If you start looking, you can find an amazing amount of discussion out there about how often we need to wash certain parts of the body in what way with what products. There are cultural, geographical, racial, class and other differences, real or perceived, as to what is normal. Even "experts" don't agree on what we should be doing. And what might make Americans gross out is perfectly normal in other parts of the world.
Most Americans do shower daily, but not all. Most use some sort of soap, but not all. Most use some sort of shampoo, but not all.
The online magazine Jezebel actually beat me to this subject. There is a good post today about showering habits of Americans. Despite my best intentions, I read some of the comments. Several people mentioned they regularly take twice-daily showers. Really?! My dry skin would not like that!
Why is it important to shower daily? On Ask.com, this is their answer:
"It is very important to shower daily for hygienic purposes. Washing the body is an act of cleanliness to get rid of dirt, dust, sweat, and microorganisms that may have stuck or grow on the skin's surfaces. Bathing is also an act of self-consciousness that being untidy, smelly, and not neat is unacceptable for most people in society."
Is that really true?
Washing hands before eating and after using the bathroom is important to human health. But is daily showering essential? I can think of a number of reasons to shower less often: showering can be irritating to those with skin issues such as eczema, it washes away natural oils on the skin, and showering daily uses more water, a limited resource in some areas.
This story talks about some of the problems with over-showering. Of course, everyone has different needs, skin, activity level and tolerance for being unwashed, or just being out of the perceived norm. There are options for cleaning besides a shower, such as using baby wipes or a washcloth to clean the "stinky bits" between showers.
I was surprised to discover that people have strong opinions about how others wash themselves. Some think the idea of using a washcloth in the shower is gross, assuming it is used with a communal bar of soap on all parts of the body, from top to bottom. Others assume that if washcloths are not used, then hands are using a bar of soap to wash all the nooks and crannies of the bodies. There are even racial politics associated with washcloths, discussed in this Gawker piece.
Haven't any of these people heard of liquid soap? Shower puffs? Sponges? Face or bath loofahs? And who cares if you wash your butt with your hand? It's soap, right? If your hand can't get clean in the shower, then it will never be clean. In fact, washcloths are one of the items in typical American homes with the most bacteria, right up there with cutting boards. (Toilets are way down at the bottom of the list, by the way). While some of you might be diligent about using a clean washcloth everyday, not everyone is.
There is a movement to quit using commercial shampoo, either completely or some of the time. The ideas behind this seem to be a combination of environmental concern and real or imagined dangers of ingredients in commercial shampoo. A variety of health and beauty experts recommend shampooing several times a week instead of every day in this story. Some people replace the regular stuff with baking soda and vinegar, then switch to water. More details than I need to know about that are here. The Angry Chicken website has a recipe for dry shampoo with arrowroot powder, cornstarch, baking soda, and cocoa powder.
So. Don't worry if you or your kid isn't showering everyday, or isn't using a washcloth, or isn't always using shampoo. But please, keep washing your hands!
So. Don't worry if you or your kid isn't showering everyday, or isn't using a washcloth, or isn't always using shampoo. But please, keep washing your hands!
Very interesting! At the rehab center, they showered me only twice a week. I've been told that with my very limited physical activity schedule, there is no real need to shower daily. As for now, I'm showering every other or third day, using a puff, Dove liquid soap for body, Merle Norman facial soap for dry skin, Biolage shampoo, and Pantene conditioner. In between, I use Huggies or other wipes for hygienic purposes of 'naughty bits'. TMI? Well, just throwing in my opinion that as we get older or are very sedentary, the need for one (or two!) showers a day is unnecessary.
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