The African man believes that his skin requires a thorough scrub, especially after a long toil on the farm. But a Consultant Dermatologist, Dr Folakemi Cole-Adeife, says frequent use of sponge to bathe can strip the skin of natural oils and create micro-tears or micro-trauma in the skin.
Cole-Adeife of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, said that bathing with sponge frequently could also introduce bacteria and other micro-organisms into the skin.
According to her, using sponge is like exfoliating the skin, but it (skin) exfoliates itself naturally most of the time.
“A lot of people cannot have their baths without sponges, but the truth of the matter is that you actually don’t need to bathe with sponge too frequently or daily. This is because your skin exfoliates itself naturally most of the time.
“Even if you need to exfoliate your skin with a sponge, which is what the mechanical abrasion of the sponge does, you don’t need to do it every day.
“Using sponge to scrub your skin frequently can strip your skin of natural oils and create micro-tears or micro-trauma in the skin; it can introduce bacteria and other micro-organisms into the skin.
“It can also cause itchy skin. If you have itchy skin, try not to use the sponge while bathing and see if that helps,” she said.
The dermatologist advised those who felt unclean without bathing with sponge to use it once or twice a week or at most, three times a week.
“In Nigeria, we feel if we do not scrub our skin squeaky clean, we have not had our bath.
“It is not absolutely necessary to use sponge daily but if you do not feel clean without using a sponge, you can use it once or twice a week or, at most, three times a week,” she said.
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