'Tis The Season. The Flu Season
The best way to keep the flu away is to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly. This is the number one way to prevent the spead of flu and other respiratory infections.
The skin produces oil which traps dirt and germs. Soap has the ability to mix oil and water, trapping them and them making it possible to remove the dirty layer. As a person lathers with soap, the soap latches onto the dirt and germs suspending them in the lather. True soap like we produce at Island Thyme Soap Company doesn't kill microbes, instead it makes it possible to safely rinse them off the skin and down the drain without the use of harsh detergents or anti-microbials.
True bar soap is self cleansing too. While bars of soap can be "shared surfaces' it's important to undertand microbes don't build up on bar soap. Each time you use it, you're effectively stripping away a layer of the surface of the bar. So as long as the little buggers don't burrow down into it, you're effectively washing away the microbes along with a layer of the soap. Just make sure to have a soap dish that drains and allows the bar of soap to dry between uses. We offer Handmade Reclaimed Wood Soap Dishes that work perfectly.
Study after stody has shown there's no scientific evidence "anti-bacterial soap" or alcohol rubs are any more effective in preventing the flu or spread of resperatory infections than washing your hands correctly with a good old bar soap like an Island Thyme Soap Company soap bar. Chemicals in antibacterials soaps can interfere with hormone levels and spur the growth of drug-resistant bacteria. Leave the dipping of hands into antibiotics to doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers in hospitals and clinics.
Scrub your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds in order to kill viruses. Twenty seconds is about how long it takes to sing the ABC’s one time through.
And always avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth without first washing your hands.
Other simple steps you can take:
80% of your immune system is in your gut. Make sure your diet is in tip top shape. Limit alcohol and sugar as both can suppress the immune system. Get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Recuperative sleep is important and chronic sleep deprivation can significantly reduce your body's immune function.