Bathing can be a tricky subject for people with eczema, some of whom fear that a daily bath might cause a symptom flare.

But a major study now says eczema patients can choose to wash up either daily or just one to two times per week without any fear of their symptoms getting worse.

There was no difference in eczema symptoms between a group asked to take a shower or bath every day and a group that took a shower or bath just once or twice weekly, researchers reported Nov. 10 in the British Journal of Dermatology.

“The findings of our study are great news for people living with eczema,” lead researcher Lucy Bradshaw, senior medical statistician at the University of Nottingham’s Clinical Trials Unit in the U.K., said in a news release. “It means they can choose a frequency of bathing that suits them.”

Eczema causes skin to become dry, itchy and bumpy. It weakens the skin’s ability to retain moisture and protect the body from outside elements, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

For the study, researchers recruited 438 adults and children living with eczema in the U.K. They were randomly assigned to either daily or weekly (once or twice per week) baths or showers, for a month.

Researcher Amanda Roberts, herself an eczema patient, found the results immensely reassuring.

“There are so many things in everyday life which have the potential to affect eczema,” said Roberts, who runs a support group for people caring for kids with eczema. “It is good to know frequency of bathing or showering is not one of them. One less thing to worry about.”

The research team next plans to look at how long to use steroid creams to treat eczema flare-ups.

“It was fantastic to work so closely with people living with eczema to co‑design this study,” Bradshaw said. “Together, we're starting to answer questions about living with eczema that haven’t had enough attention in research until now.”