The practice of certain sports often forces us to shower too often. The same thing happens with certain routines, sports or not, that force us to soak more than once a day. Showering repeatedly, is it harmful?
Not only physical training can make us take a shower a couple of times a day. With the arrival of heat, it is common to wash to reduce sweat and lower the temperature. However, this summer habit might not be the best for your skin.
Even so, you have to take into account the type of skin and the weather. For example, skin may be drier in the winter, in which case too many showers can lead to extreme dryness. However, a shower every day in summer may not have a negative effect.
skin effects
There are two main damaging effects on the skin of showering multiple times a day. For one thing, the skin can dry out . Showering several times a day (or people with very dry or sensitive skin, even once a day) can increase the risk of dry, itchy skin. The combination of hot water and strong soaps can strip the skin of its natural oils. If the dryness becomes severe enough, the skin can begin to crack, making it easier for bacteria to penetrate the skin barrier and cause infection.
In addition, it increases the risk of skin diseases . Using too much soap (especially the tough, antibacterial kind) can upset the normal balance of good bacteria that live on the skin’s surface. That could potentially increase the risk of certain skin conditions. A balance of bacteria on our skin is important for the dermis to serve as a strong barrier. By flushing out and diminishing natural defense mechanisms, we can actually do more harm than good.
If work, sports, training or routine forces us to use the shower very often, don’t panic. What really affects the dryness of the skin is the abuse of certain soaps. Therefore, if you have to do it more than once a day, use neutral gels specially indicated for pH care. In addition, it is highly recommended that we use the product only once. For example, if tomorrow we have to shower three times, we will use soap only once, and the rest we will do them only with water.
Waste of water
It’s also worth noting that showering longer than necessary to stay clean wastes water: around 64 liters per eight-minute shower. Remember that an average shower uses about 113 liters.
However, there are times when it is necessary to rinse with water, beyond being clean. For example, if we bathe at the beach or in the pool, using the shower is very convenient to remove traces of chlorine or sea salt. However, it is recommended to do it without soap. It is important that, along with the body, we also lighten the hair. After this first rinse we can use soap and shampoo to clean in depth.
