Showering immediately after practice sounds like a simple enough way to prevent skin infections, but did you know that if you go straight to the shower and use an antibacterial soap only, you are promoting the growth of fungal infections?
* Antibacterial soaps do just that, they kill bacteria and bacteria only. Using an anti-bacterial soap is not a good strategy to use to protecting yourself from common fungal or viral infections
* Antibacterial soaps strip away the good and healthy bacteria. Those healthy bacteria actually are your first line of defense against infections. Maintaining a healthy skin flora through proper hygiene and diet can increase your chances of preventing skin infections. When you kill all of the bacteria on your skin you're actually leaving behind a level playing field for fungal and viral infections to flourish. The bacterium on your skin are needed to compete for space with the fungi and viruses to create your normal flora.
* Antibacterial soaps commonly use Triclosan as their active ingredient. Triclosan is an FDA approved pesticide that some studies show is absorbed through our skin.
