|| The Globalic – Samarth Singh || Bathing on a daily basis has remained one of our most followed routines, particularly in Indian households where it is taught from a young age as essential for health and hygiene. However, a recent report from Harvard University challenges this belief and suggests that bathing every day may not be necessary. The report notes that around 66% of people in the U.S. and 80% in Australia bathe daily, yet there’s no evidence that people who take showers twice or thrice a week suffer from health issues. In fact, in China, only about 50% of people bathe every day, without having any negative impact of it on their well-being.
Side effects of bathing daily
According to the report, people may suffer from symptoms like dry, irritated, and itchy skin. With skin being dry and cracked, the entry of bacteria and other microorganisms becomes much easier inside our body, making us prone to skin infections. Even with the use of antibacterial soaps, excessive cleaning can pose issues, as exposure to certain microorganisms helps strengthen our immune system. Daily removal of dirt and natural oils can potentially reduce the immune system’s efficiency. This is why many dermatologists advise against daily baths for kids, but this advice also applies to grown-ups.
Also, the water used for bathing often contains salts, heavy metals, chlorine, fluoride, pesticides, and other chemicals that can impact skin health. Furthermore, products like shampoos, soaps, and body washes are commonly mixed with dyes, oils, fragrances, and other additives that may become harmful with daily use.
How often should we bathe?
Taking note of the recommendations of health experts, doctors, and pediatricians a person can live and stay healthy even with a bath twice or thrice a week, however, if a person feels too much sweaty, or goes to places where he or she gets too much dirty then he/she can bath daily. In short, under normal circumstances, the habit of bathing daily is unnecessary as it may create more problems for our skin and most importantly, it will waste lots of water.
