A SELF-confessed soap dodger has revealed that she only cleans her armpits and privates with soap, and says she wouldn’t dream of washing with suds anywhere else.
Louise Waters, 55, from Hove, believes it is ‘totally unnecessary’ to pile on the shower gel, admitting that her husband Andrew, 55, uses more product than she does.
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, Louise explained: “I just don’t believe it’s necessary for either your skin or the environment.
“I tend to wash my hair nearly every day, apart from that I just wash my armpits and my bits.
“You just don’t need to wash your feet! The soap runs down there anyway so you’re just time wasting if you do.
“On occasion I might wash my chest or the back of my neck because my hair might have made it a bit oily there.
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“But I certainly wouldn’t wash my arms and my legs unless I had been rolling in mud!”
Louise, who is mum to twin daughters, 18, says she uses one bar of soap a month for her entire body and has never had any complaints about her hygiene.
“No one has ever remarked on my smell, I’d be mortified,” she says.
“There are only certain parts of your body that produce odour and if you wear deodorant and wash your clothes then that shouldn’t be an issue.”
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The mum says that she had no idea that anyone washed any differently until well into her marriage to Andrew.
She says: “That’s always been my way of thinking and I was surprised when I heard that other people do differently.
“It didn’t really dawn on me that anyone did wash their limbs until I saw my husband soaping his legs.
“I questioned him about it and he said it was because his legs were hairy but then I have seen him scratching his legs so I think his excessive soap use dries them out.
“Just because you have hairy legs doesn’t mean that they’re dirty, especially when soap is running down them anyway.
"You’re being encouraged to wash things that are unnecessary just so people can sell products."
“He uses far more soap than I do as well as shower gels, all that kind of stuff.”
Aside from any dermatological concerns, Louise says that anyone who does feel the need to scrub their entire body can expect to pay the price, literally.
“It’s just a huge waste if you do,” she says.
“You can see your waste product trickling down the drain and going into the water system.
“It’s literally money down the drain.
“You’re being encouraged to wash things that are unnecessary just so people can sell products.”
And it isn’t just products that Louise uses less of but water too.
“I have two teenage daughters and they get through a great deal more product than I do and they spend a lot more time in the shower than I do,” she says.
“That’s the other thing of course if you soap your whole body down and are having to rinse it all off you’re going to be using a lot more water which is going to drive your bill up if nothing else.”
Louise, who works in media relations, is fairly frugal when it comes to her skincare too.
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She says: “I do use serums and the occasional moisturiser but I don’t go to town, I don’t believe in scrubbing your face with face wash, a hot flannel is perfectly sufficient.
“I don’t suffer from dry skin whatsoever and I am pretty sure that is due to my soap dodging.”
And it seems that there is some science behind Louise’s soap dodging according Dr Eugenia Bonelli practitioner at DestinationSkin
She explains: “Of course from a hygiene perspective, using soap is important to keep clean. However, it can leave you with blocked and clogged pores, (causing inflammation, the main cause aging) which will strip your skin of its natural moisture leaving it looking less hydrated and youthful.
“Hydration is restored with effective cleansing, exfoliation and the use of quality hydrators (such as ceramides, glycerine and topical hyaluronic acid).
“Opting for a soap-free cleansing gel is what I would recommend, for the best results that keep your skin clean and balanced.
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“Soap-free products have emulsifying properties that help with the proper removal of dirt and oil from the skin, allowing for better cleaning. Plus, by using soap-free products there are fewer chances of you creating skin disorders or irritations.
“Introducing a good skincare regime at a younger age is really vital and can help prevent problems down the road. It’s important to feel comfortable and confident in your skin, no matter your age.”
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