Shower for more than 5 mins and your skin may really suffer

For some it’s a cup of coffee; for others it’s a shower.

Morning rituals are part of waking up and feeling fresh.

Many people love to spend five minutes under a shower with plenty of soap or gel every morning, even though it’s not strictly necessary for hygiene reasons.

Every time skin is washed with water, bacteria are removed. “There are over 10,000 different types of bacteria on the skin,” says dermatologist Christoph Liebich. Bacteria are a natural part of the skin’s flora. They are very useful and help protect us from disease.

But frequent use of shower gels and soap can neutralise the acidic environment that bacteria need to grow on skin. In most cases, healthy skin will quickly re-balance itself. “But if skin is very dry, showering a lot can cause eczema,” says Liebich.

On the other hand, bacteria can also cause problems – for example if the skin is injured, or the body’s immune system is weak and bacteria penetrate to the lower levels of the skin. The result is infection.

“It’s easy to maintain good skin hygiene by cleaning the places with the most sweat glands with warm water every day,” says Professor Cord Sunderkoetter, a skin specialist at Wilhelms University in northern Germany. These areas include the armpits, feet and groin. Soap is not an absolute necessity, according to Sunderkoetter.

If you take part in physical activity like sport, you will need to shower to remove sweat – but once again, soap is not necessary. “From a hygiene point of view it’s quite sufficient to clean only with water,” says Liebich.

Exfoliating is another aspect of skin hygiene that can cause issues when done to excess. Liebich says exfoliating can be useful for scaly skin, but once a week is enough to remove excess skin cells.

What’s healthier for skin – soap or shower gel? “It’s a question of personal taste,” says Liebich. However, soaps and gels can both cause allergies due to their chemical ingredients.

Using a mild shower oil free from aroma will take care of that problem. “I don’t recommend using special antiseptic soaps,” says Sunderkoetter.

After-shower care

Using a body lotion after a shower is very important to maintain healthy skin.

“It’s very good for dry skin,” says Monika Ferdinand from Germany’s trade association for cosmeticians. Washing skin and then drying it with a towel will remove moisture. A body lotion can help to restore that lost fluid.

There is one exception to the advice to avoid frequent washing: hands should be washed as much as possible, according to Sunderkoetter. Many pathogens enter the body via the hands, and washing them after every visit to the toilet will help stop germs from spreading. – dpa/Sabine Meuter.

source: http://www.star2.com/health/wellness/2017/05/09/shower-5-mins-skin-health/