Showering twice a day can make your skin dry!

Dryness of the skin is common during the winter season. It is a condition when your skin becomes rough due to constant itching, cracking, and scaling. However, if your skin is still dry, there are some reasons behind it. Did you know that bathing more than once a day can lead to dry skin? Yes ladies, that’s true.

Well, when it comes to bathing, most of us don’t really consider bathing twice a day. But there are some people who prefer to bathe twice a day, especially during the summer season. And this might count as one of your bathing mistakes! 

To maintain personal hygiene most of us were probably taught that bathing once a day is essential. However, taking long and frequent showers can strip away your skin’s natural moisture, causing dry skin. In fact, this can lead to itchiness and cracking. 

HealthShots got in touch with Dr Rinky Kapoor, Consultant Dermatologist, Cosmetic Dermatologist & Dermato-Surgeon, The Esthetic Clinics, to understand why showering a lot makes your skin dry. 

An expert tells you about how bathing too much can lead to dry skin:

Taking too many baths can cause the skin to dry out, cause an imbalance of good and bad bacteria, cause the skin to lose the protective essential oils, irritate the skin and cause itchiness, cause cracks on the skin that increases skin’s vulnerability to germs, infections, and allergies.  

Also, read: Hate your dry skin? Moisturise it with this easy-to-make mustard oil and besan body scrub

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On the other hand, regular bating keeps allergies at bay especially if you have oily skin, it also improves blood flow and relaxes the muscles and joints, and improves immune function.

So how often should you bathe or shower?

Norms say that one should bathe at least once a day as it helps to keep bad odour away. Dr Kapoor says, “How many times you bathe in a day depends on the skin you have, and the work (lifestyle) that you do for example working in the sun, farming, gyming, running, biking, etc.”

She adds, “If you don’t shower enough you are inviting more skin issues such as acne, odour, clogged pores, hyperpigmentation, flaking, and patches on the skin.” For some, showering every other day or once in three days works just fine. The important thing is to shower or bathe the right way which includes:

• Keeping the water temperature to lukewarm (neither cold nor hot).
• On days you don’t bathe, make sure you wipe your body with a warm washcloth.
• Shower time should be 5-7 minutes max. 
• Pat yourself dry with a soft absorbent towel.
• Moisturize within three minutes of bathing or showering.

Keep these things in mind if you want to avoid getting dry skin after a shower!