How often do you need to take a bath? This is a debate that has been going on for a long time and still has no definitive answer. Most people say, the more the better. That is not the case as explained by science. Even though there is no fixed number that you just have to follow as different people have different skin types. Science explains the science of what our body goes through while we take a bath. Based on that you have to be the judge on how often you need to hit the shower.
The soap we are so fond of rubbing on our bodies to get rid of the dirt and filth is basically a combination of fat or oil with an alkaline substance that dissolves in water. The soap not only pulls off the dirt from your skin but pulls oil as well. Shampoo is also responsible for stripping essential oil called sebum out of the hair. This is the reason most hair experts are of the opinion that you should only shampoo once every two or three days.
This loss of oil combined with scrubbing and hot water leads to dry skin. This holds true for all weathers but is enhanced in winters when the air is much drier. David Leffell, author of Total Skin: The Definitive Guide to Whole Skin Care For Life and chief of dermatologic surgery at Yale School of Medicine says that the damage does not end as you step out of the shower. He told business insider that as the person steps out of the shower, additional moisture left on the surface of the skin gets lost in evaporation. The hotter the shower, the more moisture is evaporated.
- Don’t make it too hot.
- Don’t hang out in there for 30 minutes.
- Moisturise when you get out, since slathering on some lotion while the skin is still damp can lock escaping moisture in the skin.
He stresses the fact to make it quick and not spend an eternity in there. “You don’t want to do the Lady Macbeth thing where you’re scrubbing and scrubbing,” Leffell said. “The purpose of showering is to eliminate dirt.” If you still feel the need to take a bath every day, be sure to make it quick.
