A period of enlightenment
At one point in time, before the mid 18th century, it was actually believed that exposing the skin to excessive water could be fatal. They thought it was possible to drown the person from within, from water seeping into the skin. Because of this, people would only submerge themselves in water briefly, or chose to wear clothes during the process.
This insane belief eventually ended once the enlightenment period began revealing the health benefits of exposing the skin to both water and sunlight, thus opening up a whole new world in terms of hygiene.
