Experts Claim That We Should Avoid Using Shower Poufs As They Are Infested With Bacteria

Oct 16, 2018

Did you know that you may be putting on more bacteria than removing when you take a shower?

The shower pouf is something that quite a few of us use in the shower. They are ideal to get that great lather and the beautiful colors are a great eye catcher in the store. Not to mention they are fairly inexpensive as well.

Dermatologists are now advising the public to avoid using shower poufs - and with good reason!

They house and breed bacteria! Can you imagine thinking that you are scrubbing off dirt but instead your spreading bacteria all over your body?

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The rough texture of the pouf can even damage your skin. This is a reason that the pouf is not even recommended by dermatologist. The way the pouf is made makes it easy for dead skin to collect.

Dead skin cells are something that bacteria feeds on. In turn, the more that you "clean" your body, the more dead skin cells you are collecting and creating even more bacteria. Yikes!

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You may think that you could just clean the pouf after every use. That's a great idea but you would spend so much time and effort in doing so and your not likely going to really get it clean enough. It is really impossible to clean it well enough to rid it of all bacteria.

I wouldn't think that most people would like to do such a rigorous just cleaning a pouf when there are other alternatives.

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Not only do the poufs harbor bacteria but also mold and yeast. Who wants that in your shower and not to mention on your body? You could breathe in the mold and contract an upper respiratory infection.

Contact with yeast on your body can cause infections as well.

Another infection that could be caused by the bacteria would be from shaving and then washing off with the pouf. If you have any little cuts or scrapes, they could easily become infected.

All of these mentioned infections are some that you would not want to encounter and can be avoided.

If you are determined to continue using your shower pouf, here are some tips for cleaning it:

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  1. Rinse it thoroughly after each use
  2. Soak it in equal parts water and vinegar daily
  3. Dry it completely
  4. Exchange it out for a new one at a minimum of every 3 weeks

If you love the pouf and don't think you could live without it, you could look into poufs that are resistant to mold and yeast because they are made from natural fibers. Most of the time natural fibers lesson the risk of fungus being harbored. Going natural is a great way to think about the environment too as this would be eco-friendly.

The best alternative is likely just your hands. It is really best not to scrub your skin at all with anything. It does damage your skin even if you can't see it.

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What do you use when you shower? Will you continue to use your shower pouf? Let us know in the comments below!