'A daily shower isn't necessary': Bathing every day could increase your risk of infections warn experts
Bathing every day could increase people's risk of infections, experts warn.
According to infectious-disease expert Dr Elaine Larson from Columbia University, showering too often can reduce skin hydration, causing it to become dry and cracked, and allowing germs to enter.
Most people bathe because they believe it reduces their risk of illness, she added, however, it does little more than remove body odour.
Dr C Brandon Mitchell, assistant professor of dermatology at George Washington University, adds washing excessively strips the skin of its natural oils, which can disrupt 'good' bacteria that supports people's immune systems.
“A daily shower isn’t necessary,” he added, saying that bathing just once or twice a week is usually sufficient for most.
Dr Mitchell told TIME: “Your body is naturally a well-oiled machine. I think most people over-bathe.”
Dr Mitchell also recommends people do not lather their entire bodies with soap but to focus on smelly areas.
For people who are worried about their risk of illness, Dr Larson said people should focus on washing their hands frequently, as well as cleaning their clothes, which collect dead skin cells.