Daily showers are purely ‘performative’ and have no real health benefit, experts say

[The Deadman]

https://nypost.com/2024/04/25/lifest...ampaign=nypost

Call it perfume-ative hygiene.

Experts say the daily shower has no proven health benefit, dismissing the dousing as a socially accepted practice geared toward staving off accusations of funkiness — as A-listers like Jake Gyllenhaal and Mila Kunis admit they’ve been saying no to the nozzle.

“Why are we washing? Mostly because we’re afraid somebody else will tell us that we’re smelling,” environmentalist Donnachadh McCarthy told the BBC.

The “Prostitute State” author only hoses off once per month to help the environment — a lifestyle choice inspired by spending two weeks in the Amazon with the indigenous Yanomami people, he said.

Every other morning, McCarthy told a reporter, he opts instead for a wash at the sink, using a cloth to give his body a good scrub.

And while abstaining from daily showers might seem like antisocial behavior, medical experts are inclined to lean toward agreeing with earthy types like McCarthy, saying that the modern obsession with cleanliness can actually be hazardous to one’s health.

Manhattan dermatologist Dr. Julie Russak previously told The Post that prolonged and daily showers could strip away the “skin’s microbiome,” which plays a role in protecting the skin and is “also extremely important in overall health of the body.”

Chemist David Whitlock was so adamant about preserving this dermal barrier that the bathing abstainer didn’t shower for 12 years, instead opting to spray himself with good bacteria that he claims neutralizes the body’s smell-making chemicals.

When asked about addressing critics, he told Vice: “Tell anyone who mocks you that they are betraying profound ignorance of the skin microbiome, and then walk away.”

[FredWolfLeonardo]

Alot of experts lost their credibility a long time ago. Alot of experts can't even tell a man from a woman.

Everyone, please don't stop showering daily.

[Andrew NDB]

I'm sure that's totally true and I'm sure there's even very minor (possibly cumulative, over time) harms by bathing yourself in tapwater everyday. But still. Do you WANT to be stinky today? Do you WANT to be all greasy and oily today? Don't you WANT your hair to look decent today? Because you can just take a shower in the morning.

[neatoman]

I have problems with eczema, therefore I can't really shower everyday and must limit the amount of soap I use. I even have to use hand sanitiser more than soap to avoid worsening the problem.

[frank_one]

Just wash your face, your ears and your armpits daily at the sink. Use a bidet when needed. You don't really need to shower your whole body more than three times a week. Unless you are sweaty for exercising, or playing a sport.

[KROW]

George Carlin told us this 20 years ago.

"You don't always need to shower every day, did you know that? It's overkill. Unless you work out, or work outdoors, or for some reason come in intimate contact with huge amounts of filth and garbage every day, you don't always need to shower. All you really need to do is to wash the four key areas: armpits, asshole, crotch, and teeth. Got that? Armpits, asshole, crotch, and teeth. In fact, you can save yourself a whole lot of time if you simply use the same brush on all four areas!"

[BornAgain]

Originally Posted by FredWolfLeonardo

Alot of experts lost their credibility a long time ago. Alot of experts can't even tell a man from a woman.

Everyone, please don't stop showering daily.

“Expert” means nothing but I shower every other day, typically, since I started working remote.

There are constant exceptions if I’m going out or have worked out, but if it’s mostly a stay-at-home weekday then I’ll go every other day now.

Your body sort of adjusts and it’s good for your skin. Results may vary, I’m sure some people are naturally stinker, there’s diet, climate, etc

[oldmanwinters]

Imma keep doing 'em.

And if I ever plan to go out with people in public after work, I even make an effort to go home so I can shower a SECOND time.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

Originally Posted by BornAgain

“Expert” means nothing but I shower every other day, typically, since I started working remote.

There are constant exceptions if I’m going out or have worked out, but if it’s mostly a stay-at-home weekday then I’ll go every other day now.

Your body sort of adjusts and it’s good for your skin. Results may vary, I’m sure some people are naturally stinker, there’s diet, climate, etc

You make good points.

I generally shower 1-2 times a day. Definetly twice a day if its really hot and/or I have been physically active.

And I feel that in general, men are definetly more in need of regular showers since we generate more sweat.

[ResidentEvil7]

Originally Posted by KROW

All you really need to do is to wash the four key areas: armpits, asshole, crotch, and teeth. Got that? Armpits, asshole, crotch, and teeth. In fact, you can save yourself a whole lot of time if you simply use the same brush on all four areas!"

Would you use the same brush on your teeth after scrubbing the pits, asshole and crotch? You make me laugh and gag at the same time.

[IndigoErth]

Please don't be encouraging smelly people to shower less. lol

I mean, like anything, what someone needs is probably super individual. If you tend to be a sweaty, stinky, and/or particularly oily human or get grimy from work or play a lot, then sure, daily is a good idea, at least, dear god, for the sake of others around you.

On the flip side, if you're doing more than what you actually really need, you're just going to dry out and hurt your skin and hair and that's no good either, esp in the winter.

I'm not an every day person and get away with it just fine without complaints. I get enough dry skin just from the times I wash my hands in a day, esp through the winter (and it's just after bathroom and coming home from work/shopping, nothing excessive), and it sucks, so I can't imagine showering every single day and having that issue and discomfort all over.

As far as my HAIR goes, it really only needs it every third day, typically shampooing on a Sunday/Wednesday schedule. The only time it ever needed it sooner was when I started using a shampoo with some kind heavy moisturizer that made my hair feel gross by the next day. Really made me think companies are putting that stuff in on purpose to MAKE people think they need to wash it daily, use more product and spend more money. Though excessive washing can also make the body produce more of the oils in an attempt to protect the hair, so it's a Catch-22, so some battling issues might consider looking at the labels and/or ease up on it and see if it settles down.


It's kinda weird that there's this whole cultural view that it's gross if someone isn't showering every single day that even isn't based on someone's actual need for it. Someone who appears perfectly clean, doesn't stink, etc could say they don't shower every day and people will still react without any actual evidence to support the reaction.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

Please don't be encouraging smelly people to shower less. lol

You mean you don't want to take hygiene advice from the Technodrome forums?

[TurtleManiac]

Are these the same “experts” who said getting up early and showering is “White Supremacy”? The same experts who told us the vaccine is “safe and effective”? Those clowns should never be trusted with anything, ever again.

Maybe if I had a work at home job and never left the house, I could give up showers. But no, I have to go to work everyday, physical labor working indoors and outdoors exposed to pollen, dust etc all the elements. I’ll shower whenever I want. The communist agenda is to make it into a law, you cannot shower and do laundry on the same day, in the name of “climate change” aka communism. Only the privileged elite will have that luxury. If someone is already a slob and voluntarily refuses to shower, that’s one thing, but there is a reason these “experts” keep writing ridiculous articles like this, “should we ban gas stoves?” etc. Now they’re coming for our showers. Only commies would support this if they try to make it into law.

Imagine a guy going on a date and telling her “yeah so btw I haven’t showered in several days, huhuh”

[KROW]

Originally Posted by ResidentEvil7

Would you use the same brush on your teeth after scrubbing the pits, asshole and crotch? You make me laugh and gag at the same time.

I think you'd have to gauge it by what's less filthy. Like teeth first, then pits, followed by crotch, and leave the ass for last -- that's why they call it the rear.

Originally Posted by TurtleManiac

Are these the same “experts” who said getting up early and showering is “White Supremacy”? The same experts who told us the vaccine is “safe and effective”? Those clowns should never be trusted with anything, ever again.

Maybe if I had a work at home job and never left the house, I could give up showers. But no, I have to go to work everyday, physical labor working indoors and outdoors exposed to pollen, dust etc all the elements. I’ll shower whenever I want. The communist agenda is to make it into a law, you cannot shower and do laundry on the same day, in the name of “climate change” aka communism. Only the privileged elite will have that luxury. If someone is already a slob and voluntarily refuses to shower, that’s one thing, but there is a reason these “experts” keep writing ridiculous articles like this, “should we ban gas stoves?” etc. Now they’re coming for our showers. Only commies would support this if they try to make it into law.

Imagine a guy going on a date and telling her “yeah so btw I haven’t showered in several days, huhuh”

A tinfoil hat does not a shower cap make.

[Andrew NDB]

I don't think the anti-bathers are a left or right thing because I've mostly heard about it from people on the right. I mean, it's fine. It's valid. Obviously we weren't designed with the expectation that we'd be soaking in water everyday, let alone water with chemicals in it. I'm not going to not shower everyday, though. Plus if you're having a lot of sex... that's not going to smell great or "keep well" on day 2. Let alone 6 or 20. For either gender.

[Cowabung-Gal]

So I can’t be beautiful because it makes ugly people feel uncomfortable. I can’t exercise and be fit because it offends fat people. Now I can’t even smell clean?

Are we human beings or pigs?

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

You mean you don't want to take hygiene advice from the Technodrome forums?

Yeahhhh... not a first choice. lol Maybe a step above, say, Reddit, but they're both pretty low on the list.

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by FredWolfLeonardo

And I feel that in general, men are definetly more in need of regular showers since we generate more sweat.

We were generally told to use them after PE classes in secondary school, but people rarely did. Although they did use deodorants or antiperspirants.