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At a time when energy bills are swelling and environmental concerns are significant, is it really necessary to take a shower every day that consumes liters of water? Not necessarily, say dermatologists, provided you follow certain rules of hygiene.
According to a recent Ifop study, three-quarters of French people (76%) claim to wash completely daily, like their German neighbors (77%), more than the English (68%) and especially the Italians (53%).
However, this daily shower weighs on the energy bill and has an ecological impact. According to the observatory of the Water Information Center (Cieau), a shower consumes around 57 liters of water, or nearly 40% of the total daily use of a French person.
Exactly, is it really essential to take a shower every day? “You don’t have to wash daily from head to toe“, answers Marie Jourdan, dermatologist in Paris.
The skin is a living organ that renews itself: “it cleans itself” in a way, explains this member of the French Society of Dermatology (SFD).
The surface of the skin is covered by an emulsion of water and fat which forms a hydrolipidic film, a first protective barrier against infectious agents and pollution.
This film is also essential in the prevention of dehydration.
“The skin is an ecosystem like any other and it is important to preserve its balance“, emphasizes Marie Jourdan.
If the skin is “overwhelmed by aggressions” such as pollution or perspiration, it must be cleaned. But, as a general rule, “soap daily the areas where the perspiration is the most greasy, which are the most prone to bacterial colonies, such as the armpits, the interstices between the toes or private parts, sufficient“, she explains.
Conversely, “washing too often can create dryness and even eczema“, she adds.
Unwashed movement
Since the 19th century and the work of Louis Pasteur, we have known that washing destroys a large part of the bacteria responsible for epidemics.
But today, “in our surgeries, we see too many people who wash themselves excessively, several times a day, most often out of a phobia of viruses“, reports Laurence Netter, dermatologist and venerologist in Paris.
“The risk is to alter the surface hydrolipidic film which allows the skin to remain naturally healthy.“, she continues.
Dermatologists thus recommend concentrating on the parts where microbes and perspiration nest, using the minimum of detergents or foaming agents, which attack the skin.
“If we adopt this hygiene and take a shower every two or three days, it’s not a problem, unless we sweat a lot or play sports.“, summarizes Laurence Netter. “It is even ideal for reconciling good hygiene, healthy skin and low energy consumption.“, according to her.
“Washing once a day, with soap, the whole body, is not necessary“, abounds Marie Jourdan.
As for the bath, you might as well forget it. It swallows between 150 and 200 liters of water. And if it remains associated with a moment of relaxation, it is often too hot or too long, which dries out the skin by unbalancing the composition of the epidermis.
Contrary to the “hygienist” trend, an “unwashed” movement, which consists of washing less – both for ecological reasons and to preserve one’s skin – broke through about ten years ago in the United States. United.
Without claiming such a movement, Alexandre Mounier, 31, at the head of the association “un waste per day”, applies the same principles: “I only take three showers a month, when I am dirty or I sweated,” he told AFP.
“In recent months, I have simply found that I am not doing any worse for it and, in the current context, every drop counts“, he explains. A change that has not, it seems, harmed him: “Until now, no one has told me + you stink +!”.