Brad Pitt reportedly dislikes showers and has given up soap and antiperspirants to reduce his environmental impact. While some have lauded Pitt's efforts to improve his personal hygiene, they have caused quite a stir in the film industry, with some of Pitt's co-stars expressing disgust and discomfort.
“Some celebrities do not want to wash their bodies every day with soap, as it strips natural oils from the skin. Some do not see it as necessary,” Dr. Elizabeth Mullans, a board-certified dermatologist at Uptown Dermatology, tells me.
THE CLEANSER: Brad meticulously cleanses morning and night with Lancome Ultimate Cleansing Gel, a lightweight fluid that removes dirt and impurities.
The general rule of thumb is to shower once per day, ideally at night. This rule lets you wake up clean and end your day clean. During the day, your body builds up sweat and odor, while also being exposed to air pollutants, allergens and bacteria.
Zac Efron doesn't shower. The High School Musical heartthrob reportedly goes days without washing and refuses to shower even after playing a gruelling game of basketball. An insider on the set of High School Musical 3 told America's Star magazine: "Zac isn't a big fan of showering.
Brad Pitt
According to a story in New York Magazine's The Cut, after his contract with Chanel No 5 was up Pitt left the world of synthetic fragrances. Included in this fragrance purge apparently was leaving the world of deodorants behind.
Many doctors say a daily shower is fine for most people. (More than that could start to cause skin problems.) But for many people, two to three times a week is enough and may be even better to maintain good health.
Rinsing off every day can remove odor-producing oils and bacteria from your skin, says Jeffrey Benabio, M.D., Physician Director of Healthcare Transformation at Kaiser Permanente. But guys who don't perspire much can afford to go 2 to 3 days without showering, says Dr. Kiripolsky.
How often does the average guy shower? A recent survey showed only 60% of men showered daily, then 12% of men showered more than once a day. Maybe these guys all lived in a tropical rainforest? 15% of guys showered every other day, 9% every few days, and a particularly stinky 2% showered once a week or less.
Generally, people shower somewhere between every other day and twice a day, depending on their personal preference and how their skin reacts to getting hosed down, says Jeffrey Cohen, a dermatologist and assistant professor at the Yale School of Medicine.
He talked about how he now cleanses his face and uses a serum in the morning, followed by a day cream. While at night, he again makes sure to cleanse his face and then uses a serum and night cream. He also admitted that he has a simple skincare routine for himself.
Le Domaine The Cream ($320)
That's some very pricey wood!” BF: “Spending a lot of money on [skincare] is like buying a lottery ticket; you're buying the fantasy. But every time I used it, I thought about Brad Pitt, which is not a bad way to start the day!”
Brad Pitt: Lorenzo Villoresi Musk
Brad Pitt has always had an enviable style about him and his signature scent is apparently no exception.
Mila Kunis elaborated by saying that they don't shower their children regularly and that they have a standard "If you can see the dirt on them, clean them, otherwise, there's no point, I didn't have hot water growing up as a child, so I didn't shower much anyway."
Charlize Theron. In a 2008 interview with David Letterman, the Mad Max: Fury Road actor shared that she'd be “fine” with going a week without a shower.
Taylor Swift said on Ellen that she doesn't wash her legs.
From the most showered country in the world (Brazil) to the most commonly bathed country (the UK), we all have our preferences.
Traditionally, bathing is viewed to be a ritual of large cultural importance, although it has evolved into being less ritualistic and more of a common practice. Research by the Kantar World Panel, goes on to say that 85% of people shower per week in China and average 6 showers per week.
Weekly Bathing Breakdown: On average Spanish citizens have 7 showers and 2 baths a week. Weekly bathing breakdown – On average French citizens have 7 showers and 2 baths a week. Daily shower stats – 76% of women and 71% of men shower once a day.
"If your skin tends not to be dry, you could extend it to every other day or so." If you take it from a certified germ expert, though, you can skip showering for as long as you wish.
When you skip showering for a couple days, it can lead to your body releasing potentially unpleasant odors. Dr. Muhammad says, “Body odors form naturally as a result of bacteria on the skin breaking sweat down into acid. By not washing while continuing to sweat, bad smells will just get worse and worse.”
“Humans tend to perspire at night,” Dr. Goldenberg said. “When you wake up in the morning, there's all this sweat and bacteria from the sheets that's just kind of sitting there on your skin.” So take a quick shower in the morning, he said, “to wash all of that gunk and sweat off that you've been sleeping in all night.”
In fact, bathing has been linked to improved mental health. This is because taking a warm shower can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. The body's reaction to being warm naturally relaxes your muscles and thoughts. Because of this mechanism, the risk of depressive symptoms is lower following a shower.
In general, showering every other day or every few days is enough for most people. Keep in mind that showering twice a day or frequently taking hot or long showers can strip your skin of important oils. This can lead to dry, itchy skin.