When showering

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Read an article in daily mail recently saying , when showering, you should only use soap or gel on bits and pits to avoid drying out your skin. Just water is apparently all that's needed to keep the rest of you clean. As someone who has washed every inch of my body with anti bac soap for the last 30 years since giving up baths, I found this hard to believe. When I asked my daughter, sister and husband what they thought, I was surprised that they all only soap bits and pits. How could I not know this? AIBU to ask what your showering habits are?

I think a lot of it is just personal preference, and there is no right or wrong.

I just cannot feel fresh and awake unless I shower in the morning, and then at night time, I don't want to get into bed dirty either. So, twice a day it is.

Do I think anyone NEEDS to shower that often? No. (And certainly not with anti-bac! )

Of COURSE you should soap down there. I don't mean put the bar of soap up it like an Imperial Leather dildo but around it and up the bum crack.

Otherwise you're not ever cleaning the poo particles away. And that, my friends, is gross.

Yuck- you mean you put the bar of soap up your bum crack then leave it full of traces of poo and bacteria on the side of the bath or basin?

There is a right and wrong. For the lucky woman who said she's soaped her bits forever and not got thrush well you are just lucky. Like the people who smoke 60 a day and live till they are 90. One anecdotal account doesn't cancel out the science.

Ha ha ha!! Absolutely not!

I use shower gel thanks. Bars of soap make my skin feel ridiculously tight.

Yes, groin would better describe where I put a bit of shower gel lather. I don't put anything near my vagina except warm water.

It's quite interesting to see how people's habits vary because the only time I really notice the smell of other people is in the gym, which is understandable.

I don't think generally you can tell the difference between the scrubbers and the dabbers

I shower twice a day every day (wash hair once, post-exercise so could be morning or evening depending on when I've been to gym/for a run) and it would never occur to me not to wash myself properly - pits, bits and feet get the most attention but I always do arms, legs, torso etc. as well. I use moisturising shower gel and then whack on some body lotion afterwards. Never had any problems with dry skin or thrush. I couldn't not have at least one proper all over wash in the shower every day, maybe because I'm used to doing so much exercise, but even so, I would just feel skanky, the thought of it makes me itch.

All over. Body puff and sanex shower cream as my skin is dry and flakes if I don't. I do concentrate more on bits and pits, but definitely all over.

Recently had a minor procedure that meant I could get a limb wet for a week, so had to flannel wash in the sink. Couldn't wait to jump in the shower for a good scrub!

How long do your showers take each time, Beast... and what's your water bill like?

I think for most people, a quick shower morning and night is reasonable. We sweat litres overnight - not sure who many- and that stays on your skin or the sheets!
When I was younger I lived in a shared house with no shower for some years so had to make do with a wash basin wash of pits in the morning and a bath at night. I don't think I ever smelled, but I wouldn't go without a shower now first thing in the morning.

Some people do smell. I know most MNetters won't, but last weekend I passed some people (adult women) outside in a park and there was a definite pong after they passed by- not actually rife BO but just an unclean funny smell. It could be clothes, stale washing, who knows.

lljk- not all houses have water meters- we don't.

My skin can be quite oily at times and I work up quite a sweat with the job that I do (very physical). So I use bars of Dove soap all over my body and I feel squeaky clean. It gives my skin a tighter, much drier feel that I crave after a shift at work But it leaves my skin feeling so wonderfully soft.

I also use it to wash my face and use a St Ives apricot scrub three time a week. Pits gets special attention and I soap between my legs and inner thighs, but for my actual bits all I do is turn the shower stream onto a very gentle pressure and wash with water only. The thought of washing my hoo-ha with actual soap fills me with horror. Does it not sting?

Ok I have questions for the bars of soap crowd:

Doesn't it make your skin a bit tight?

And

How do you keep it in the shower so it doesn't ooze all over the place and make a mess in between uses?

No soap here either, just shampoo lather. Nothing but water on my bits either.

Most soap is far too aggressive for every day use on my skin.

Also, don't use anything extra on DS because I have so much eczema. He's perfectly clean and shiny for the first five minutes out of the shower bath anyway

katelivesinengland I use imperial leather soap too! (I'm 34) 😂

No soap (strips the skin), just Korres fig shower gel, (god, that stuff smells gorgeous) on one of those loofah type shower mitts all over, then thorough rinse. Pits, groin and under boobs get more attention than, say, arms. Oh, and a poke around in the belly button.

Then a slather of Keihl's or Molten Brown Ylang Ylang, to stop the skin drying out. Has quite a strong, yet comforting smell, and I don't wear perfume - gives me a headache.

*...and nothing but water on the squishy part of the lady-bits, just plenty of warm water. Soap etc. can cause BV.

I only soap my bum and pits in the shower in the morning, but I bathe every night so wash all over then.

Exfoliate all over once a week.

I do find over-soaping dries out my skin, yes.

I use dove soap and clean all over. Not going to stop either.

DS used to have severe eczema and I thought washing was a nono, but I was told by the hospital (when he was wetwrapped) that apparently dirty skin can cause eczema to flare up, the advice is actually to keep skin clean and moisturised. Not with soap obviously, we had that petroleum stuff. Now he uses soap though because his flareups are really rare and he's a dirty little boy!

Elspeth , I don't find soap leaves my skin tight, but shower gel definitely does. I switched to soap because it was much more gentle.

To stop it going mushy I have a soap dish that is basically like wire mesh, stuck on the shower wall. The air gets at it between uses and it never goes soft.

I love Korres, RubbishMantra

I frequently sometimes pop into my local pharmacy on my lunch break and sniff the testers, just for a pick-me-up

I always did all over, using those gloves or a puff. Now I do just face/hair/pits/bits/feet for two reasons.

1. Switched to soap, it dries my arms & legs too much.
2. Hot water only lasts 10 mins in my current place. By the time I get my hair done, I'd have to rinse off extra suds with cold water.

Really wish I had a bath, though... In my next home!

Just pits and bum here with a naice organic shower gel. Shower once or twice a day dependent on excercise or going out. Wash hair twice a week.

I love a belting hot shower though. One of life's underrated pleasures.

Do my top half eg arms, breasts, torso, pits with shower gel, bits with soap up until recently (it was on simple) when I stopped using soap on front bits but do on bottom. Any residue of shower gel hopefully cleans legs.

Weekend I soap the whole lot (shower gel).

Gave up using soap a few years ago after an allergic reaction. Warm water now does it for me, but I'm super careful to make sure everything is brushed down where the sun don't shine. Hair washing every time with normal shampoo etc. Skin has improved dramatically, and feel lovely and clean when I come out, but not dry/itchy as I used to before I stopped.