Dermatologist Yael Adler (49): Why should we soap only four parts of our body when taking a shower?

Adler says you only need soap for your armpits, hips, groin area and feet when showering. Because if you wash your whole body with shower gel every day, the protective mechanisms become unbalanced. “This makes the skin more susceptible to allergies or irritation.” Adler adds that if you shower every day, you should only use water occasionally. If you take a long, hot shower, your skin will lose moisture. “One cat wash is enough.”

Adler recommends mild shower gels and shampoos with a pH around 5.5 and no fragrances or preservatives. Washes made from coconut fatty acids and sugar are the gentlest on the skin. They can be recognized as sodium cocoamphoacetate or coco-glucoside in the ingredient list. Many cleaning products contain primarily sodium laureth sulfate. According to Adler, you should avoid these if you have dry skin. They have a strong degreasing effect and remove the hydrolipid film from the skin. This may result in redness, skin irritation or dandruff.

“Warm water and a hand or microfiber cloth are sufficient to remove dirt and dust from your face in the evening,” says Adler. Light makeup can also be removed with it. Particles remaining on the skin create less stress for the skin than if the protective layer is destroyed with strong cleansing agents. However, when removing heavy make-up and mascara, a special cleaning agent such as oil is needed.

Adler says skin only needs additional care in dry, stressed areas. “Too much of a good thing overloads the skin and can lead to blemishes and cosmetic acne, especially on the face.” Biomimetic creams are suitable for dry areas. These contain skin-like oils and can repair the damaged hydrolipid film particularly well. Adler: “If you want to keep it simple, you can use pure, unrefined shea butter.”