Some choose to mainly rinse with clean water, without using soap. Is this enough to be clean or is it absolutely necessary to soap your body? Dermatologist and venereologist in Zurich, Marianne Meli answers all questions.
I would like to take a shower, but I don’t have any shower gel. Will I still be clean?
Probably yes. As Dr. Meli explains, “on a daily basis, showering with clean water is often enough to remove sweat, dead cells and impurities.” However, in case of heavy sweating, oily skin or stubborn dirt, shower gel is more effective. “The surfactants it contains also help dissolve sebum and stubborn dirt,” explains the dermatologist. Whether or not you need to use shower gel therefore also depends on what you have done before.
What are the effects on my skin if I do without shower gel?
If you have sensitive or dry skin, or if you shower very frequently, several times a day, your skin may even benefit from little or no use of shower gel. “This helps preserve the skin,” explains Dr. Meli. “Shower gel and soap not only remove dirt and excess sebum, but also the skin’s hydrolipidic film.” According to the dermatologist, these lipids help preserve the skin barrier and the skin’s hydration.
What about armpits, feet and genitals?
You don’t necessarily need to shower completely, but some parts of the body require more thorough washing, such as using a washcloth. “This is particularly the case for the armpits, feet and genitals, where the use of soap may be recommended. And for good reason: sweat, sebum and substances responsible for odors tend to accumulate in these areas,” explains Marianne Meli. She recommends using a cleaning product to effectively remove these substances and reduce unpleasant odors. However, care must be taken to choose a particularly gentle and well-tolerated product, because “in the armpits and genitals, the skin is more sensitive than in other parts of the body and therefore more prone to irritation.”
How can I take care of my body gently?
“The most gentle products for the skin are pH-neutral syndets for the skin: they are soap-free and contain very few perfumes and preservatives,” explains Marianne Meli. Have you never heard of it? Syndets are gentle cleansing agents, made from synthetic substances, that remove dirt and oil in the same way as soap, but are generally better suited to the skin’s natural pH. According to the dermatologist, “it is best to use them sparingly and only where they are really needed.”
