American doctor claims he hasn’t bathed in 5 years: Here’s what experts say

Bathing has become a common ritual in our daily lives. Most people can’t even imagine not showering at least once a day. Meanwhile, a doctor in the US has been making headlines for not taking a bath in five years. He even claims that he doesn’t stink despite his body not ‘touching’ water for such a long period. James Hamblin, a medical practitioner specialising in preventive medicine, dismisses shampoos and soaps as useless or unnecessary products that would only cause harm to the body. The doctor’s experiment was aimed to challenge the conventional belief that bathing daily is essential.

However, he intended not to discard hygiene completely but to test the real benefits of hygiene and personal care products. “You walk into any pharmacy, and next to medicines, you will find aisles of soaps and shampoos. It made me wonder how much of it is actually necessary?” Dr Hamblin noted in a podcast. “Our skin is a complex habitat of a microbiome or bacteria that play a pivotal part in ensuring skin health. Washing the body regularly with soaps and shampoos eliminates the natural oils the skin produces, which could be compared to removing mud from the lawns. Soaps remove the fats, lipids and oils from the skin, making the skin drier. The skin microbiome is smaller than the gut microbiome, but the principle is the same. These microbes are always with us. You cannot eliminate them completely,” said Dr Hamblin.

One of the biggest concerns people have about not showering is body odour. However, Dr Hamblin claimed that his body adapted to it over time. He also mentioned that after exercising, simply rinsing the body with plain water is enough, even if the body is covered in sweat and salt. He recommends using soap only if any buildup cannot be rinsed off using water. Dr Hamblin, who clarified that he is not asking people to stop bathing altogether, noted that using your favourite self-care products is alright. But, he advises using those products only after understanding their real purpose rather than listening to others. “There are trillions of microbes on our skin. Trying to eliminate them regularly won’t do any good. It is important to have a mindful approach to hygiene that aligns with science and your personal comfort,” says Dr Hamblin.

How often should you shower and how?
According to the doctors of the renowned Cleveland Clinic, showering once a day is considered healthy and recommended to rinse the numerous allergens we come across every day. Alongside the foul body odour, not showering enough can cause acne, dandruff and eczema flare-ups. Meanwhile, it’s also important to ensure you shower right. Here are some of the tips:
1) The water should be lukewarm
2) Avoid fragrant soaps and body washes
3) Only the face, armpits, and groin need to be washed with soap; just water is enough for the rest
4) Don’t wash your hair every day, a maximum three times a week is enough for a healthy scalp and hair.
5) Apply a fragrance-free moisture after the bath
At the same time, bathing too often can also dry our bodies.