To shower or not to shower, that is the question. Because in 2021, the second year of a deadly global pandemic, the people, the celebrities and the internet is mulling over proper bathing habits. Earlier this month, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis caused quite a stir when they came on Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” podcast and revealed they don’t shower every day… at least not with soap.
“I don’t wash my body with soap every day,” Kunis said, clarifying she does wash her armpits, feet and most intimate areas daily. Kutcher wasn’t much different. “I wash my armpits and my crotch daily, and nothing else ever,” he said. Kunis and Kutcher shared they don’t wash their kids, Dimitri 4, and Wyatt, 6, daily either. “Here’s the thing, if you can see the dirt on them, clean them,” Kutcher said. “Otherwise, there’s no point.”
But when the experts were consulted on the question of, “should you shower every day?” the consensus was a resounding “Yes,” at least for adults.
USA Today consulted Michelle Henry, MD FAAD, Breanna Brown, an esthetician at Ella Esthetics, and Corey L. Hartman, MD FAAD and founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology in Birmingham, Alabama. They all agree that adults should be showering daily. However, those rules don’t apply for kids. The experts say that younger children should be fully bathed only once or twice a week, while kids ages 6 to 11 should shower twice to three times a week.
However, Henry stated that it’s not good to wait until kids are visibly dirty to wash them. “If you’re waiting too long, then you can get a buildup of dirt, oil, debris and bacteria and those things will cause inflammation,” Henry says. “If we allow too much buildup of bad bacteria that we’re not washing away that can flare eczema, and that oil, dirt and debris can clog the pores and cause acne and folliculitis.”
When you hit puberty, your body starts to produce a type of sweat that bacteria feeds on, which is what creates body odor and is one reason Henry says adults should bathe daily. “If you’re not sweating a lot or you’re staying at home, you tend to not feel very oily. And if you feel like your particular body odor isn’t that offensive, then it’s a personal decision to not shower every day,” Henry says.
But, if you’re going out and about, whether it be for work or for play, Brown says a daily shower, preferably at night, is definitely necessary. The reason? When you’re out in the elements, your body and even your clothes come into contact with things you touch and pollutants in the air. Even when you’re sitting at home, your body still produces oil, Brown notes. “Your body has so many appendages and nooks and crannies that can harbor bacteria… so you want to be cleansing every day to avoid disease and illness,” she says.
Having said all that, taking a shower doesn’t mean the same thing for everyone. Case in point: Kunis and Kutcher. For some, a shower means a quick rinse with some water sans soap, and for others it means lathering up the entire body (legs included) with a soapy loofah. So, what is the real definition?
“While water is essential to the shower, it is not necessary to lather up the entire body with soap, especially if the skin is prone to dryness or eczema,” Hartman says. “Soap should be reserved for the areas that tend to sweat the most and where skin touches skin like the (armpits), groin and under the breasts in women.”
Brown says it’s actually more hygienic to use your hands rather than a loofah or washcloth as the latter two tend to harbor more bacteria, but it’s up to an individual’s preference what method they choose. Henry personally uses a washcloth and says gentle exfoliation can help keep the pores unclogged. What Henry does think is necessary, though, is washing your legs as it’s not sufficient to simply let soapy water run down your body. “I am a fan of washing the entire body. So wash your arms, wash your legs,” Henry says. “If you’re getting in the shower and never washing your legs, then it could be a month and your legs haven’t been washed.”
If you’re concerned about daily showers drying out your skin, the experts say that if you’re showering and moisturizing properly, it shouldn’t be a problem. “While is true that over washing can cause skin to become dry, irritated and itchy, the application of an emollient cream can help to replenish hydration and moisture,” Hartman says.
The skin’s pH shouldn’t be thrown off balance if you’re using lukewarm water and gentle cleansers, Henry says, recommending Dove and Cetaphil soaps as they’re not too aggressive on the skin. Henry suggests “cleansing for a short period of time so we don’t dry out the skin, using the appropriate cleanser and then moisturizing so we give that skin back those ceramides and oils and lipids that it needs to maintain, not only its comfort, but its function.”
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