Washing yourself with soap and water strips your skin of moisture that can’t be readily replaced by using moisturisers.
For that reason, experts advise washing in moderation and avoiding long, hot showers and baths.
How often you should wash depends on your skin type and amount of physical activity, experts write in the German magazine Good Health.
Oily skin tolerates more washing than dry skin.
When you take a shower, it’s generally sufficient to wash odour-intensive areas such as your armpits and genitals with mild soap and lukewarm water. Other areas can be left alone.
Frequent contact with water removes an oily substance called sebum that forms a protective barrier on the skin against water evaporation. Soap intensifies this effect. If the skin doesn’t have enough sebum, it loses water, feels dry and can shrivel and crack. – dpa
