Celebrities like Jake Gyllenhaal have spoken out about how little they bathe. That's easier to say if you're white, says a culture studies professor.
Advertisement
Anna Medaris Miller,Canela López
Aug 11, 2021, 03:23 IST
Jake Gyllenhaal arrives for the Premiere Of Sony Pictures' "Spider-Man Far From Home" held at TCL Chinese Theatre on June 26, 2019 in Hollywood, California.
Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
Jake Gyllenhaal is the latest celebrity to say he finds regular showers "less necessary."
Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, and Dax Shepard also recently spoke about their infrequent bathing.
A professor of cultural studies told Insider there is a complex racial component to the history of who has the freedom to bathe less.
How often to shower, what to shower with, and where to wash when you do shower has been a cultural debate for years, with largely white celebrities erring on the side of less is more.
Experts say there's some benefit to limiting bathing, but too little bathing can, of course, backfire.
The issue isn't just about dermatology; it's also about race. Hypercleanliness has long been pushed on people of color, who some say do not have the same privilege to dial back as their white peers.
"This notion that white is somehow purer and cleaner is dominant in beauty products and hygiene products in ways that are remarkably corrosive," Carl Zimring, Pratt Institute professor of social science and cultural studies, told Insider.
Advertisement
Celebrities from Bradley Cooper to Ashton Kutcher have taken a 'natural' approach to hygiene
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis also recently said they don't bathe their children every day, and limit soap themselves. They were responding to a hygiene question posed by actor and podcast host Dax Shepherd, who said people "should not be getting rid of the natural oil on your skin with a bar of soap every day."
While our scientific ideas on hygiene may have changed, the legacy of these stereotypes remains present today, Zimring said, citing 2017 Dove soap ads and the 2008 US Presidential election, when Joe Biden complimented Barack Obama as "clean."
More recently - following the comments from Gyllenhaal, Kunis, and Kutcher - Indian-American comedian and writer Abby Govindan tweeted she's not amused by white celebrities shunning bathing since she was "terrorized" in school by the stereotype that "Indian people are smelly and don't shower."
Journalist Evette Dionne wrote on Twitter that, as a fat, Black woman her "obsession with cleanliness, smelling great, and always being dressed to kill is tied up in the idea that BS hyper-femininity will save me."
Bathing less can be good for the skin, but bathing too little can lead to smell and infections
There's some truth behind the theory that bathing less is better for the skin. Like the gut, the skin has its own ecosystem of bacteria, good and bad. Too much scrubbing and foaming can eat away at the good bacteria, while taking a more moderate cleansing approach can help it do its job to maintain a healthy balance.
Over-bathing and shampooing can also strip away natural oils that help protect hair and skin, Daniel Ganjian, a pediatrician at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, previously told Insider.
Too few showers, though, and you'll wind up with body odor, if not more significant consequences like acne and skin infections. Some people need more frequent baths, like people with diabetes who are susceptible to skin infections and people with obesity, who can develop infections between skin folds.
{{}}
NewsletterSIMPLY PUT - where we join the dots to inform and inspire you. Sign up for a weekly brief collating many news items into one untangled thought delivered straight to your mailbox.