While we are on the subject of skin, let’s talk about the importance of handwashing in the prevention of disease. Semmelweis showed  in 1847 that  by disinfecting hands with dilute chlorine solution, the incidence of deaths from purpural fever could be reduced dramatically. Meanwhile,  other studies showed that even washing with  soap and water the incidence of disease transmission.
Today it seems that the lowly bar of soap has been largely replaced by “Antibacterial” soaps solutions, largely by fueling fears that soap is not enough to stop the spread of germs. Bacterial cultures done on a bar of soap show that they are essentially sterile  after just of short period of time. So there is little argument to the spreading of germs because someone else has just used it. Second, handwashing with soap is just as effective in stopping the transmission of disease as their antibacterial  counterparts.
My objection to antibacterial soaps is  fourfold. First, I don’t believe they are needed. Second is the cost. They are far more expensive than bar soap. Thirdly, consider the evidence that skin is far more permeable to compounds than we previously thought. We would not want these antibacterial compounds within us. If they are capable of killing bacteria, just think how they could possibly harm our mitochondria in our cells which are very much like bacteria. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome anyone?
The forth reason is that antibacterial soaps indiscriminately kill both the beneficial bacteria on our skin as well as the pathogenic bacteria. In a similar fashion to the beneficial bacteria in our GI track, our skin has normal bacterial organisms that live happily on our skin and contribute to the health of our skin.
So, let’s get back to basics and start to use  bar  soap again.