Mélanie Faure 6:10 p.m., September 29, 2022
While natural gas prices soar, the environment is being harmed by climate change.
How to reduce its impact on the planet?
There are many things to do on a daily basis.
Carpooling, sorting your waste... and even limiting the number of weekly showers.
Europe 1 takes stock.
The climate emergency raises the question of the expenditure of resources on Earth.
What model should humans adopt to reduce their impact on the planet?
It is recommended to sort your waste, turn down the heating or leave your car in the garage to take public transport and carpool.
But shouldn't the number of weekly showers also be reduced?
Good for health in some cases
The Obs looked into the matter.
And it turns out that in addition to being a good thing for the environment, limiting the number of showers is in some cases good for your health.
"Showering less helps strengthen your immune system by letting disease-fighting bacteria live on your skin," says Dr. Lucy Chen, of the Riverchase Dermatological Institute in the United States, quoted by the magazine.
Benefits that have limits: it's all about balance.
"The mixture of sweat and bacteria causes body odor and dirtiness and then you have acne, blackheads, clogged pores… The buildup of dead cells can irritate the skin and it's going to be dry and you itch," she says.
“Limit to five minutes with hot water, but not too much”
What do the numbers say about this?
A survey conducted by Ifop for the company Diogène France and published in early 2020 reveals that only three out of four French people carry out a complete daily wash, with precisely 81% of women and 71% of men.
Showering two or three times a week saves water but also energy, with the water heater and the boiler - and with the explosion in prices due in particular to the war in Ukraine, the French fear the next bills .
Budget savings too, with reduced use of soap and shampoo.
"Washing two to three times a week is probably healthy and good for the environment too," says Barbara Barash, GP and professor of medicine at Ohio State University in the United States.
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And if for you, it is impossible to ignore it, do not hang around.
"If you take daily showers, limit them to five minutes with hot water but not too much. This is good for most people", concludes Barbara Barash.
And if you prefer the bath to the shower, needless to remember that in a context of energy and environmental crisis, it is strongly discouraged.