An article recently published in the New York Times has been causing a bit of a stink of both sides of the Atlantic. Why? Because it suggests a growing number of people are giving up showering daily and even using deodorant.
Soap sales could be on the decline as fewer people bathe regularly. Photo: MorgueFile, frenchbyte
If you have a weak disposition, you may want to prepare yourself. Bathing and showering every day is being shunned by more people than we'd care to imagine, the article suggests. And the reasons include saving water and the use of fewer chemical-based products such as shampoos, shower gels and antiperspirants.
Some also say not showering or bathing every day is better for your skin too, since it helps your skin retain its natural oils. The same goes for shampoo, they argue, which strips hair of its natural moisture.
Besides which, given our largely sedentary lifestyles, there may not be a genuine need to bath and shower on a daily basis, say the cleansing-less brigade.
Even health experts are getting in on the act, suggesting that washing may rid the skin of the good bacteria that protect your skin against bad bacteria. Using fewer soap-based products may be a good idea if you suffer from dry skin or eczema too, they claim.
If you imagined the wash-free movement is only happening in the US, think again. According to a poll carried out last year, 41 of women in this country don't shower every single day.
Does the idea of not showering every morning make your skin creep? Or do you agree that all that lathering and shampooing isn't necessary?