Instead of killing microbes, antiperspirants and food powders are said to boost the diversity of microbes in armpits and between toes - this is what a study in the journal BMC Biology found out.
In a test, six men and six women volunteers were asked to leave their skin alone for the first three weeks, to apply a modern skincare (lotion and sunscreen) in the next three weeks, and finally to return to their usual routine for another three weeks. Throughout the nine-week study, scientists performed chemical and genetic analyses of samples that came from the volunteers’ faces, forearms, armpits, and feet.
The lotion and sunscreen didn't appear to alter the microbiome. But they found, counterintuitively, that the antiperspirant and foot powder actually boosted the diversity of microbes in the armpits and in between the toes—perhaps because those products change nutrient and moisture levels and thus create conditions that foster a wider variety of tiny occupants.
Credit: EyeEm