Most people feel that you should shower frequently as possible for this will ensure that you are cleaner. In addition to help cleaning the body, showering can be a soothing process as it will wash away your troubles and cares. Although it is important to shower regularly to maintain good personal hygiene, there is such a thing as showering too much and this can affect your skin’s health. It is important to find a good balance that will keep your skin clean but will allow it to remain healthy.
How Often Should You Shower?
Bathing on a regular basis is very important for several reasons. It can help prevent disease and will also promote good hygiene. The important thing to keep in mind, however, is that how often you should bathe depends on many different factors.
- Experts tend to agree that most people should avoid showering too frequently and in fact, if they reduce the frequency it can be an incredibly healthy decision for their skin. The exceptions to this rule are people who commute in the subway or other crowded spaces, go to the gym daily or are in contact with potentially sick people (such as those coughing, sneezing or sniffling during the flu season).
- In most cases you only need to shower twice out of each three days and some people can do so just every other day. When you avoid showering daily, your skin is better able to maintain its balance, making it radiant and healthy. The important thing is to remember to use a wash cloth on any specific areas that need daily attention for hygienic or smell-related reasons. If you feel the need to wash your hair every day, there is no problem with this.
- You should shower more often depending on a few factors such as if you use public places that are filled with bacteria (like the subway or buses), have a job that is physically demanding or exercise regularly.
Why Should You Not Shower Too Often?
1. Make the Skin Softer
Your skin receives its hydration from two main sources. It attracts moisture that is in the air and it also gets hydration from the beneficial oils and water found within your body. It is important to keep in mind that when the air outside gets dryer, your skin will as well as there is less moisture for it to attract. Some people decide to use a lot of moisturizer to solve the problem but a better option can be showering less often. That is because when you use hot water (which most people do, especially in cooler months), it will soften your skin’s oils, making it easier for them to wash away and therefore dry out your skin. This means that ideally you should shower less frequently and opt for a nontoxic soap in the locations you need it. If you do this, your skin should be able to find a happy healthy balance by itself. If you feel you need more, opt for pure shea butter creams or organic raw oils such as olive, jojoba and coconut.
2. Give Off the Natural Scent
When talking about giving off your natural scent, it is important to clarify that this should only be obvious when someone gets close to you; if they can smell you from far away you should consider switching deodorants. Experts have linked smell with sexual attraction as well as selecting a mate both on the physiological and psychological level. This means that by showering less, you may actually do better at attracting a partner.
3. Preserve Helpful Bacteria
Most people realize that our stomachs need good bacteria to function but not everyone realizes that this is true of the skin cells as well. The New York Times had an article in which Dr. Richard Gallo who is the dermatology chief at the University of California pointed out that good bacteria in the skin cell help these cells learn how to produce their own antibiotics that can help protect us from bad bacteria. Body lotion and most soaps don’t provide this benefit; only showering less frequently does.
4. Protect from Harmful Chemicals
You may be surprised to learn that having oils and dead skin cells on your skin is actually beneficial. These elements provide a kind of protection from harmful bacteria. They also make it more difficult for certain chemicals to penetrate the skin. This is crucial as these chemicals can damage the skin and in some cases other parts of the body as well. When you shower, you remove these oils and dead skin cells from your skin and in the process make it easier for chemicals to get in. this is even worse if you are using harsh soaps or body washes that contain chemicals. Because of this, experts suggest always selecting a nontoxic soap with a minimal number of ingredients and only using it when necessary and in the locations that truly need it.
5. Reduce Skin Irritations
Skin irritations are fairly common and people who deal with these issues such as rashes, general irritation or even something specific such as rosacea and eczema know that taking hot showers makes the problem worse. In fact, their skin tends to behave better when they take fewer hot showers. Some people with psoriasis, eczema or other similar conditions will actually be allergic to the sensitizers found in shampoos and soaps. If you remove these toxic products from your routine, you are likely to notice a significant decrease in rashes and irritations. Some people will even see their problems completely disappear.