Getting your hands dirty is good for you

2026-09-08 | original

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Why This Matters

Research on human-microbiome interaction is moving from theory to measurable results: a Finnish study found that just 20 seconds of handling soil, peat and moss measurably boosted the abundance and diversity of skin microbes, even after rinsing. That matters for how we design cities, workplaces and products, as biodiversity exposure becomes a health input that can be quantified — and potentially engineered or commercialized.

Key Takeaways

A 20-second hands-on contact with soil, peat and moss increased both the number and variety of microbes on participants' skin.
The effect persisted after rinsing with tap water, and hands still looked clean to the naked eye despite what researcher Mira Grönroos called a 'huge' change.
The work, from the Finnish Environment Institute, adds evidence that direct physical contact with nature — not just being near it — may matter for health.

Worth a Look

Foxgloves Original Gardening Gloves — If the article has you itching to actually touch soil, moss and bark, a good pair of gardening gloves is what gets you out there for the digging parts you'd rather not do barehanded. Foxgloves' snug, breathable knit keeps enough dexterity for planting and weeding, so you can peel them off whenever you want that skin-to-soil microbe contact.

See Foxgloves Original Gardening Gloves on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.

Research, 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".

Explore topics: mira grönroos finnish environment institute soil microbes skin microbiome nature health research