The Daily Shower Going Out of Style?

According to a recent NY Times article titled "The Great Unwashed" reveals some insights into some not so clean people! A new trending ritual (or unritual) of not bathing daily- a rebellion of sorts against the American obsession with being spic 'n span clean!

Americans are quite odor-averse. Roam the streets of Europe and you can't help but smell passerbyers natural scents. A reason the perfume industry sales never seem to lull in Paris. Masking skin's natural scents with an eau de toilet is de rigor. In fact, according to Karen Grant of NPD, there may be a correlation between lagging perfume sales and the introduction of Anti-Perspirant in the US. (at times you hope the Europeans would take up using anti-perspirant especially when stuck on a crowded train).

Anyway, the reason for not washing everyday, claims the article, is 1. Saving water 2. Preserving natural oils on your skin.

I for one do not wash my hair more than once a week and my hair is better for it. My natural oils in my hair keep it healthy and shiny. But I can't forgo my morning shower. I just don't feel as refreshed if I don't cleanse my body daily. Now, there are ways that one can avoid over-cleansing by using soap-free shower gels rather than harsher soaps that dry out skin and disturb the skin pH. This is true with facial cleansing as well. There really is no need to suds up your skin- you are after all not cleaning last nights pot-roaster. Your skin is a barrier and needs to be protected (see my recent article on winter skin care).

And while I do hope people don't start taking up this trend en masse (even though it may do wonders for the US fragrance industry), I do think Americans are a bit OCD when it comes to washing and hopefully it will at least create some dialogue. Natural oils afterall are responsible for sexual attraction - perhaps that's why the Europeans have that Je ne sais quoi- it's all about preserving some skin odour;)