Double cleansing benefits the beauty industry, not consumers | Letters

Readers reflect on an article which explored whether we should be cleaning ourselves twice

With reference to your article about the merits, or not, of double cleansing (Double cleansing: should we really be cleaning ourselves twice in each shower?, 15 September), I wish to report that I shower once a week, while in between times wash daily with soap, flannel and a bowl of water (which then flushes the loo). I do this because I am deeply concerned at our misuse of the planet’s resources. We currently use fresh water at a faster rate globally than it can be replenished. Here in the UK, it is predicted that by 2055 we will have a 5bn litre a day shortfall for public water supplies – with a further 1bn litre a day deficit for the wider economy. My skin is perfectly healthy and I don’t smell anything other than naturally human.
Judith Russenberger
London

• All right, so I am a man, and I suspect that this piece is aimed at women, but do we really need all this? It is now nearly 10 years that I have not used any body wash or hair shampoo. My showers last no more than two or three minutes: any more is a waste of hot water. The run-off from these “cleansers” is not environmentally friendly.