Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve been hearing about how we need to practice good hygiene and wash our hands regularly to protect ourselves and others from the virus. That’s certainly true, but it can lead you to think that you need to scrub your entire body thoroughly every day, which isn’t necessarily the case.

On the contrary, excessive bathing or showering can only bring problems, not relief. According to doctors, you should only wash three parts of your body with soap every day: your armpits, groin, and legs. Just rinse the rest of your body with water.

Sandy Skotnicki, a physician and professor of dermatology at the University of Toronto, says that scrubbing your entire body with soap and water can lead to skin problems like eczema and other conditions. Instead of “scrubbing” your entire body, focus on the areas that need to be thoroughly washed.

“If you wash your entire body with soap, you can kill all the good bacteria on your skin,” added Dr. Robin Chutkan, founder of the Maryland Women’s Center.

Parts of the body need certain bacteria, he says, and when we wash them with soap, resistance to some viruses decreases, putting you in a situation where you can get sick.

“Unless you’ve finished a muddy race, the only places you really need to wash thoroughly during the day are your armpits and groin. The rest of the body should only be washed, even if you’ve just come from training,” the doctor adds, Avaz.ba reports.