How Often Should You Shower?

Science says how often you should shower for better health.

Last night while at a birthday party for my two nephews, my husband looked at me and said something sarcastic about "oh honey, you look nice today... thanks for showering." I gave him a funny look and said, "I didn't shower today!"

This prompted a conversation between my mother-in-law and my three sister-in-laws. How often do you shower? How often do you wash your hair? The conversation had many different opinions on what would happen if you repeatedly didn't shower. It made me think, how often should you actually shower?

Science is here to save the day!

Buzzfeed asked the same question, and did the research to find out just how important it is to shower, or not to shower. They asked two dermatologists that exact question.

Both dermatologists agreed, we as a people shower too often.

Most people shower once a day and according to Dr. Joshua Zeichner and Dr. Ranella Hirsch, that is over showering. The reason why we shower every day is because of societal norms and these come from the result of good advertising. (More on that here)

Here's the thing... frequent showering may actually do more harm then good.

Both doctors say that showering too often (especially in hot water) can dry out and irritate skin, wash away the good bacteria that naturally exists on your skin and introduce small cracks that put you at a higher risk of infection.

Both doctors also say that parents should not bathe their little ones daily. Early exposure to dirt and bacteria may make the skin less sensitive as the child ages, and prevents allergies and conditions like eczema.

So how often should you shower... every 2 to 3 days. If that really grosses you out, you can wash the grossest parts of your body with a soapy washcloth or cleansing towelette on non-shower days. Also, make sure to change your undies and clothes everyday.

One study shows that we shed more dirt and oil in our clothes than in the shower.

People get excited! Save on your water bill and ditch the daily shower.