with vinegar water or just water – this will smell different later. And you’re more likely to smell bad when you soap yourself with alkaline.
When I’ve had a fresh shower and then start sweating, I don’t smell anything. But when I sweat again later, the smell starts.
Adler: Bacteria just start their work. And the longer they work, the more odorous substances they can form. But it doesn’t always have to be a stench. It is often not the skin that stinks, but the clothing, especially when it comes to breathable synthetic materials.
There are micrococci stuck in there, which are stink bacteria. You’ve probably seen a jogger run past you with a puff of scent. On the other hand, what doesn’t stink is leather, for example – even if you wear the pants every day at the Oktoberfest. Nothing smells there…
How do you wash properly?
Adler: The best way to orientate yourself is the nature of the skin and the fact that there was no constant washing, peelings, soap foams or alcoholic tinctures in the Stone Age. So don’t always wash all the time – except of course your hands, because we deal with a lot more people than before, for example when shopping or on public transport. But otherwise, detergents with an acidic PH value that do not contain fragrances or dyes are good.
Sugar and coconut side are the least degreasing and are even available in health food stores. We have to stop always washing away the care oils from the epidermis. These store moisture and prevent inflammation. Then we would also have to use less cream, because cosmetic products, no matter how expensive, cannot imitate our own body lotion.
All about our largest organ – Yael Adler
So when I shower, should I only clean myself with water if possible?
Eagle: You can get rid of sweat, scales and dust with water. Stone Age man didn’t shower, the skin actually cleans itself. A compromise: You can use your shower gel more sparingly and use it to clean your groins, buttocks, spaces between your toes and armpits. The large areas such as the face, arms, legs and torso only with water so that they can regenerate properly within four weeks.
How many times can I shower a day?
Adler: It doesn’t matter, just overflow with water and the sweaty areas with gentle shower gel.
And how do I gently wash my hair?
Adler: Also use a neutral shampoo, especially for itching. You can also just wash your hair with water, which is not unhealthy. Then the scalp fat nourishes the scalp. The hair is then not fluffy dry, but has a rich and beautiful shine and does not stink either.
Without washing substance, it can happen that you stink in a transition phase, but after about three weeks, bacteria that have long since died out and protect us from neurodermatitis and allergies multiply. And they also eat up ammonia, which is bad body odors. After a few weeks you get into this balance.
There are creams for all occasions. Which ones make sense, where can you save money?
Adler: The forehead, nose and chin areas usually contain more sebum, and in the cozy warmth of the bed, the sebum supplies the face like spreadable butter. If you don’t soap it off in the morning, your skin will dry out less.
You can help where it is necessary, for example on the lips in winter. Then I also get less eczema or acne because you only work as needed. Less is more, the main care also comes from within.
What are people missing?
Adler: Selenium, zinc, vitamin D or omega-3 fatty acids, there are many causes. Or iron or B12. If you fill that up, then the skin heals from the inside. The thyroid gland is also very important, it also has a major impact on skin health. You can measure deficiencies in the blood.
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Where are creams most useful?
Adler: As sun protection, because the sun is the strongest accelerator of aging. And if you also want to do something good for your skin, then don’t smoke, avoid sugar and fast food, avoid fine dust and only drink alcohol in moderation. No white flour and no cow’s milk. Eat a lot of plant-based foods and eat fish instead of sausage. We all age, but we want to avoid accelerated aging.
We also communicate through scents. The saying “being able to smell” the other person is no coincidence, is it?
Adler: From puberty our hormone-controlled scent glands work, which do not regulate the climate through sweat, but are there for erotic scent marketing. It is said that body odor tells you if someone is a good fit for you and you will have healthy offspring with them. But if they can’t smell someone, it doesn’t help if they look good.
But I can smell my own children well?
Adler: Yes, parents love the smell of the baby’s head with tallow or the smell of cheese between the toes. Or when it comes to love, we want to breathe in the scent of the skin on the back of our neck or behind our ears – without aftershave or perfume. That’s biochemical communication, and even a Porsche in front of the door doesn’t help to increase attractiveness.
We just have to be careful that the nose isn’t distracted by detergents, perfume and other fragrances, so that you don’t find out whether you can smell the other person or not. It can also become critical if the woman takes the pill.
That sounds strange at first.
Adler: The pill hormones change perception. After weaning, you smell different for yourself and also for the other person – and suddenly it might not fit anymore. That’s difficult because, socially speaking, starting a family was on the agenda and you’re tied to one another.
This is one possible explanation for why divorce rates tend to be high when marriages are troubled. Because you are only united by social things, not because you can smell each other well.
What do you think of antiaging products?
Adler: People who buy an anti-wrinkle cream continue to have wrinkles afterwards. The effects are marginal and I don’t use them either. I rely on healthy nutrition that gets into the body from the inside and helps the skin to build up. Above all, I manage to stabilize the skin barrier with the cream. And cosmetics cannot move into the shift where we need them.
Where do we need them?
Adler: Not in the epidermis, but in the dermis, i.e. in the second layer of skin. There we have hyaluronic acid, collagen and elastic fibers that are lost. These substances do not cross the skin barrier, so they remain outside and they must not even penetrate the dermis, otherwise they would be medicines. Therefore, they only work superficially and have only the most superficial effects.
Final question as a summary: If I want to effectively do anti-aging and do something good for my skin, then…
Adler: …I eat healthily, I also fast in between so that the cells can regenerate and I do enough sport – with sun protection. Then I can do without all the expensive creams.
