My health survey: 180 days in rural Liberia shunning SPF, DEET, anti-bacterial products and other items marketed toward the paranoid person

You know, back in the day, when all good science was done by some guy with an idea who did experiments using himself as the sample?  Sadly, that DIY scientific research is being replaced by this complicated, federally funded, human subjects compliant bureaucracy.  I decided to go the old fashioned route - and assess three products I dislike (okay, now my survey is flawed for being biased) - SPF, DEET, and anti-bactierial hand sanitizer.  Answering the question:  Is this stuff really necessary? 
 
Background:  For years I have had few nice things to say about SPF products, DEET, and anti-bacterial hand sanitizer.  I shun them all.  Why?

SPF:  Why should I put some chemically product all over the largest, pourous organ of my body?  There might be certain occassions, like a day of direct sun on the beach, but daily?  As part of a daily routine?  No.

DEET:  What are you trying to do - detract the mosquitoes or poison me?

Anti-bacterial hand sanitizer:  Geez, I hate that stuff.  Killing most germ, leaving the strongest ones to thrive.  When you could do the same job with this little innovation called soap.

But, I thought "There's a time an a place for everything.  Maybe rural Liberia is an occassion to use such products?  Can I do without them in a poor, rural country?"  So I did my own little study.   

So, let's assess my use, or lack of use, of these products over a 6-month period in a malaria region, with no piped water, in Liberia, a country with sub-par infrastructure, ranked among the poorest countries in the world, and, tied with North Korea when Foreign Policy magazine did its 2013 ranking of failed states. 

Purpose:  Determine the effect of severely limited to no use of these products while living in rural Liberia.

Methodology:  Don't use the products unless other methods are ineffective, resulting in clear health problems. Instead, use common sense, avoid the sun, use basic soap, don't sit outside at dusk, don't touch the little kids (kids are filthy), and don't buy food from kids. And eat like a local. 

Results:

Total number of days of time in region:  180 days

SPF:
Number of days I applied SPF:  1 (Trader Joe SPF 50 spray, used during one beach day at Fishtown Beach, near Harper)
Number of days I thought "Geez!  You got too much sun today!":  2 days out of 180
Alternative strategy:  Didn't lie in the sun, wore a sun hat and/or used a shawl, stayed in the shade if possible

DEET: 
Number of days I used DEET mosquito repellant:  0 days
Number of days I thought "Geez!  You've been eaten alive.  You should have used DEET.":  0 days
Alternative strategy:  I periodically (maybe 10 times) used one of two types of anti-mosquito products - both are natural products.  I stayed inside at dusk, the time when mosquitoes are most likely to bite. 
Number of evenings I slept under a (treated) mosquito net:  1 (because there was a rat in my house and I didn't want the rat climbing into bed with me) (there were essentially no mosquitoes in my house - why use the net?)

Anti-bacterial hand sanitizer (and any other anti-bacterial product, such as special soap):  
Number of days I used anti-bacterial hand sanitizer:  6 days (days I was traveling with no access to soap and water - after relieving myself in ditches on the side of the road, or prior to eating if I hadn't washed my hands for many hours)
Number of days I was sick:  1 day (feeling achy)
Number of colds I had:  2 mild colds, one after an exhausting trip in Ghana

Consuming food and water in local establishments or at home:  
Number of days I ate in local restaurants with "questionable" sanitary conditions and/or no access to piped water (or hand-washing facilities for customers):  at least 150/180
Number of days I ate street food:  plenty (number unknown - maybe 40?)
Number of days I used bottled or other specially filtered water to brush my teeth: 1  (Instead, I used my regular hand-pump water, or rain water collected off the roof into an open basin.) 
Number of days I used bleach to wash my food:  0
Number of times I used warm or hot (as opposed to cold) water to wash my dishes:  0 (I did use soap; I never cooked meat)
Number of days I drank my filtered water out of a water bottle with an external straw (not very sanitary):  180
Number of days I had serious stomach issues associated with dirty water, food, etc.:  0
Number of Imodium tablets used during the 180 day period:  6 tablets

Anti-bacterial gels for cuts:
Number of days I used anti-bacterial gels for cuts:  4-5 (used on feet)
Number of infections I had associated with cuts:  0
Percentage of times I wore sandals (as opposed to sneakers):  nearly 100% (wore sneakers 3 times in 6 months)

Passing germs from hand-to-hand:
Number of days I shook hands with multiple people:  180 (in Liberia, one shakes hands constantly)
Number of times I was able to wash my hands after shaking hands:  very infrequently (and I used hand sanitizers as a substitute only once - when I had a cut on my hand)
Number of associated infections:  0

Analysis:

My "SPF, DEET, and anti-bacterial products are a bunch of BS." theory holds up in rural Liberia.  These products are unnecessary and therefore a poor use of packing space.  Moreover, no one living in the developed world who is in moderately good health needs to be using these products on a regular basis.

In addition, the "don't eat the street food and brush your teeth with bottled water only" warning is unnecessary in my region of Liberia. 

Summary:  In short, my assessment that people in developed world are unnecessarily paranoid and needs to chill has been supported by the fact that I didn't die (or get much more than a cold) during my 180 day study.