Why getting your hands dirty is good for youSkip to contentWatch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessTechnologyHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesHomeNewsUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. 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There are plenty of different tree species to look at, an everchanging cast of fragrant flowers in spring, and enthusiastic birdsong fills the air. But the sensory experience usually stops there. However mucky my shoes get, I usually come home with clean hands.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".The idea of more bacteria on our skin might not sound appealing. But when there's a rich mix of microbes living alongside each other, they keep each other in check and defend us against more harmful, pathogenic bacteria. A growing body of research shows that contact with natural materials, like soil and plants, is an easy way to boost our skin's microbial diversity, and that this not only benefits our skin, but also our immune system.Twenty seconds isn't long – I'd happily pause on my walk to touch some tree bark or sit down in the grass. But more would be much better, Grönroos says, as in her experiment "the skin microbiota very quickly returned to a similar state as it was before". The results suggest that prolonged or frequent skin contact with nature could significantly change what's happening on our skin and in our bodies. Playing in the mudMucky hands are the norm for children at Aurinkolinna daycare centre in central Finland. They spend at least a couple of hours every day playing outside in a wooded playground, racing between bushes and trees, climbing ropes, making sandcastles, splashing in puddles and grabbing fistfuls of dirt and woodchips.By the end of each day they are covered head to toe in mud. Scientists are now studying how this could be good for their health. By analysing microbes on the children's skin, saliva and faeces, alongside blood and hair samples, researchers are learning what happens to their immune systems over a three-year period when nature is brought into the yards where they play every day.Aurinkolinna is one of 43 daycare centres in Finland taking part in the Vahvistu research project, which builds on a recent two-year study led by environmental scientist Marja Roslund.In 2016-17, she brought the forest floor into a daycare yard – complete with peat and planting boxes – and measured the impact on young children's skin, saliva and gut bacteria after they had played there regularly for 28 days, and again after a year. Compared to children who played in a paved yard, those on the forest floor had greater microbial diversity on their skin a year later.This diversity is important for the health of our skin. Increasing the diversity of bacteria on the skin can prevent disease-causing bacteria from becoming dominant, keeping the microbial community in balance, Roslund says. "Disease is like a dictator, and healthy skin is like a democracy." Roslund's research found fewer potential pathogens on children's skin when they had played on the forest floor, likely because the number and diversity of other microbes crowds out these "bad" bacteria. "Because there is so much of everything else, there is not so much space for the pathogens," she says.Healthy skin, healthy bodyTaking care of our skin also has benefits that run much deeper. Skin health can impact hormonal activity, cardiovascular disease, and even cognitive function. In particular, research is starting to show that exposing our skin to diverse bacteria can impact our immune system. Roslund asked a group of young children to play in a sandbox enriched with microbially diverse soil, while another group played in a sandbox that looked the same but contained less microbial diversity. As we might expect, the diversity of certain bacteria on children's skin increased when they played in the microbially rich sandbox. But there were also changes to the immune markers, called cytokines, in these children's blood samples that support immunoregulation – the immune system's ability to fight off threats without becoming overactive.BBC/ Serenity StrullContact with soil and plants not only benefits our skin, but also our immune system (Credit: BBC/ Serenity Strull)It is these and similar findings that inspired the Vahvistu project. At Aurinkolinna, government funding has helped transform the yard so it now includes woodchips instead of gravel, a bigger sanded area, and wooden pathways, alongside the birch and pine trees that were already there.The research behind the Vahvistu project supports what is known as the biodiversity hypothesis – the idea that air, plants and soil rich in diverse microbes have an important influence on the human microbiome, and therefore our health. It has long been suggested that the loss of biodiversity in our environment could be behind the current rise in immune-related conditions, and Roslund's research may help to explain how and why that is.She found that one family of bacteria, namely gammaproteobacteria, plays a particularly important role. Gammaproteobacterial diversity increased on children's skin when they played in the yard with the forest floor, and this increase was associated with more regulatory T cells – white blood cells that help control and balance the immune system and are important for preventing autoimmune diseases, she says.For now, it's not clear exactly what this means for immune-mediated diseases like eczema, asthma or allergies. "We cannot yet say that when you have contact with nature, you will not get asthma, for example. But it seems that it might reduce the possibility of getting those immune system disorders," Grönroos says. Green fingersThese health benefits aren't only seen in children. In one study, adults were asked to grow vegetables indoors over winter, some using microbially diverse soil and others using similar-looking but microbially poor soil. They tended to the plants every day for a month and ate their crops. Those using the microbially-diverse soil saw an increase in the diversity of bacteria on their skin, and on the number of anti-inflammatory cytokines in their blood – while the other group didn't.When I go outdoors with my children, if they want to pick some cones or sticks, I don't say 'no'. I let them bring them home and play there – Mira GrönroosThis kind of gardening "is a good example of an easily accessible way of nature contact, and it was quite surprising that this kind of exposure really showed changes in the immune system functioning", Grönroos says. In another study, researchers installed "green walls" made of living plants in Finnish offices and measured the effect on workers after two weeks. They found that the diversity of microbes on their skin increased, and levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in their blood went down. They also saw an increase in Lactobacillus microbes on their skin, which is important for skin health. More like this:• Four benefits of going out in the rain• Want a better night's sleep? Go camping• What watching the sunset really does for your health Grönroos puts her findings into practice with her own family. "When I go outdoors with my children, if they want to pick some cones or sticks, I don't say 'no' to them. I let them bring them home and play there."We should start applying this thinking to our cities, Grönroos adds. "[Cities] should be built so that citizens are able to get into contact with nature. It would be good if some of that contact was unintentional, so people wouldn't need to decide to go there, they would come into contact with nature on their way to work or school," she says.There's more for science to discover about exactly how contact with nature impacts the immune system, but for Grönroos, the findings so far are enough to make the grubby hands and muddy carpet worth it. "It's low risk," she says, with "lots of potential benefits without any obvious major harms."These findings are, perhaps, a reminder to us all to reach out and touch that mossy tree, to sit down in the grass – to not be afraid of a bit of mud.--For trusted insights on health and wellbeing, sign up to the Health Fix newsletter by senior health correspondent Melissa Hogenboom who also writes the Live Well For Longer and Six Steps to Calm courses. For more science, technology, environment and health stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.HealthEarthPsychologyNature & OutdoorsWellbeingFeaturesWatchPhotographing rare and elusive birds in Brazil's rainforestsDiscover how 27-year-old wildlife photographer Nicole Carneiro brings her images of Brazil's rainforests to life.EarthTraining the immune system to fight cancerTech Now meets a firm developing treatments to target cancer cells and stop them returning.Tech NowHow meal times affect your healthThe time of day you have a meal and even how much you chew it can affect how many calories you get from it.HealthA mother tiger on a fierce hunt to feed her cubsWhile three grown-up tiger cubs take a leisurely bath, their mother must find food for the entire family.EarthInside the hidden world of rhino romanceWatch two rhinoceroses involved in a game of 'kiss and chase'.EarthMeet the mudskipper: The remarkable fish that lives on landThe mudskipper is a small fish that can leap with a flick of its tail.EarthWatch rare Gobi bear's reaction to finding waterThe critically endangered Gobi bear undertake arduous journeys of up to 100 miles to find water.EarthRaja the elephant asking for a road tollIn Sri Lanka, a charming elephant cheekily halts traffic for treats.EarthEarth's spectacular and remote 'capital' of lightningWith storms occurring between 140 to 160 nights a year, it's no wonder the area is a world record holder.World of wonderThe undersea mountains where sharks ruleUnder the surface of the ocean, 100,000 towering mountains dot the Earth. 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Touching soil, peat, moss, or plants provides a spectrum of health benefits for both the skin and the wider immune system. Research has investigated how this direct contact influences the skin's microbial environment. For instance, an experiment conducted by Mira Grönroos, an ecologist and nature-health researcher at the Finnish Environment Institute, found that having participants rub their hands with soil, peat, and moss for twenty seconds increased the abundance and variety of microbes on their skin, even after rinsing with tap water. This suggests that prolonged or frequent contact with natural materials can significantly alter the skin's microbiome. The presence of a rich and varied mix of microbes allows them to regulate each other, creating an environment that defends against more harmful pathogens.

This concept is supported by the biodiversity hypothesis, which posits that air, plants, and soil rich in diverse microbes influence the human microbiome, thereby impacting overall health. Research studying children's exposure to natural environments further explored these connections. Scientists analyzed microbial samples from the skin, saliva, feces, blood, and hair of children who played regularly in areas enriched with forest floor materials compared to those who played on paved surfaces. Over a year, children who interacted with the forest floor exhibited greater microbial diversity on their skin. This increased diversity is important because it helps prevent disease-causing bacteria from becoming dominant, effectively managing the microbial community. Marja Roslund's research indicated that this microbial richness reduced the presence of potential pathogens, establishing a balance where "healthy skin is like a democracy" rather than being dictated by pathogens.

The influence extends beyond surface microbes to systemic health. Skin health is intrinsically linked to hormonal activity, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive function. Furthermore, exposure to diverse bacteria appears to impact the immune system directly. In studies involving children, exposure to microbially rich environments correlated with changes in immune markers, specifically cytokines, which support immunoregulation—the immune system's capacity to control threats without becoming overactive. Roslund found that increased gammaproteobacterial diversity on children's skin during nature play was associated with an increase in regulatory T cells, white blood cells crucial for balancing the immune system and preventing autoimmune diseases. Although the exact mechanism for conditions like eczema, asthma, or allergies is still under investigation, the findings suggest that contact with nature may mitigate the possibility of developing such immune-mediated disorders.

These benefits are also observed in adult settings through gardening and environmental exposure. Studies involving adults who grew vegetables using microbially diverse soil demonstrated an increase in skin bacteria diversity and a reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines in their blood compared to those using microbial-poor soil. Similarly, research on office environments utilizing "green walls" made of living plants showed that workers experienced increased microbial diversity on their skin, reduced levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and an increase in Lactobacillus microbes, which are beneficial for skin health. These findings underscore the importance of integrating nature into daily life. Grönroos advocates for urban planning that ensures citizens can unintentionally contact nature, making interactions with the outdoors a natural part of daily routines like commuting to work or school. The research suggests that while further study is necessary regarding specific immune-mediated diseases following contact with nature, the current evidence indicates that exposure to diverse microbial environments offers low risk and numerous potential benefits for physical and systemic well-being.