A 25-step shower routine? Experts say that can do more harm than good

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When it comes to soaps, use one meant for sensitive skin. Antibacterial soaps are popular, but experts said they dry out your skin too much for daily use. (However, they can be beneficial for people with an autoimmune skin condition called hidradenitis suppurativa, which causes painful boils and abscesses on the skin.)

Oils can be beneficial for your skin once you’re damp and out of the shower, Negbenebor said. But it’s important to remember that oil isn’t a moisturiser, but a sealant. The water hydrates your skin, but the oil will lock in that moisture.

“It’s nice to hear about skincare routines that do involve both cleansing and also providing hydration,” Dr Lisa Akintilo, a dermatologist at NYU Langone Health said, “because that’s missing in a lot of people’s skincare routine”.

‘Double cleansing’ is unnecessary

Some influencers suggest that a skincare routine isn’t complete without exfoliation and what’s called double cleansing.

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The latter is typically reserved for facial skincare routines, especially when you’re wearing make up, and involves using an oil-based cleanser to break down make-up and excess oil followed by a water-based cleanser to remove any remaining residue.

Experts said you don’t need to bring that practice to the full body.

“Not only do I not think that we need to double cleanse our skin … people overuse soap all the time,” Bunimovich said. “You should not be soaping up all of your skin, period.”

Instead, Bunimovich added, wash your privates and your skin folds.

Exfoliate – but not too much

Exfoliation is meant to remove dead skin cells off our body, and is good for our skin, experts said. But doing it daily could cause a mound of problems, especially if you have dry skin or skin conditions like eczema or acne.

Manual exfoliation – that is when you use a body scrub or a rougher loofah – should be done sparingly to avoid irritation. If you see rashes on your skin after exfoliation, it may be a sign you’re overdoing it.

A more gentle way of exfoliating is using products that have lactic or glycolic acid, dermatologists said, but not all the time.

Save water, shorten your shower

Showers constitute a large proportion of indoor water use so it is always a good idea to take a shorter shower to conserve water, especially in drought conditions.

If you want to get clean and retain your natural oils, a lukewarm shower that allows you enough time to clean your body should do the trick in most cases.

AP

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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