There are many among us who are too lazy for a shower, and if it is winter, we feel even more sluggish. And elders, especially the disciplined ones, have always advised or rather forced us to take bath every day not just to keep the bad smell at bay but to also avoid infections. It's been tough to justify our love to just lie down on the couch with a rational argument.
However, there's a good news for the lazybones. Experts now believe that bathing every day actually strips your skin of its natural moisture making it dry and cracked and this enables germs to enter more easily.
Dr. Elaine Larson, an infectious disease expert and associate dean for research at Columbia University School of Nursing says: "I think showering is mostly for aesthetic reasons. People think they're showering for hygiene or to be cleaner, but bacteriologically, that's not the case."
She also says that washing hands and clothes regularly is adequate to prevent infections. "Bathing will remove odor if you're stinky or have been to the gym," she adds, according to Time.
The study has been published in the journal the Annal of Internal Medicine.
Not only Larson, but other researchers also say people tend to over-bathe.
C. Brandon Mitchell, assistant professor of dermatology at George Washington University, says bathing washes away skin's natural oils and it may, in turn, affect the skin's population of immune system-supporting bacteria. This especially happens with antibacterial cleansers. So next time think twice before getting carried away by those soaps that promise to kill germs and give a squeaky clean skin.
Mitchell, while talking on what should be the ideal number of showers one should take, the professor says it depends on how the person looks or smell, but not more than once or twice a week.
"Your body is naturally a well-oiled machine. A daily shower isn't necessary," Mitchell added, as reported.
However, if you need to shower every day, Mitchell advises cleaning pits, butt and groin as they produce strong-smelling secretions, and avoid lathering the entire body.
So folks, next time someone asks you to take a bath, you know what to say.
