Actor and producer Jake Gyllenhaal says he finds bathing to be “less necessary, at times.”
During an interview with Vanity Fair, the 40-year-old signed off on what seems to be a popular topic these days: to bathe or not to bathe. And if to bathe, how often? If it’s not Taylor Swift saying she doesn’t wash her legs unless she shaves, it’s Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher saying they only bathe their kids when they see “dirt” on them. Now, Gyllenhaal adds that he doesn’t think bathing is always “necessary.”
“More and more, I find bathing to be less necessary, at times. I do believe…that good manners and bad breath get you nowhere. So I do that. But I do also think that there’s a whole world of not bathing that is also really helpful for skin maintenance, and we naturally clean ourselves,” said the actor.
However, a dermatologist says Gyllenhaal might be on to something, at least for him.
“Bathing daily is not necessary for everyone, but is not a bad thing either,” says board-certified dermatologist Dr. Dustin Portela of Boise, Idaho, weighs in. “If you are very physically active or have a Mike Rowe style ‘dirty job, ‘ bathing daily is probably a necessity. If you are more sedentary, a daily bath may not be necessary and could lead to skin dryness.”
But, Portela says don’t take it too far, adding to make sure to get your behind in the tub at least every one to three days.
“More research is needed to understand the effects on the skin microbiome,” he said. “If someone has dry or eczema-prone skin, they may benefit from less frequent cleansing, so the skin is less likely to dry out. For the average person, however, a shower or bath is reasonable every 1-3 days. Longer than three days, I would advise against. I personally shower daily and don’t plan to change my routine.”
