“If you’d asked me a couple of months ago, my answer might have been different,” says Dr Rosalind Simpson, a medical dermatologist at the University of Nottingham.
Historically, she says, daily washing was seen as problematic. It was thought that it might alter the skin’s microbiome, stripping away natural protective oils and beneficial bacteria. People also worried that it might dry out the skin, causing cracks that allow bacteria and allergens to penetrate, potentially leading to infections and flare-ups of conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.
