Bacterial Battleground
What is the minimum amount of time you should scrub your hands with soap and water to properly remove germs?
20 seconds (Happy Birthday song twice)
How many times a day are you supposed to brush your teeth?
Twice
What personal care product masks or covers up body odor with a pleasant scent.
Deodorant
The natural oil produced by your skin and scalp that keeps your hair and skin hydrated, but can cause a greasy look if it builds up is called what?
Sebum
Fact or Fiction: Eating greasy food or chocolate is the main cause of acne in middle schoolers.
Fiction! Acne is primarily driven by hormones, genetics, and oil production, though a balanced diet helps overall skin health.
What part of your body should you use to cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough if a tissue is not available?
What is the sticky, invisible layer of bacteria build up on your teeth that will lead to cavities if not brushed away called?
Plaque
True or false: freshly released sweat naturally smells bad.
False (Sweat is naturally odorless; body odor occurs when sweat mixes with bacteria living on your skin)
You should avoid sharing hairbrushes, hats, or hair ties with classmates to prevent the spread of what tiny, itchy insects.
Head lice
Fact or Fiction: Washing your face 5 or 6 times a day with harsh soap will prevent all pimples.
Fiction! Over-washing strips skin of natural moisture, causing it to produce even MORE oil to compensate.
What common microorganism can cause infections and illness?
Bacteria
You should replace your toothbrush after recovering from an illness, or every _____ to _____ months
3 to 4 months
Unlike regular deodorant, what product contains ingredients that temporarily plug your sweat pores to stop you from sweating?
Antiperspirant
Pores on your face become clogged with dead skin cells and oil, often creating what small red bumps common during puberty.
Acne
Fact or Fiction: You only need to wear deodorant on days when you go to P.E. or play sports.
Fiction! Sweat glands are active all day, so daily application is best during puberty.
Name the three places on your face that you should avoid toughing with unwashed hands.
Eyes, nose, mouth
Brushing cleans the front and back of your teeth, but what daily hygiene habit is the only way to clean the 35% of tooth surfaces between teeth?
Flossing
As you enter puberty, what special glands under your arms begin producing a thicker type of sweat that bacteria love to feed on.
Sweat glands
When washing your hair, shampoo should primarily be massaged into what part of your head, rather than the ends of your hair.
The scalp
Fact or Fiction: Cold water kills germs on your hands just as effectively as boiling hot water.
Fiction! Water temperature doesn't kill germs—it takes boiling water to kill bacteria! Soap friction and warm water lift germs off the skin.
Hand sanitizer kills bacteria but does not remove what from hands?
Dirt, grease, or mud
What is the hard, protective outer layer of your teeth - the hardest substance in the human body - that can be worn away by sugary foods and acids.
Enamel
Besides daily showering, doing what with your clothes after physical activity or P.E. class is essential for preventing odor-causing bacteria from building up.
Washing your clothes/changing into clean clothes
What is the medical term for white or yellowish flakes of dead skin that shed from a dry or irritated scalp.
Dandruff
Fact or Fiction: Shaving your body hair causes it to grow back thicker, darker, and faster.
Fiction! Shaving cuts hair at a blunt angle, making it feel coarse as it grows out, but it does not change hair follicle thickness or speed.