This is What a Dermatologist Has to Say About the Celebrity Bathing Debate

With the rise of successful celebrity lifestyle brands like Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop and Kylie Jenner's Kylie Skin, celebrities have been more willing than ever to share glimpses into their hygiene routines. Along with an increase in celebrity-fueled products, many stars have taken to social media and other platforms to share their bathing practices. The trend was spurred by Jake Gyllenhaal who admitted in a Vanity Fair interview that "more and more I find bathing to be less necessary, at times." Gyllenhaal continued, "but I do also think that there’s a whole world of not bathing that is also really helpful for skin maintenance, and we naturally clean ourselves."

Following in the advisory steps of Gyllenhaal, other celebrities weighed in on the debate. Taylor Swift stated she doesn't wash her legs in the shower because she shaves them and Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher admitted that they don't bathe their children until they can visibly see dirt on their skin. On Twitter, Cardi B shared her bathing products and said, "wassup with people saying they don’t shower? It's giving itchy."

Michael B. Jordan and Barbie Ferreira agree with the "I Like It" singer on hygeine-centered bathing habits. Jordan showers when he wakes up and after every workout and Ferreira declared she takes two baths a day.

But before you go siding with your favorite celebrity, consider what a professional has to say on the matter. In order to understand the specfics of how and when to bathe, L'OFFICIEL consults Dr. Loretta Ciraldo, a Miami-based dermatologist and the founder of Dr. Loretta skincare. Here, Ciraldo dives into the sepcfifcs of bathing, skin protection, and everything in between.

DR. LORETTA CIRALDO: The goal of showering is to keep the skin healthy by removing damaging or unpleasant residue from the skin surface. If you are exercising and need to wash off sweat, dirt, chlorine, or salt water you should shower this off as soon as possible to keep skin healthy. Our underarms and groin contain specialized sweat glands called apocrine glands that secrete odorous sweat so these areas should be cleansed daily. But for everyday life, how often you shower or bathe your entire body truly depends on personal preferences. Many people find that total body bathing is adequate done just three times a week whereas others prefer daily or even twice daily showers.

DLC: The healthiest water temperature is tepid or close to room temperature. If you have dry skin, it’s best to rehydrate by staying in for a long time. A good rule of thumb is to stay in the shower until your fingertips look “wrinkled." This crinkling of our skin surface is the result of considerable absorption of water so it is a sign that you have rehydrated your skin. It’s essential that you pat dry and massage in a water trapping oil or lotion within 2-3 minutes of getting out of shower. If you can’t do this because of time constraints or lack of any oils or lotions on hand, you’re better to stay with shorter showers since it is necessary to trap in water replenished by a long shower to get the moisturizing benefits.