Skin Microbiome and Bathing – Best Soap for Skin Miicrobiome?

Bathing and Your Skin Microbiome

Recently, a debate among Hollywood celebrities emerged on whether people should bathe as little as possible (1). While some stars opt to bathe several times a day, others only bathe on certain days. Jake Gyllenhaal believes that not bathing is helpful for skin microbiome and skin maintenance because we naturally clean ourselves. Stars like Dax Shepard likewise echo this sentiment, saying people should only wash with water, as bathing with a bar of soap every day eliminates the natural oils in our skin. Given these arguments, what does a skin-healthy shower look like?

How Bathing Affects the Skin Microbiome

Our skin contains a microbiome or a community of tiny microorganisms. Trillions of bugs make up this microbiome, with 1000 different bacterial species and up to 80 different fungi species. It’s also not uncommon to have a healthy population of mites and viruses within the skin microbiome at the same time.

You may be wondering why humans don’t get sick with all these bugs living on our skin. Well, the body recognizes and tolerates those who live in our skin microbiome — although the same bacteria would make us sick if exposed elsewhere. Scientists recently identified two enzymes that protect our overall health from potential microbial intruders (2) called histone deacetylases (HDACs), which inhibit the body’s inflammatory response and tell our cells to ignore all those bacteria — because they’re actually helpful. Their role is to protect the skin barrier and ensure its proper functioning.

As we previously discussed, there are practically no exclusively good or bad bacteria. A flourishing, balanced coexistence is necessary to defend us from pathogens (3), so the correct amount of bacteria should be in the right area of our bodies at all times. Ironically, an imbalanced or disrupted skin microbiome can lead to skin diseases and conditions like psoriasis, eczema, acne, and dermatitis.

Maintaining a Healthy Skin Microbiome

In many cultures across the globe, bathing regularly is an important part of cleanliness and hygiene. Among Asian countries, in particular, taking baths with soaps and shampoos is closely associated with good health. With the region’s climates and humidity, it’s widely believed that scrubbing and showering regularly lead to a lower chance for harmful germs and bacteria to proliferate in your body.

However, given what we’ve discussed earlier, these habits may not be the best way to keep the skin microbiome healthy. Even if we like to feel clean, scrubbing too often or using agents high in antibacterial properties can remove more than just dirt and oil; these can kill off natural bacteria and leave skin prone to irritation. In fact, some soaps and products contain skin microbiome stripping ingredients like sulfate or irritating ones such as parabens and fragrances. If you really want to use soap for cleansing, choose mild products with a few natural ingredients. Oatmeal is a particular favorite among dermatologists. The oat helps alleviate conditions like dryness and itchiness.

Most commercial cleansers, masks, scrubs, and other cosmetics are full of harsh chemicals. Even though the skin microbiome will balance itself out over time, these can disrupt its pH levels. Start your mornings with a rinse of warm water, then use a gentle soap to wash off the day’s pollutants at night.

With regards to the Hollywood debate, there’s no single right answer. The frequency of bathing depends on your lifestyle, body odors, natural oil production, and feeling of cleanliness. For a healthy balance, try not to over-shower. If you can stick with a rinse every so often and only focus on sweatier places, that’s perfectly fine. And when in doubt, err on the side of bathing less with fewer (or even zero) cosmetics.