You’ve probably heard over the last few months how vital it is to wash your hands regularly and thoroughly to safeguard yourself and others from the coronavirus. Because this is still true, you might conclude that washing the rest of your body on a regular basis is also a good idea. However, this isn’t always the case. Excessive showering or bathing, in fact, can cause more harm than good.

Scrubbing your body with soap and water from head to toe can cause problems like eczema and other skin diseases, according to Sandy Skotnicki, MD, assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Toronto. According to her, the only three places on your body that need to be washed with soap are your armpits, groin, and feet. What about the rest of your body? All you need is a simple water rinse.

According to Robynne Chutkan, MD, founder of the Digestive Center for Women in Chevy Chase, Maryland, scrubbing your entire body with soap risks eliminating beneficial bacteria that enable your microbiome to differentiate between good and bad germs. Certain bacteria are required by your body, and removing them from your skin with soap reduces your immunity to certain viruses, placing you at risk of becoming ill.

So why use soap to wash your underarms, groin, and feet if you shouldn’t use it on the rest of your body? Those three places have some of the most delicate skin on your body, making them more susceptible to fungus growth, ingrown hairs that could cause infection, and being more susceptible to the formation of dangerous bacteria and potentially harmful diseases in general.