A good shower is a simple shower, no matter what influencers recommend
[July 10, 2025]
By KENYA HUNTER
You may be seeing elaborate shower cleansing routines on social media:
daily exfoliation, double cleansing, antibacterial soap, loads of
scented body scrubs and shower oils.
“I’m kind of appalled by the shower routines,” said Dr. Olga Bunimovich,
who teaches dermatology at the University of Pittsburgh.
The multistep processes that have inspired people to spend endless
amounts of time sudsing up can harm your skin — and the environment.
Dermatologists say it's all mostly unnecessary.
“Your skin is a barrier,” said Dr. Nicole Negbenebor, a dermatologic
surgeon at University of Iowa Health Care. “It’s one of the biggest
barriers you have. It’s you in your natural elements. So you want to
treat it right, and then sometimes there can be too much of a good
thing.”
Here's what to know about how to take a basic shower and indicators that
you've gone too far with your routine.
The basics of showering
A shower is a relatively simple routine that usually doesn't require 10
steps or a plethora of products.
A daily shower with lukewarm water and a fragrance-free hypoallergenic
cleanser — followed by hydrating lotion or oil afterward — will do the
trick.
Don't plan to stay in the shower too long or turn the water temperature
too high — it can strip your skin of the natural oils it needs to
maintain its barrier, leaving it vulnerable to dryness and irritation.
When it comes to soaps, use one meant for sensitive skin. Antibacterial
soaps are popular, but experts said they dry out your skin too much for
daily use. (However, they can be beneficial for people with an
autoimmune skin condition called hidradenitis suppurativa, which causes
painful boils and abscesses on the skin.)
Oils can be beneficial for your skin once you’re damp and out of the
shower, Negbenebor said. But it’s important to remember that oil isn’t a
moisturizer, but a sealant. The water hydrates your skin, but the oil
will lock in that moisture.
“It’s nice to hear about skincare routines that do involve both
cleansing and also providing hydration," Dr. Lisa Akintilo, a
dermatologist at NYU Langone Health, "because that’s missing in a lot of
people’s skin care routine.”
“Double cleansing” is unnecessary
Some influencers suggest that a skin care routine isn't complete without
exfoliation and what's called double cleansing.
The latter is typically reserved for facial skincare routines,
especially when you’re wearing makeup, and involves using an oil-based
cleanser to break down makeup and excess oil followed by a water-based
cleanser to remove any remaining residue.
[to top of second column]
|
Water flows from a shower head on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020, in
Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
Experts said you don't need to bring that practice to the full body.
“Not only do I not think that we need to double cleanse our skin …
people overuse soap all the time,” Bunimovich said. “You should not be
soaping up all of your skin, period.” Instead, Bunimovich added, wash
your privates and your skin folds.
Exfoliate — but not too much
Exfoliation is meant to remove dead skin cells off our body, and is good
for our skin, experts said. But doing it daily could cause a mound of
problems, especially if you have dry skin or skin conditions like eczema
or acne.
Manual exfoliation — that is when you use a body scrub or a rougher
loofah — should be done sparingly to avoid irritation.
If you see rashes on your skin after exfoliation, it may be a sign
you're over doing it.
A more gentle way of exfoliating is using products that have lactic or
glycolic acid, dermatologists said, but not all the time.
Save water, shorten your shower
Showers account for nearly 17% of Americans’ indoor water use, the
Environmental Protection Agency says.
Multiple states in moderate to severe drought conditions have called for
water conservation efforts this year — including taking shorter showers.
If you want to get clean and retain your natural oils, a lukewarm shower
that gives you enough time to clean your body should do the trick in
most cases.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
