Showering without soap sounds unimaginable? Lathering your entire body with shower gel is a daily ritual for many people. But what if the foam isn’t the best thing for you and your body?
Showering without soap or shower gel can be an unusual idea for many people. In Western society, lathering up in the shower is a part of life – and drugstores are full of a large number of shower products. But what happens if you just wash with water and simply leave out soap or shower gel?
How often should you shower
Whether with or without soap: daily showering is usually not necessary for people with normal skin, as dermatologist Stefanie Derendorf explained to Utopia in an interview. But it is not unhealthy for these people either. According to Derendorf, in some cases it even makes sense to shower daily – for example if you have sweated or have dirt on your skin. For people with dry skin, however, it is harmful to shower daily, according to the expert.
When showering, she explains, you never have to soap your entire body. Areas with a lot of sebaceous glands and areas that get a lot of dirt should be cleaned regularly, but not daily, with shower gel or soap. This includes the hands, armpits and feet, as well as the middle of the chest and back. For the rest of the body, water is sufficient for cleaning.
Showering without soap: is it a good idea?
(Photo: CC0 / Pixabay / sastrokreatorrudy)
However, there are articles and videos circulating on the Internet about people showering without soap at all. In other words, they only use water – even for their armpits, feet and other parts of the body with lots of sebaceous glands.
That’s absolutely fine, explains dermatologist Yael Adler in an interview with SWR3. “You can absolutely shower with just water, everything that needs to go away, from dust to sweat to skin flakes, goes away. Even urine is water-soluble,” says the expert.
Erhard Hackler from the German Skin and Allergy Aid even recommends to Spiegel that you avoid shower gel if you shower frequently. Instead, you can use a perfume-free deodorant stick after showering with pure water. Water alone damages the skin barrier, warns Bernadette Eberlein, senior physician at the Clinic and Polyclinic for Dermatology and Allergology at Biederstein at the Technical University of Munich. According to her, shower gel and soap increase the damage. They dissolve the fats that protect the skin.
Showering with water only: These are the consequences
Instead of attacking the skin’s natural protective layer with shower gel or soap and then rebuilding it with creams after showering, it can make sense to shower without soap. This way, the body’s own fats and microorganisms remain on the body and protect the skin from external influences.
You don’t have to be afraid of smelling bad if you shower without soap. According to the dpa, dermatologist Adler dispels these concerns. “We’re not dirty,” says the doctor.
By the way, you can also wash your hair without shampoo. You can find more information here:
Showering without shower gel: If you don’t want to
(Photo: CC0 / Pixabay / lin3179)
If you still don’t want to shower your body without soap, dermatologist Adler recommends a washing substance with a synthetic surfactant, such as shower gels based on sugar and coconut surfactants from the organic store. The pH value of the product should be around 5. This strengthens the acid mantle and such products are also less degreasing.
You should avoid shower gel or soaps with fragrances, colors and preservatives as well as foam and glitter. The dermatologist also advises against alkaline soaps, as these damage the skin’s acid mantle for up to eight hours. This makes it easier for pathogens such as fungi, viruses or bacteria to penetrate the skin.
Utopia also recommends natural soaps. They are free of synthetic colors, fragrances and preservatives.
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