Rubber Ducky, You're the One...

Rubber ducky or not...I think bathing is important to health.  Its just one of those things that I kind of take for granted as a part of daily (or every-other day) routine, so it kind of surprised me to see a section on bathing in The Science of Health by Dr. Florence L. Meredith. Meredith presents a more-or-less even view on the topic of personal hygiene: if you bathe, you wont smell.

There is a surprisingly large amount of articles negating the necessity of a daily bath.  One woman mentioned in the New York Times article, The Great Unwashed, mentioned that she never showers but simply wipes herself clean with a soapy washcloth under her arms, between her legs and under her feet.  This article also mentions many other people who abstain from traditional deodorants, shampoos, and soaps (or abstain from using any at all) who prefer to "smell like themselves" rather than flowers and synthesized products.

Compared to washcloth wiping, daily showers are probably easier for maintaining personal hygiene, so for successfully cleaning away sweat and sebum (an odorless substance that keeps skin and hair supple but produces an odor when it breaks down) to prevent or get rid of bodily odors. However showering (or bathing/washing yourself in some way) is also important to maintain health. Bathing can be useful to remove dead skin and dirt that may irritate the skin and cause dryness or eczema (however sometimes over bathing or using certain bath products can cause irritation and dryness in the skin).

Note: Meredith refers to this dirt and dry skin as "debris" that "constitutes both a social and sanitary hazard."

Dr. Richard Gallo from the University of California, San Diego, published an article in 2010 entitled Commensal skin bacteria as the probiotic of the cutaneous immune response. This article is referred to in the New York Times piece as evidence that it may not be necessary to shower every day, especially for those who complain of dry skin, since we may be "removing some of the good bacteria that help maintain a healthy balance of skin." Dr Gallo found that good bacteria exist on the surface of the skin, and this bacteria aids skin cells in creating their own antibiotics.  Think probiotics in your gut, but on your skin! However, I did not find any conclusive evidence in the article or in separate searches that bathing daily removes the beneficial bacteria Dr. Gallo refers to.

Meredith refers to some experiments in the chapter where 90-95% of bacteria placed on clean skin were killed compared to bacteria thriving in a dirty environment.  Since this book was published in 1942, I'm not sure whether the bacteria mentioned in this study refers to the probiotics Gallo discusses or actual bad bacteria. I also not sure the details or methodology in the study, but cleaner people probably do have less surface bacteria on their skin, I'll give you that much Dr. Meredith.

Soap is also mentioned in the chapter as having an "antisepctic and germicidal effect."  Yes. Soap is good and will help you get clean.

So to bathe or not to bathe?

Its a personal choice, and that's why they call it personal hygiene. My suggestion is to maintain a not-so-smelly presence and wash yourself as often or as little as your body requires. Most people generally figure out a good routine for themselves by the time they are in high school.

*Note: Don't forget the potential meditative and therapeutic aspects of bathing. A warm bath can do wonders for a stressed (mentally and physically) body, and sometimes I appreciate my five minute shower as the the only quiet time to myself.