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Doctors believe there is no need to shower every day
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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In modern society, it is common to take care of personal hygiene, shower daily and have a lot of body care products. Experts from Israel reported that excessive cleanliness can be dangerous to health. Some doctors claim that taking a bath or shower daily using various bathing gels, liquid soap, shampoos can be harmful or even dangerous for the skin and the human immune system.
During frequent hygiene procedures using cleansers, there is a risk of disruption of the acid-base balance. All tissues of the human body are very sensitive to pH. In case of disruption of the acid-base balance (if the pH level exceeds the norm), the body's cells can be destroyed, enzymes can lose their functional capabilities.
Daily hygiene procedures, especially with the use of shower gel or shampoo, can lead to a violation of the acid-base balance, which is regulated by the body autonomously and quite strictly. In addition to the violation of the acid-base balance, too frequent washing with liquid soap or shampoo can lead to the fact that hygiene products destroy the natural lubrication produced by the human body. Damage to the natural protective layer of the skin can cause irritation.
Experts believe that daily hygiene procedures are dictated by fashion, not by necessity or concern for one's own health. Frequent washing destroys the protective skin and a person becomes more vulnerable to dirt, microbes and bacteria.
As for liquid soap and shower gel, recent studies have shown that frequent use of skin cleansers is harmful to health. Liquid hygiene products are more destructive due to the high concentration of surfactants. In addition, liquid shower gel and liquid soap are more difficult to wash off the body than solid soap. Thoroughly washing soap off the body causes the protective skin to lose its natural lubrication, which serves as protection against fungus and microbes. Accordingly, it turns out that too frequent hygiene procedures lead not to a perfectly clean body, but to possible infections and skin contamination.
Israeli doctors reported that to maintain body cleanliness and good health, an adult needs to take a shower or bath only twice a week. For daily use, the doctor advises leaving only local ablutions and hygiene procedures.
Doctors also advise to avoid washing your head and hair too often. Modern shampoos, when used frequently, can damage both the hair structure and the scalp.
Not all experts agree with their Israeli colleagues. Moreover, some scientists considered it strange that such statements came from representatives of a country with a rather hot climate.
In any case, before drawing conclusions about the regularity of necessary hygiene procedures, it is worth paying attention to your lifestyle, the presence of physical activity and the environment.
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