I wrote about a specific hygiene issue, so I thought I’d dial out a bit and talk about a more general topic: 

Bathing.

So you think you know how to bathe. Maybe you do, and you’re managing fine. But many do not, and labor under assumptions that do not serve them.

Please remember that this is not a scholarly article. It’s not an article at all. It’s a social media post. I’ve vetted my sources and may even link some in my posts, but please run any health information I give you past your primary care provider. 

Onward. Let’s provide some backstory. 

Your skin is a bustling microbiome with several microorganisms living in maybe not harmony or peace, but they keep things balanced. There are beneficial organisms that provide immune function by destroying invaders, some that provide cleanup by eating sloughed off skin cells, and of course there is sweat and “sebum” which is fancy talk for oil. (It’s not purely oil but it’s what we call oil when we feel it on our skin or in our hair.)

That seems utopian and all, but all things that live, like the organisms on your skin, do three things: they eat, they digest (poop!) and they reproduce. Left unchecked, that is not a happy scene. It is not a healthy scene. Overgrowth of bacteria begins as does skin breakdown. This is very, very unhealthy. 

Now for the good news:

This takes a minute. On average, for a person who has moderate activity and isn’t exposed to environmental pollutants, (skin not directly soiled by dirt or other substances,) it takes two to three days to get to that tipping point. (As in all things health, Your Mileage May Vary.) What you eat, your internal endocrine balance, your activity level, and your genes all play a part in your particular instance. The most reliable indicator of your personal tipping point is smell. We all have our own personal scent. When that scent starts to go off, it’s time to hit the shower.

So I’m going to tell you how to bathe. Here comes the part where you’ve been bathing all your life, of course you know how to bathe. Maybe. Because it seems intuitive. And when I was first taught to bathe my first baby, I thought “of course, who would do it any other way?” But after working in healthcare I saw little details that were missed because we don’t about why we’re doing it that way.

I’ll skip how to choose soap or body wash for another episode but know that if it’s in your budget, body wash is more economical in the long run as it lasts longer and microorganisms can live on a bar of soap. It’s harder for them to get into a bottle of body wash.

Simple: if you are using washcloths only (washrags if you wish) then I advise using two separate ones. Dollar stores are a great source of cheap washrags. I personally have some I really like and some that are cheap and whatever. You’ll see why I separate them in a second.

If you prefer to use an exfoliating puff or sponge or whatever, have a washcloth separate from that. (And if it’s a plastic type, rinse it thoroughly between showers, if it’s a plant based type, clean it thoroughly and allow it to dry between uses) 

We’re going to go head-to-toe. Mostly.

Soap your washcloth #1, the good one (or your exfoliating puff, etc.) and scrub your face forehead, cheeks, nose, philtrum (that area between your nose and lip) and chin. If you have sleep in your eyes, use water to rinse it. 

Under chin, around your jawline to behind the ears, get your neck, chest, arms. If you are sweaty you may want to wait for your armpits. So go down your arms, and back up to your torso. Be gentle with any area under a flap of skin. The skin in those areas can be tender. You don’t want to ‘insult’ that skin, or it could chafe. 

Your ‘pubic mons’ is the raised hill-like area below your belly button where you can feel a bone, before your genitals. Stop there. Go around to your butt cheeks, but only the outside area. We don’t want fecal cells on our washcloth. 

If you don’t have a separate back scrubber, take your washcloth and hang it over one shoulder. The elbow holding the washcloth should be over your head. With the other hand, reach around your waist to the back and grab the part of the washcloth that is hanging down, if you can. If you can’t, I suggest buying a long exfoliator from the dollar store. Not washing your back is a mistake. It’s skin like any other. Now that you have a piece of the cloth in both hands, rub up and down to scrub your back. I do this on both sides.

Now down to your legs: start at the crease between the leg and the crotch area, called the inguinal area. Scrub all the way down to the tops of your feet. 

This is the point where you scrub your armpits, then the bottoms of your feet. 

You can rinse now, and we will move on to the perineum and rectal area. This is what the second washcloth is for. Of course, you could use the same one since these areas are at the end, but I use two for two reasons: I usually use an exfoliating puff, and sometimes I forget a spot, or want to re-wash my pits or whatever. Again, YMMV.

Two ways: if you have a vagina, you will start at the back of the vaginal opening and scrub backwards toward the anus, cleaning the perennial area. You know, the taint. You will then go across the rectum and up the butt crack. It is important that as you pass the rectum you adjust the cloth slightly so that you’re wiping the skin behind it with a different part of the washcloth. This prevents what we call “cross contamination”. You don’t want to just spread those germs across your skin. You are done with the washcloth for now. You will then gently spread your labia, both outer and inner, and *rinse only*. 

If you have a penis you’ll want to *gently* wash that first, concentrating on the base where bacteria and other organisms can germinate. If your penis is not circumcised, it is important that you pull back the foreskin and *rinse only*. Then go behind your scrotum, to the base, and follow the same path. 

It is important to note: *IF YOU ARE CLEANING A CHILD WITH FORESKIN, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PULL BACK THAT FORESKIN BEFORE AGE 3 OR 4*. Now each child is different, and most are able to be pulled back by four years. But there are exceptions. If the foreskin doesn’t pull back EASILY, do not attempt. It’ll happen when it happens. If you are concerned, notice redness, swelling, smell, consult your pediatrician.

There. You’re clean. Rinse, apply lotion or body oil, or whatever, and go on with your day.

What I do not recommend is baby powder. Maybe it feels good, maybe it’s cooling. It’s not great, though, even when you have folds of skin that chafe. If you must put a powder between folds of skin, I suggest using a cornstarch based powder. I would urge you to consult a healthcare professional, a dermatologist if you have access to one, for the best course of action for your specific situation. There are many products to help mitigate chafing when skin is constantly rubbing against skin. This can go way beyond uncomfortable to extremely painful and we don’t want you suffering unnecessarily. 

What are you waiting for? Get dressed and go do whatever you need to do to thrive today!

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3833721/....

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9988004/