Unexpected harms of bathing every day

Most people shower at least once a day. However, according to experts, this frequency is too much and is not good for your health .

Research shows that 55% of the population showers at least once a day. However, experts say most of us shower too much and cutting back could be better for our health.

Experts advise against bathing too often.

Professor Sally Bloomfield, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in London, UK, said that bathing or washing your face every day is not important. The reason people wash their bodies every day is to be socially acceptable. Frequent bathing is only to get rid of unpleasant body odor.

According to experts, washing your face too often can strip away your body's self-regulating microflora . These microorganisms help us control the amount of oil on our skin, keeping it healthy.

'For me, we don't need to wash our faces and shower every day. There are bacteria on our bodies that produce unpleasant odours but they are not harmful. The reason we shower is to get rid of those odours and feel better,' Ms Bloomfield told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast.

Sharing the same opinion, Dr. Robert H. Shmerling from Harvard Medical School (USA) revealed that washing your face frequently can make people more susceptible to harmful bacteria.

He explains that showering can lead to dry and cracked skin, allowing bacteria to enter the skin, causing infections and allergic reactions .

'Our immune system needs a certain amount of stimulation from normal microorganisms, dirt and other environmental exposures to create protective antibodies and 'immune memory' (the ability of the immune system to quickly and specifically recognise an antigen the body has encountered before and initiate a corresponding immune response). This is one of the reasons why pediatricians and dermatologists advise against bathing children every day. Frequent bathing can reduce the immune system's ability ,' points out Shmerling.

Bathing daily can kill good bacteria on the skin.

The doctor added that some soaps contain antibacterial properties that can kill good bacteria. This upsets the balance of microorganisms on the skin and promotes the emergence of stubborn, less friendly microorganisms that are more resistant to antibiotics.