More noticeably, the skin microbiome regulates
the way we smell. Sweat itself doesn’t smell: the
odour filling a packed tube train comes from the
bacteria that break the sweat down.
So why do some people stink? That depends on
the exact population of microbes that live on your
skin, since different bacteria break the sweat
molecules down into different components. In
fact, microbiologist Dr Chris Callewaert, also
known as Dr Armpit, has shown that an
underarm bacterial transplant from the fresh-
smelling to the stinky can eliminate body odour.
Clearly, then, the microorganisms living on our
skin can provide a service that soap and daily
showers sometimes can’t. So some people choose
to avoid bathing – apart from hand-washing and
cleaning off dirt – and let the bacteria do the
work instead. The idea is that frequent use of
soap products damages the skin microbiome, and
we’d be better off if we just let it be. The soap-free
often report that, if you can push through the
inevitable smelly period when you haven’t
showered in a week, you will eventually
stop smelling.
GET T Y IMAGES, SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARYREVIEWS REALITY CHECKWhat can you do instead of washing?
Chemical engineer David Whitlock hasn’t
showered in 15 years, and instead tops up his
microbiome with ammonia-oxidising bacteria
(AOB). Drawing inspiration from horses rolling in
the dirt, Whitlock harvested AOB from soil and
tested it on himself, which reportedly stopped
him from smelling. He is now the founder of
AOBiome, which sells a range of toiletries
containing AOB. The company claims their
products, sold under the name Mother Dirt, will
“bring harmony and balance back to your skin
microbiome”. 2“Microbiologist Dr Chris Callewaert,
also known as Dr Armpit, has shown
that an underarm bacterial
transplant from the fresh-smelling to
the stinky can eliminate body odour”
LEFT Ge ing ‘dirty’ exposes children to
helpful bacteria that can fight allergies
BELOW Bacteria taken from a
human fingertipMore noticeably, the skin microbiome regulates
the way we smell. Sweat itself doesn’t smell: the
odour filling a packed tube train comes from the
bacteria that break the sweat down.
So why do some people stink? That depends on
the exact population of microbes that live on your
skin, since different bacteria break the sweat
molecules down into different components. In
fact, microbiologist Dr Chris Callewaert, also
known as Dr Armpit, has shown that an
underarm bacterial transplant from the fresh-
smelling to the stinky can eliminate body odour.
Clearly, then, the microorganisms living on our
skin can provide a service that soap and daily
showers sometimes can’t. So some people choose
to avoid bathing – apart from hand-washing and
cleaning off dirt – and let the bacteria do the
work instead. The idea is that frequent use of
soap products damages the skin microbiome, and
we’d be better off if we just let it be. The soap-free
often report that, if you can push through the
inevitable smelly period when you haven’t
showered in a week, you will eventually
stop smelling.
GET T Y IMAGES, SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
REVIEWS REALITY CHECKWhat can you do instead of washing?
Chemical engineer David Whitlock hasn’t
showered in 15 years, and instead tops up his
microbiome with ammonia-oxidising bacteria
(AOB). Drawing inspiration from horses rolling in
the dirt, Whitlock harvested AOB from soil and
tested it on himself, which reportedly stopped
him from smelling. He is now the founder of
AOBiome, which sells a range of toiletries
containing AOB. The company claims their
products, sold under the name Mother Dirt, will
“bring harmony and balance back to your skin
microbiome”. 2“Microbiologist Dr Chris Callewaert,
also known as Dr Armpit, has shown
that an underarm bacterial
transplant from the fresh-smelling to
the stinky can eliminate body odour”
LEFT Ge ing ‘dirty’ exposes children to
helpful bacteria that can fight allergies
BELOW Bacteria taken from a
human fingertip