We bathe when we want. And dermatologists recommend doing this no more than once a day, sometimes even less often. We find out how to actually wash properly and how often to do it. And we also help solve the dilemma of what is better – a bath or a shower.
Why do we wash ourselves at all?
To smell good. Regular washing removes the smell of sweat, and deodorant or antiperspirant masks it.
To wash away all the unnecessary. First of all, bathing is cleansing. Water washes away dirt, sweat, dead cells and sebum, as well as some microbes. This prevents skin irritation and inflammation.
To relax. A hot bath is calming and helps you fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply. There is a 2019 study in which subjects took a shower or bath 1-2 hours before bed for 10 minutes. As a result, people fell asleep faster and slept more soundly. There is little data on the effect of baths on sleep, so scientists have yet to test this theory.
How often do people wash themselves in the world?
We bathe not only for hygiene: being clean and smelling good is normal in society. But each country has its own norms. It depends on the cultural environment and climate. For example, in Western European countries, it is customary to take a shower every morning. And in the culture of Islamic countries, it is important to wash yourself after each visit to the toilet, since you can pray only when the body is clean. Hygiene for them is part of the faith.
The frequency of bathing is also regulated by climate. In a 2015 article , The Atlantic published graphs of countries where people bathe more often and where they bathe less often. The cleanest people were Brazilians — they shower more than 12 times a week. They are followed by residents of Columbia and Australia — 8-10 times a week. The least bathed are the Chinese, Japanese and English, only up to 4 times a week. In Russia and many European countries, for example, in France, Germany, Spain, it is customary to bathe once a day.
How many times a week do dermatologists recommend washing?
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends bathing no more than once a day. The exception is a shower after a workout. Harvard Medical School insists that you should bathe less often – at least every other day.
What happens if you wash too often
Some people bathe more than once a day, even though they don’t exercise or get dirty. In Beyond Soap , a book by practicing dermatologist Sandy Skotnicki, the author cites a ton of research that suggests that frequent bathing and showering can actually worsen skin health. They can damage your skin’s microbiome .
The microbiome is like a multi-story dormitory where a bunch of different people live. Bacteria, viruses and fungi are all here. And our skin and body really need them. Their presence spurs the immune system to work actively: to protect its own microbes and eliminate others.
If you wash away your native microbiome, with which you and your immune system live in perfect harmony, the least that will happen to your skin is dryness and irritation. The worst case scenario is that eczema or psoriasis may worsen. Depletion of the microbiome indirectly affects the development of these diseases.
What happens if you wash rarely
If you wash rarely, it will also not lead to anything good. Rarely is when you do not bathe, and your body starts to smell and your skin becomes greasy and unpleasant to touch.
You will smell bad. The armpits and groin area contain many sweat glands on their surface. If these parts of the body are not washed, they will cause an unpleasant odor.
Your skin conditions may worsen. For example, poor hygiene can worsen acne – if you don’t wash off the layer of dead skin cells, they, along with sebum, will clog your pores and cause inflammation.
What is better: taking a bath or standing under the shower?
It’s incredibly pleasant to bathe in a bathtub in which a fragrant bomb shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow. But that’s the whole point – to throw in the bomb and enjoy it a couple of times a month. That way, its magic won’t evaporate, and your body will be grateful. It’s better to take a shower every day.
There is an explanation for this. The American Association of Dermatologists believes that spending more than 10 minutes in a hot bath is harmful to the skin. The microbiome will definitely suffer.
How to bathe properly so as not to dry out your skin
Follow these simple rules to stay clean and have healthy skin:
Bathe quickly. To avoid overdrying your skin, wash for no more than 10 minutes. These are about three favorite songs that you can sing while splashing in the water.
The water should be warm, not hot. The recommended temperature for bathing is 40–45 degrees Celsius.
Every day you need to wash the areas that sweat the most. The armpits and groin area should be washed daily to avoid odor. You need to bathe completely with the frequency that suits your climate and skin type.
Use gentle cleansers for the bath and shower. It is best to focus on cosmetics for sensitive and atopic skin – these products contain fewer skin-drying ingredients, but more moisturizing ones. Sometimes you don’t need to apply lotion or cream after them, there are so many nourishing components. If the composition contains hyaluronic acid, glycerin, butylene glycol and ceramides, the product will definitely moisturize the skin and lock in moisture.
Use a moisturizer after your shower. Any skin needs moisturizing. The cream will retain moisture in the skin and prevent dryness and flaking.
