To wash every morning or evening, the preferences on the moment of the shower diverge but the result is the same, one finishes clean and fresh. But does our skin agree with our need to wash ourselves daily?
Zoom on the skin and epidermis
The epidermis divides into several layers of cells, each with a specific purpose. The last layer of the epidermis, called the stratum corneum, plays a protective role for the skin. This stratum corneum, which is mainly found on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, is made up of several layers of dead cells. The stratum corneum has specific properties that protect the deep epidermis from bacterial attack.
The skin's ecosystem
Taking showers and baths too often disrupts the skin's natural defensive balance. The stratum corneum is filled with different bacteria: the harmless bacteria called resident skin flora and the pathogenic bacteria called transient skin flora.
Pathogenic bacteria, which can transmit an infection, live with the resident bacteria in an ecosystem that self-regulates and thus protects the skin and prevents unwanted bacteria from proliferating.
Washing too regularly disrupts this ecosystem and can be counterproductive.
Daily showering: is it good for your health?
Daily showering and the continuous use of soap tend to damage the stratum corneum and dry it out. As a result, this damaged and dry skin can no longer protect the skin from attack by pathogenic bacteria.
At this point, compulsive cleansing with soap does more harm than good to the skin and it is better to change shower gel and washing habits to deeply rehydrate the skin and rebuild a healthy stratum corneum.
One to two full showers per week and a daily washcloth over the malodorous areas (underarms, feet, between the legs) would be enough to stay healthy.
Shower and bath gel: choosing the right soap
Soaps and shower gels are plentiful on the shop shelves. So how do you choose natural soaps and shower gels?
1. Look at the INCI ingredients
The INCI (International Nomenclature Cosmetics Ingredients) list of ingredients indicates all the ingredients present in the product in descending order of quantity. As the first ingredients are the ones with the largest quantities, this gives a more precise idea of the composition of the shower gel.
2. The fewer ingredients there are, the better!
Products with extended lists of ingredients are not recommended because the chance of finding harmful substances is greater.
3. Avoid sulphates
Sulphates are present in the vast majority of shower gels because it is thanks to them that we obtain foam during the shower or bath. They are surfactants that are very irritating to the skin and damage our protective skin layer.
4. Foam is not necessary
In our head, we are only clean if the shower gel foams properly.
However, the idea that a soap has to lather in order to work is completely wrong and a product can wash without lathering at all.
Nowadays, more and more organic brands or natural products are abandoning the use of sulphates in their products or at least reducing the quantities.
5. Beware of preservatives
Preservatives are necessary in cosmetic products but not all of them are good for the skin. Thus, it is best to avoid products containing parabens or phenoxyethanols which are suspected to be endocrine disruptors.
6. Labels are a guarantee of quality
If you find the list of ingredients too complicated to read, you can always rely on the labels on the packaging. Cosmebio, Ecocert, Vegan, Cruelty free already give you a lot of information.
Clay for shower and bath
Clay is widely used externally for beauty and well-being as well as for healing. It can be used as a poultice on wounds, as a skin mask or added to a bath.
In fact, a clay bath is excellent for soothing the skin and restoring its beauty. For those who suffer from eczema, itching, allergies or psoriasis, a clay bath is ideal.
It also has other benefits for the skin:
Invigorating
Remineralizing
Soothing
Relaxing
Softener
Purifying
To find out which clay to choose, you can go to this article which lists the different types of clay and their benefits.