Is It Really Necessary to Shower Every Day?

In ancient Rome, elaborate public baths opened around lunchtime, stayed open until dusk, and were accessible to all, rich or poor. But a daily bath regimen has not been the norm in every historical time period. In the 14th century, for example, experts at the Sorbonne in Paris claimed that warm water opened the pores and increased the risk of bubonic plague, creating a fear of bathing that lasted nearly 500 years. For centuries, many societies considered a weekly bath to be sufficient for cleanliness. Today, however, many people won’t leave home without a daily wash. Is it too much? Many dermatologists and other health experts think that people tend to over-bathe, stripping their skin and hair of essential oils. A bath or shower once or twice a week really is enough, they say.

Your skin will thank you:

• Too much bathing can lead to dry, cracked skin that can create gaps for infection-causing germs to enter your body. It’s especially a problem as you get older and your skin gets thinner.
• Dr. C. Brandon Mitchell, a dermatologist and professor at George Washington University, says that using antibacterial cleansers can disrupt the skin’s population of immune-supporting bacteria.
• “I tell patients who shower daily not to lather their whole bodies,” Mitchell says. He suggests that people concentrate on their armpits, rear, and groin -- the areas that produce smelly secretions.