GoKawiilResearch, though, suggests there's something to be said for reaching out to touch the trees, shrubs and soil I usually walk past. Mira Grönroos, an ecologist and nature-health researcher at the Finnish Environment Institute, asked people to rub their hands with soil, peat and moss for 20 seconds as part of an experiment. She found that the abundance and variety of microbes on their skin increased, even after they rinsed their hands with tap water. "To the naked eye [their hands] looked clean," she says, "but the change was so huge".
Why getting your hands dirty is good for you
Why This Matters
Research from Finnish ecologist Mira Grönroos suggests that brief physical contact with nature — rubbing hands with soil, peat and moss for just 20 seconds — measurably increases the abundance and diversity of microbes on human skin, with effects persisting even after rinsing. As urban populations spend more time indoors and on screens, findings like these add scientific weight to the case for low-tech, hands-on time outdoors, and hint at design opportunities for cities, health guidance and consumer wellness products.
Key Takeaways
- A 20-second hand contact with soil, peat or moss significantly boosted both the abundance and variety of skin microbes in the experiment.
- The microbial change survived a rinse under tap water, even though hands appeared visually clean.
- The work points to touching nature — not just walking past it — as a potentially meaningful health input worth further study.
Worth a Look
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mira grönroos
finnish environment institute
soil microbes
skin microbiome
ecology research
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