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almond oil, apricot oil, avocado oil, Bacteria, bath, bathe, bathing, body odor, Coconut oil, Eczema, Glee, grapeseed oil, hydration, Jojoba Oil, Naya Rivera, odor, pores, psoriasis, shea butter, showering, showers
There has been a great deal of discussion about this topic lately due to an interview with actress Naya Rivera of the television show “Glee”.
Americans, in general, shower every day and some several times daily, but is it necessary? Showering daily helps us to feel clean, maintain good hygiene and prevent disease and bacteria from building up on the skin. If you work or travel where you are in close contact with people (subway, bus, gym, hospital, healthcare facilities, or construction), you may be more inclined to shower daily to keep germs and body odor at bay.
There are others, however, who feel that it is not necessary to shower every day. Here are some reasons:
- Daily showers may rob the skin of hydration (especially if you tend to bathe in hot water). Bathing in hot water robs the skin of beneficial oils and the moisturizer we use may not adequately replenish them.
- It is best to switch from a bar soap to a body wash that is soap-free and does not have ingredients such as sodium lauryl sulfate (which can be drying). Look for a body wash that have ingredients such as shea butter, olive oil, jojoba or coconut oil. Also moisturize immediately after a shower with oils such as: sweet almond, jojoba, grapeseed, apricot or avocado oils. The pores are open and these oils can penetrate into the skin before the pores close keeping the skin hydrated longer.
- Frequent bathing with soaps can strip the skin of good bacteria in skin cells that helps the body protect us from bad bacteria. Body lotions and soap do not provide this benefit; only showering less frequent does (“How often should you shower?”, 2015).
- The skin is the first line of defense from bacteria and harmful chemicals. Showering removes oils and dead skin cells from the body making it easier for harmful chemicals to enter the body. It is important to limit the number of ingredients you apply to the body daily. What goes on the skin, goes through the skin tissue and into the blood stream.
- Those who suffer from skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema or similar conditions may benefit from not bathing daily. Daily bathing could actually exacerbate skin irritation.
This topic is not new and as you can see by the articles listed below, this discussion has been going on for several years. It is up to you to find your comfort level with taking a shower or bath daily. This is a no brainer folks!
To read more on this topic, click on the following links:
Alexander, B. (2015). Today Health, “Daily shower may be bad for your skin. Docs suggest ‘soak and smear’”. Retrieved January 16, 2015, from: http://www.today.com/health/daily-shower-bad-your-skin-its-better-soak-smear-2D79325796
“How often should you shower?” (2015). Med-Health.Net. Retrieved January 16, 2015, from: http://www.med-health.net/How-Often-Should-You-Shower.html
Gold, G. (2015). Yahoo Health, “Do you really need to shower every day?” Retrieved January 16, 2015, from: https://www.yahoo.com/health/do-you-really-need-to-shower-every-day-108102795142.html
Styles, R. (2013). Daily Mail, “The disturbing new trend for ‘cleansing reduction’ which involves bathing just once a week”. Retrieved January 16, 2015, from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2335634/Take-shower-just-ONCE-week-want-better-hair-skin-say-dermatologists.html
Vartan, S. (2014). Mother Nature Network, “How often do you really need to shower?” Retrieved January 16, 2015, from: http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/blogs/how-often-do-you-really-need-to-shower