And by "too much," we mean every day.
BY VICTORIA DAWSON HOFF
It's not news that many of us could stand to limit washing our hair to just two to three times a week — scrubbing and using products daily strips strands of their natural oils among other things, promoting dryness, dullness, and breakage. But now we're learning that the same rules could apply to your skin and body. TODAY reportsthat, according to dermatologists, showering every day can be quite dehydrating for the complexion — especially during these godforsaken winter months, which tend to be the driest of the year.
The trick, dermatologist Dr. Casey Carlos told TODAY.com, is to focus on quality, not quantity — not just for the amount of showers, but for the amount of soap we use, too. Her recommendation is just to scrub in the areas most prone to smelliness (think armpits and lady parts) and avoid those parts of the body that you tend to see dryness (chest, back, legs, etc.). Skip some days in between, and follow by moisturizing all over. When you do hop in for a scrub-down, keep it short and opt for lukewarm water, since uber hot temps are more likely to dry out and irritate skin. Better yet, swap some of those showers for baths, since soaking is less harsh than standing underneath a jet of streaming water and actually helps the skin absorb moisture.
Now obviously, you are your best judge — if you're feeling smelly, then by all means, rinse (people at the office will appreciate that). But if you're particularly prone to eczema, itchiness, redness, flakiness, or all of the above this time of year, then you'll probably benefit from taking pause before leaping into that stream of water. (And you'll save yourself some extra time in your morning routine, to boot.)
This story originally appeared on Elle.com
Photo Credit: Getty Images
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