I love the internet, but one thing that has always shocked me is just how often people debate showering.
Whether people are up in arms about whether or not they wash their legs in the shower (please do), or debating the perfect amount of times per week to wash our hair, there's always something dividing social media.
Perhaps the worst addition to this pile is people discussing how often they do (or don’t) shower.
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It makes me queasy just thinking about it.
In an unexpected twist, it’s not always your average Joe revealing how often they clean themselves - pretty often, it’s celebrities.
Way back in 2021, Jake Gyllenhaal led the nauseating chat by admitting to Vanity Fair: “More and more I find bathing to be less necessary.
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“I do also think that there’s a whole world of not bathing that is also really helpful for skin maintenance, and we naturally clean ourselves."
But of course, that wasn’t all.
Ashton Kutcher made headlines when he admitted on Armchair Expert podcast, also in 2021, that he ‘washes his armpits and crotch regularly’, but ‘nothing else ever’.
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When it comes to keeping his children clean, he said: “Now, here’s the thing: If you can see the dirt on them, clean them.
“Otherwise, there’s no point.”
His wife, Mila Kunis, added: "I wasn't that parent that bathed my newborns—ever."
Rapper Cardi B weighed in at the time, tweeting: “Wassup with people saying they don't shower? It’s giving itchy.”
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All of this was just too much to digest, so Tyla spoke to a host of experts that dished the dirt (you’re welcome).
Doctor Ross Perry, medical director and founder of Cosmedics skin clinic, shocked us by giving the celebrities some credit.
According to him, two to three showers per week "is a reasonable amount for an average person".
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He continued: "In terms of how many times a day an individual should shower or wash, there’s no specific amount but personal hygiene is down to the individual and daily washing is common.”
Lisa Harris, natural skincare expert, echoed his findings. She stressed that washing every day is totally fine, especially ‘intimate areas’ - but she did add that washing too regularly, ie daily, can damage the natural pH levels of our skin, as well its natural microbiome.
She said: "Our skin is home to a delicate balance of organisms that live on it, such as bacteria and viruses.
"This is called the natural microbiome of the skin and it is vital to help maintain the skin’s health and natural defences against attack.”
Noted.
Finally, Superintendent Pharmacist at Chemist Click Abbas Kanani told us: "I would not recommend having more than one shower a day as you are stripping the natural oils from the skin when over washing.
"Especially if you are using a shower gel with a high soap content, this will throw off the skin's pH balance promoting dry and aggravated skin as well as irritated and itchy genitalia."
Consider me shook.
Despite all of their advice, I still feel like I need a shower now.
Featured Image Credit: Fiordaliso/Getty Images/Gary John Norman/Getty ImagesTopics: Beauty, Health, Skincare