Hand Washing: Soaps, Antibacterial Soaps, and Hand Sanitizers

 ( picture from examiner.com)

Hello Everyone,

How was your weekend? I hope everyone had fun! Today, I will try to persuade every single one of my readers to wash their hands correctly and to inform you guys the differences between soaps, antibacterial soaps, and hand sanitizers! I think all professions from teachers, artist, doctors, chefs, fire fighters, and EVEN bloggers need to wash their hands! and THEY NEED TO WASH THEIR HANDS CORRECTLY!

For this summer, I had nothing better to do, but to enroll myself in a Microbiology class at a nearby college! So, lately, I've been VERY paranoid by little, unseen animals (aka bacteria.) It's very annoying to know that bacteria ARE virtually everywhere, but I can't do ANYTHING about it!!! Anyways, the best way to cure my paranoia is to wash my hands after every bathrooms' visits, meals, and every time I touch something in the public.

Our Lab Results!!!!! Pretty gross! Little dots are bacteria colonies ...

To begin with, there are three main ways to clean our hands: soaps/detergents, antibacterial soaps, and hand sanitizers. (If I make NO SENSE! SORRY)

• Soaps/Detergents
• Soaps/Detergents functions as surfactants. It's known as a wetting agent to decrease the surface tension of a liquid, the interracial tension between two liquids, or that between a liquid and a solid. It emulsifies fats, oily firm, and skin. 
• The "soap" does not kill the bacteria, but mechanically removes the bacteria from our skin. Therefore "RISING" and "SCRUBBING" are super duper important to physically removing the bacteria. 
  

This is my agar plate with "BEFORE" and "AFTER" washing my hands. The small dots are bacteria colonies! Surprisingly, I had more "bacteria" after my wash my hands with soaps! After researching and reading textbooks, I found out these are actually my "resident flora"-- the good bacteria that colonize the body in a symbiotic relationship! I had no "transient flora"--bacteria maybe on the body for a short time, but do not colonize. The soap was actually washing away my skin and revealing more "good" bacteria.

• Anti-Bacterial Soaps
• Antibacterial soaps has a very low concentration (~ 0.15- 0.3%) of this ingredient called "Triclosan." At low concentration, Triclosan targets fatty acids synthesis by binding to an enzyme called ENR. This actually kill the bacteria! Overtime, the bacteria will alter their ENR genes so Triclosan won't work on them anymore. Also, the bacteria can "over-express" their ENR genes, or develop mechanism to pump the Triclosan out of their cells. SMART HUH!? After this, I'm staying away from Antibacterial soap, I don't want the bacteria on my body to resist toTriclosan and get stronger in the future!

• Hand Sanitizers 
• Hand sanitizers usually contain alcohol (ethanol or isopropanol). Alcohol is very effective against bacteria, fungi, and virus, but not spores or endospores. This denatures proteins and disrupts cytoplasmic membrane. Most hand sanitizers have a percentage of 62-70% alcohol because it does not evaporate right off your hands, but sits their long enough to kill the bacteria. COOL HUH? Check the percentage of alcohol on your hand sanitizers! It shouldn't exceed 70%, or it will not work properly!

Apparently, my friend's hands were pretty dirty! And the Hand Sanitizers DID HELP HER!

 Alright! This is the proper way to wash your hands! Remember! Step#3, RISING/SCRUBBING is very important to get the bacteria off your hands! Also, Step #5 is also important! Don't use your naked hands to turn off the water or open the door! Use a paper towel PLEASE!

-Happy Washing Hands!!!

DIY: Christian Louboutin Inspired Red Sole Shoes (PART II)

Hello Everyone, 

How is your summer so far? Mine was a B-L-A-S-T, but I'm back to summer school now! *A moment of silent* School seems to be a "NEVER ENDING" cycle for me!!!!

ANYWAYS...

FOR NOW!!!! We have a tutorial to do (sorry for my ADD-ness). Few months ago, I did my first RED SOLE tutorial (picture below) or READ MORE HERE. For that tutorial, I used 3 nail polishes to paint the soles of my shoes. Today, I will show you a SECOND "technique" to achieve the same result! 

Let's start on the tutorial:

Materials: 

1. Cha Cha Cherry (or any color you want) Ducktape
2. Grip Knife
3. Scissors
4. Shoes
   

 Nude Pumps

Nude Pumps from Steve Madden

Steps To Transform Your Shoes:

Time: 30 mins
 (depends on your cutting and trimming skills)

Satisfaction: 7 / 10

 Step # 1: Clean the bottom/sole of your shoes with baby wipes or paper + water

 Step # 2: Choose what color tape you want! I chose Cha Cha Cherry (Red ) Ducktape for my sole

Step # 3: Tape it to the bottom of your shoes 

Step # 4: Smooth out the tape, so the surface is even

 Step # 5: Fold the tape along the edges, so you can easy identify the edges of the tape on the shoes

 Step # 6: Use the grip knife, and cut along the edges

Step # 7: After tracing with the grip knife, quickly rip the remaining tapes out

Step #  8: The edges might look uneven at first, you can go back and trim it again

 I know this might look ghetto and ugly, but this tape is not big enough to COVER the whole shoes!

 DON'T WORRY!!! This is the bottom of the shoes. NO ONE will notice this :]

DIY: Christian Louboutin Inspired Red Sole Shoes (Using Red Duck Tape)

Warnings: 
 I would RECOMMEND to do this tutorial as a ONE-TIME-USE red soles and PEEL IT OFF AFTERWARD :] (if you want to keep the tape on these shoes) put them in cold places (lower than room temperature, 25 Celsius) ! The TAPE'S sticky side tends to melt and stick to the shoes at HOT temperature!!!

There are advantages and disadvantages to this technique versus the"nail polish" technique. You can weight out the Pros and Cons! and Judge for yourself

• PROs
• Cheap materials
• Can peel off easily 
• Fast / Easy to make 
• No smelly nail polishes smell

• CONs
• Cutting/trimming skills are required 
• Might damage the shoes, if you cut into the shoes
• Doesn't look as good as the "nail polish" technique
• sticky tape can stick to shoes if the room temperature is HOT

Wear Them Blue Jeans

Summer is Here! Be BOLD by wearing bright and colored jeans!!!! Sorry, I've been busy editing pictures from my East Coast vacation for the Food Blog. I will be uploading tons of new DIYs + Tutorials by next week. Please be patient and come back next Tuesday or Wednesday. For now, check out my food blog at  Curious Tasting  for more delicious foodtography :]

Cheers!!! I LOVE my BLUEMOON :]