Hygiene habits turning lukewarm with bath debate?
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JACKSON, Tenn. — Is American culture turning lukewarm toward personal hygiene? After several stories surface on healthy bathing habits — creating conflicting views — WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News set out to see how West Tennesseans feel about the great bath debate. Jackson resident Laurie Horton said she regularly bathes but adjusts her hygiene habits to suit her lifestyle. “It depends on the season,” she said. “If it’s not really hot outside, you know, like every other day maybe? Just depends on how active you are.” American culture is laced with techniques to teach hygiene habits, many of which start at a young age. Several children‘s programs will use cartoons, animations and lovable characters to stress the importance of staying clean. One West Tennessean said he remembers learning the importance of regular bathing as a child. “My daddy always got onto me about being clean, and I know every time he get out he always smell real good,” Sadarius Smith said. But do we need to bathe every single day? “It seems like a simple question, but there‘s not really a simple answer,” family nurse practitioner with Regional Medical Associates Lindsay Crocker said. Crocker said the reason behind bathing is clear — “to get dirt and oil off of our body and to get rid of those funky odors,” she said. It‘s those same odors some say they use to determine when it‘s time to lather up. Smith said while he may take two showers a day sometimes, he also frequently “washes up.” Crocker recommends washing at least every other day. She said sometimes water may be the only product necessary to rid skin of oil and dirt, noting that often when people believe frequent showering is causing skin irritation, it may really be the products they’re using. “Soap actually helps break down oil and dirt, so if you’re using something that‘s really harsh, then that can lead to more irritation,” she said. Crocker recommends using fragrance-free products and patting dry instead of vigorous rubbing dry with a towel post shower. The overall consensus? The great bath debate may continue, as it seems it really is personal preference when it comes to balancing hygiene habits.
