How can the skin flora be restored?
When showering, the so-called acid mantle and parts of the resident skin flora are partially removed. Soaps also dissolve the fats on the skin and wash them off with it. In healthy people the flora usually disappears within a few hours.
Frequent washing is harmful, especially for people with allergies or skin diseases. Since the surface of the skin has a slightly acidic pH value of about 5.5, especially basic soaps with a high pH value are not recommended. Some soaps already exist to which disinfectants have been added.
These are not recommended from a medical point of view, as they attack the physiological healthy skin flora when used continuously. It is recommended for the skin flora to keep the skin oily. Excessive frequent washing degreases the skin.
In contrast, moisturizing skin creams and shower gels, which have a moisturizing effect, are particularly helpful. Refatting hand disinfectants are already frequently found in hospitals. The human hand in particular is home to a wide variety of germs.
It also has a naturally occurring, healthy bacterial flora. However, through active contact with other people and the environment, many potentially harmful bacteria can get into the hand. The danger of infection with these germs, by touching the mouth or eyes or by touching food is increased by the hands.
For this reason it is important to eliminate the transient flora of the hand as much as possible before carrying out activities that could cause an infection. In everyday use this can be achieved by washing your hands regularly. In hospitals, hand disinfection must be carried out before carrying out certain activities.
In every hospital room, this can be done with the help of an alcoholic solution, whereby the liquid should be rubbed into the hands for 30 seconds. In order to prevent permanent disinfection from harming the resident skin flora, it is recommended that hospital staff in particular take constant care of their hands with creams.
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