An influencer called Michelle Sky Hayward has spoken out after videos of her seemingly swimming in sewage went viral. Erm, apparently she “loved” the experience and her skin looks better than usual? I have no idea what to make of this information.
Last week, Michelle posted several clips of her swimming in the sea at a beach in Cape Town. The water is an unusual murky brown colour, and teeming with froth.
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In the video, she played with the foam, and starfished in the sea. The waves left a strange brown residue on her cheeks. She also noted the foam tasted “salty”.
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Another video of Michelle in the car after a swim shows her with dirt on her face. She licks her skin, and notes, “it’s, like, more salty than usual”. Her partner even made a joke about her having E. coli on her face. This comment did not age well.
(Image via Instagram)
Social media viewers wondered if she had swum in sewage that had spilled into the sea.
Now, please note we don’t actually know for certain that Michelle swam in sewage. Winter storms around Cape Town often churn up proteins from algae, resulting in lots of foam. This might be the reason why the ocean looks unusual.
However, Michelle does now seem to believe she did swim in sewage. She has updated her followers on the aftermath of her ocean swim. Her comments were really not what I expected.
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She said on Instagram: “I did not get sick. If anything, maybe it even boosted my immune system, because I’ve been feeling great ever since.”
Michelle denied claims the smell would have made it obvious she was swimming in sewage. “I didn’t actually smell anything when I went into the sea. It just smelled like the normal ocean smells. So I didn’t smell anything. I did notice that the water was super murky and it’s usually very clear in that spot.”
Apparently Michelle has a great time swimming in the murky brown foam. “There was also a lot of foam that I hadn’t seen before. But guys, honestly, I loved the foam. I loved it. I felt like I was in a bubble bath. It was so cool. I literally felt like a mermaid in a bubble bath. I was having so much fun. Because the water felt a bit warmer than usual – it’s normally very cold in Cape Town, it’s like a quick cold plunge. The water felt much warmer than usual, so I was having the time of my life. I spent so much time there. It was amazing.”
Erm, Michelle actually thinks this particular swim might have been good for her skin. “People have been saying that my skin has been glowing ever since,” she continued, “so, who knows, maybe we’re onto something here?”
Please oh please, God, don’t let swimming in sewage become a skincare trend.
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Featured images via Michelle’s Instagram.
