Why getting your hands dirty is good for you

Touching soil, peat, moss, trees and grass for as little as 20 seconds dramatically increases the abundance and variety of microbes on human skin, and the effect persists after rinsing with tap water. Studies in Finnish daycare centres show that children who regularly play on forest-floor substrates develop higher skin microbial diversity and fewer potential pathogens, which is linked to improved skin health and broader immune benefits.