Bathing frequency has no effect on eczema symptoms, finds study

People with eczema can bathe daily or weekly without worsening their symptoms, a new study has suggested.

The findings, published in the British Journal of Dermatology, show no difference in symptoms between people who bathed six or more times per week and those who bathed just once or twice.

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Researchers from the University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust worked closely with people living with eczema to design the trial, which was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

A total of 438 adults and children with eczema across the UK took part in the trial, which ran over four weeks and allowed participants to continue using their normal treatments.

Lucy Bradshaw, lead author and senior medical statistician at the Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit, said: ‘The findings of our study are great news for people living with eczema – it means they can choose a frequency of bathing that suits them.

‘Together, we’re starting to answer questions about living with eczema that haven’t had enough attention in research until now.’

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The Eczema Bathing Study represents the first completed trial in the five-year Rapid Eczema Trials programme.

The next study will explore how long steroid creams should be used to manage flare-ups. The project is being delivered in collaboration with the universities of Southampton, Bristol, Birmingham City and Imperial, and aims to answer practical questions that matter most to people living with eczema.

Professor Marian Knight, scientific director for NIHR infrastructure, said: ‘This research shows that how often you bathe does not make a difference to symptoms – giving people the freedom to make the choice that is best for them.’

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In September 2025, NICE amended its guidance after new evidence ‘found no benefit for taking fewer showers or baths, or using exchange iron water softeners or silk clothing for children with atopic eczema’.

A version of this article was originally published by our sister title The Pharmacist