There is nothing quite like the clean feeling you get after a nice long shower. However, many experts say that showering daily may be doing more harm than good. So, how often should you be showering? Let’s dive into the topic.
Is it Good for Your Skin?
According to leading dermatologists, showering daily in hot water can dry out and irritate your skin, leading to cracks in its surface and, sometimes, infections. Instead, they recommend showering every two to three days and skipping the hot water altogether. Don’t worry; cold showers aren’t necessary. Just keep things lukewarm and limit your shower to 10 minutes or less.
You’re Wasting Water
Showers (and the materials you use within them) can be harmful to the environment. The average showerhead has a water flow of 2.1 gallons per minute. That means if you shower for eight minutes, you will use roughly 16 gallons of water! Additionally, most shampoos, conditioners, body and face washes use plastic containers, which often end up in landfills and, consequently, our oceans.
Increased Chance of Skin Infections & Allergies
When we take showers, we think we’re getting clean, but we may also be ridding our bodies of things it needs. Many soaps kill the microorganisms on our skin, which, believe it or not, our immune systems need to protect against skin infections, allergies, and other related issues. Again, showering every two to three days can help alleviate this problem.
You’re Damaging Your Hair
We can purchase all the expensive shampoos, conditioners, and hair treatment gels we want, but it comes down to this: We’re washing our hair too often. When you wash your hair every day, you’re stripping it of its natural oils. This can cause dryness, frizziness, and make your strands appear dull. If you’re looking for a natural shine in your tresses, try transitioning to an every-other-day washing schedule, at a maximum.
The Bottom Line
Showering every day isn’t in your best interest for a multitude of reasons. So what can you do? To make your blow dry last longer, sprinkle baking soda along your hairline. Do this sparingly and only once or twice between washes. Body need a spruce up? Use a wet washcloth with a little bit of soap rubbed in. Be sure to rinse with a rinsed out washcloth.
While we’ve only scratched the surface, the bottom line is that cleanliness isn’t reliant on a daily shower. So forget what you think you know, and adjust your shower schedule accordingly.