Why do we wash ourselves? The answer is obvious you may say – to get clean. But animals do not wash themselves. Birds preen to keep their feathers functioning properly; other animals groom their coats of hair or fur to remove dirt and parasites. Monkeys, and our primate relatives, groom each other to strengthen relationships. We wash our pet dogs, and rarely cats, to satisfy our needs for cleanliness and distaste for odours, not because they say they need it.

Animals produce secretions in the skin that protect them from infection and help shed dirt. We also produce a complex mixture of secretions from glands in the skin which have the same functions as in animals – to protect the skin from infection and keep it healthy and supple, but then we spend large amounts of money and time in getting rid of them. This activity is encouraged and promoted by the manufacturers of soaps and shampoos, creams and deodorants, and they then offer treatments to replace what has been lost through washing!

Why are more secretions produced by the scalp and face than elsewhere on your body? Probably because we are ‘vertical animals’. If left alone, scalp secretions move down to the forehead and then onto the face – an area of delicate skin constantly exposed to the sun and wind, and most in need of protection. Why have we evolved to grow hair on our heads? Apart from protection, it is, I suspect, a store of skin secretions. Why do we have eyebrows? Perhaps to retain secretions that will move down and protect the especially vulnerable skin of the eyelids.

So why use expensive chemicals to remove the secretions which are there to keep your skin and hair healthy? Dirt is easily removed with warm water in the shower – no need for shampoo or soap,  conditioner or moisturiser. Try it and see how the skin on your face and hands becomes softer when you retain your secretions.