If you have eczema, psoriasis or dry and sensitive skin you will no doubt have discovered that frequent bathing and showing strips what moisture and oil your skin might have and leaves you feeling tight and dry and needing to moisturise all over again.
So how often should you shower or bath?
Over the years I’ve worked out how often I need to shower and it’s usually every two to three days. You’re shocked? Well I do wash the bits that need it in-between and by that I mean the parts of the body that need refreshing, can smell and may need more frequent washing ie. down there, bum, face, arm pits and feet.
After sport or gardening I always shower because if I don’t my skin gets very itchy. In fact, the sooner I can get into a cool or warm shower after getting hot and sweaty the better – it can make my scalp in particular so itchy that I do lots of damage unless I can quickly cool down.
Another reason to shower less is to conserve a valuable resource – water. According to Waterwise you could use an incredible 62 litres of hot water in the average eight minute shower and an even more staggering 136 using some power showers. By comparison you could use 80 litres in an average bath. We have a cess pit which is basically a huge tank which fills up with water as we use it; this then needs emptying by a huge mobile tank so the less water we use the fewer times it needs emptying.
Try turning off the shower once you’ve soaked your hair and skin. Then lather up, get all squeaky clean and THEN turn the water back on. Perhaps not ideal in the winter months but perfectly acceptable when it’s warmer. This blog isn’t about saving water but next time you shower think about all that clean drinkable water you are just sluicing down your drain. Seems like a terrible waste doesn’t it?
It turns out not only am I saving water and nurturing my dry skin, I may also be helping my body to develop it’s own external microbiome of good bacteria.
If you don’t believe me the scientists and doctors all agree.
I read this online article on Buzz Feed this week which has some useful references. I warn you now, it’s one of those blogs with pictures throughout which move and repeat to illustrate certain points. Personally I hate these things and often stop reading any article with them but persevere with this one. It is also US focused but the points raised apply to anyone whether you have dry eczema skin or not. “How Often You Really Need To Shower (According To Science)”
Another online article backs up this research, read
“How Often Should You Shower?” for more evidence on the benefits of less bathing.
Tips for showering with eczema
If you have infected eczema it may be worth washing more frequently in warm water or taking a warm bath with suitable bath oil. I use PurePotions and Organic Baby bath oils. Sometimes a few drops of tea tree oil in the bath water and Epsom salts really help to heal my skin.
Bathing in very hot water can also damage and irritate eczema skin so try to use warm water and always use a suitable soap or shower gel. This is something I’m looking into at the moment so watch this space for a list of products that work best for me. I use Sanex at the moment but it contains SLS and doesn’t have particularly healing and natural ingredients so I’m on a mission. Avoid products with SLS, fragrances, perfume and parabens and if your skin is particularly sore you can bathe using your prescribed emollient just watch out as the shower or bath could become very slippery.
After showering or having a bath always apply lots of emollient to prevent skin drying out.
What if I start to smell more if I wash less?
Are you worried that you’ll smell if you bathe less frequently? We all have a natural ‘odour’ and I don’t mean smelly BO. I think we mask this with deodorants, perfumes etc. and hardly ever smell the real person any more. Scientist believe that humans use smell just like animals do, to sniff out a mate. How this works I do not know but we are attracted to people with a certain smell and I don’t think it’s Lynx or Old Spice.
Anti-perspirants and deodorants are also important. You may think you’ll have to use more if you wash less. I don’t think so. I use a rock crystal deodorant and find it works incredibly well and lasts for absolutely yonks, both in deodorising and it never seems to run out. As far as I’m aware I don’t stink. No one has mentioned it anyway but you might all be being incredibly polite.
Straw poll – how often do you shower?
So finally, what do you think? How often do you bathe? Did this blog make you think about perhaps showering less often?
Please fill in the five questions in this simple quick google survey – let’s find out whether we all agree about the frequency of washing. Thanks in advance. I will publish the results, anonymous of course in a future blog post.
What Allergy survey – How often do you shower with eczema skin?
Moo Goo do bubbly wash and shampoo xx Jacquie p.s. for babies and children, I am sure we qualify!
I think I qualify as ‘children’ if you asked my nieces and nephew who say I’m their ‘silly auntie’. Where they get that from I don’t know. I use a lot of products that are meant for babies. Organic baby range is also lovely. I have been investigating MooGoo and plan to buy some to try out when I’ve run out of the current supply of Sanex. Thanks for reminding. So how often do you shower Jacquie?
A reply from Jacquie which came through as an email instead of a comment… Dear Ruth, I only shower when I go for a swim. I hate them because the water pressure brings me out in red stripes. You can draw on my skin which of course is histamine. Trained with a physio on whom you could write your name. I have a bath morning and evening to soak my aching joints. I get very hot from mould and dust and if I don’t wash I begin to itch. My bath is followed by lots of moisturiser. I note comment and reference to Dr Mercola who I read daily. I was brought up in a mouldy air raid shelter and a house that was bombed. We had no fitted carpets and no central heating and I spent most of my time getting dirty in the garden so why am I so allergic The answer is it is inherited from my Father and the stresses and strains of my life. Jacquie.
I certainly didn’t grow up in a sterile environment. My mother never enjoyed housework so the house was dusty and she never used any bleach or detergent to clean the house with, just a duster or wet cloth. My allergies too are inherited and if you trace the family tree on Mum’s side they often have ‘asthma’ as cause of death. Interesting. Was it an allergy causing the asthma? Mum also has mild eczema so I blame her for all of this ;o) Only joking. I think for lots of kids the lifestyle plays a huge part for us older ones it’s just the luck of the draw. We have prehistoric immune systems.
Hi Ruth
Great article, I have shared it on our page.
Have you seen this article about autoimmune diseases and the link to our “sterile environment” living? Basically saying we need more dirt in our lives!
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/07/05/fermented-food-diet.aspx
Hope you are well x
Great link Weze, thanks for sharing. I think there is definitely a link between being too clean and immune problems. Let’s all go and make mud pies.
We need bacteria on our skin just as we need probiotics in the gut- the hotbed of allergies. Hot showers are bad for respiratory problems alone, even with a wonderful Berkey filter. I am intrigued by this company…
aobiome.com
Hi Heath. I have had this discussion with a doctor who says that germs are not killed by a really hot bath, yet I know that if I have infected eczema a hot bath with epsom salts works wonders, but it also strips my skin of all its natural oils. So there is a trade off. If only it didn’t feel so good to have your skin in hot water. Thanks so much for sharing https://www.aobiome.com/ – the website is intriguing. and the lady who sprayed on the bacteria and didn’t wash for a month – incredible article. I wonder would the rhassoul clay interfere with the bodies microbiome?
And if you want to read more, read this article from America “My no soap, no shampoo bacteria rich hygiene experiment http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/25/magazine/my-no-soap-no-shampoo-bacteria-rich-hygiene-experiment.html?action=click&module=Search®ion=searchResults&mabReward=relbias:r,%5B%22RI:6%22,%22RI:12%22%5D&url=http:/query.nytimes.com/search/sitesearch/?action=click®ion=Masthead&pgtype=Homepage&module=SearchSubmit&contentCollection=Homepage&t=qry545&_r=2
I have to be careful when showering for a few reasons.
1) The temperature
2) The hardness of the water. Check PH levels.
3) The length of time I spend in the shower
4) Make sure I moisturize after my shower.
If I stick to these points then I’m fine. I added a shower head filter to reduce the hardness of the water and PH level.
Thanks for a great article. I ENJOYED READING IT.
Only just seen this comment two years later! Replying because I’m experimenting with the Wim Hoff method – basically very cold water. Look it up. Works wonders to reduce inflammation.
I don’t have eczema or dry skin but my hubby got such a dry skin. I have a note on using soap for the eczema sufferers. Soap can dry out your skin as my hubby says. So select a soap that is natural, moisturizing and never forget to get one scent free…
Your post was so great. I also appreciate these wonderful ideas. I don’t have eczema, but my skin was so much dry. I take showers on a regular basis but I think about it now surely. Thanks