Henna stays on skin because it chemically attaches to keratin with the michael reaction (wikipedia) . Optically transparent UV absorbing hennalike chemical could be sunscreen. Further yet, restroom soap could have a michael reaction bacteriocide that would link to the skin on palms causing them to have 1/10,000 the amount of living bacteria.

That way, people who only washed their hands about 1 of every 100 restroom visits would be 100 times less disease spreading than people who do it every time with regular soap.

The restroom application also thoroughly tests the safety of the particular chemicals used. Then there is the possibility of a michael reaction bacteriocidal STD prevention you only have to apply it once every 10 or 100 sexual activities to minimize STDs
-- beanangel, Dec 15 2016

Sadness. All my friendly, helpful bacteria are going to be decimated^3.
-- wjt, Dec 16 2016


Decimated^3 = 0.90 * 0.90 * 0.90 = 0.73

That's a damn good survival rate!

As to the idea, hasn't it been established that anti-bacterial soap is helping create super-bugs?
-- the porpoise, Dec 16 2016


It depends on the bacteriocide in the soap but, yes. The best policy for antibacterial soaps would be to have a rota of maybe three different types of bacteriocide, with the manufacturers obliged to switch (in sync with eachother) every year or so. Either that or just stick to the simpler bacteriocides, against which resistance is unlikely to emerge.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 16 2016


Sorry, It's reversed isn't it, the Romans only killed one in ten not nine in ten.

Just save the antibacterials until they are needed rather than a blanket blind turkey shoot.
-- wjt, Dec 17 2016



random, halfbakery