9 hours ago
How Often Should You Shower?
There's no right answer when it comes to shower frequency. While a daily shower may fit most adults' needs, those with skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis may benefit from fewer showers.
There's tons of conflicting advice about how often you should shower.
Some dermatologists recommend showering only 2 to 3 times a week, depending on your skin. Others say daily is the way to go.
What's the recommended shower frequency?
Dermatologists haven't reached a consensus on how often most people should shower. Everyone's skin is different, and each person's skin can change from season to season.
For example, your skin might be drier in the winter, in which case, too many showers can bring on extreme dryness. Yet, a shower every day in the warmer months may not negatively affect your skin.
Since there are no rules regarding how much is too much, it's important to get to know your body and determine what your skin can tolerate.
Too many showers
You may not want to skip a daily shower due to personal preference, but showering more can potentially strip your skin and hair of essential oils, causing:
Too many showers may also rinse away 'good' bacteria from your skin, putting you at risk for infections.
Water conservation
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average shower uses more than 16 gallons of water.
Taking shorter showers or reducing the number of showers you take can drastically decrease your water consumption.
The American Academy of Dermatology recommended shower length is 5 to 10 minutes.
Too few showers
A skipped shower here or there probably won't trigger body odor, especially if you haven't been exercising. However, it's inevitable the longer you go without a shower, particularly in your armpits and groin.
Acne, psoriasis, dermatitis, and eczema may also be exacerbated by infrequent showers due to the buildup of:
dead skin cells
dirt
sweat
bad bacteria
If there aren't enough beneficial bacteria to balance out the harmful bacteria in your skin microbiome, you're at higher risk for skin infections due to inadequate cleansing.
Bathing also removes dead skin cells. When you don't bathe enough, these cells can stick to your skin and cause hyperpigmentation. More frequent showering can correct this.
Where the Healthline team stands
Naturally, we at Healthline also wanted to weigh in on this highly debatable health topic (check out our take on morning and night showers, too).
We polled 22 of our team members and determined that a majority (18 people) take a shower once a day, usually. Only four people take showers twice daily, and no one showers more than that in a day.
Everyone had different reasons for their shower frequency, with some stating that they want to conserve water, work mostly from home, or follow separate schedules for washing their body and hair.
What this demonstrates is that shower frequency is truly a personal preference.
The takeaway
Although personal hygiene is important for your health, it's possible to bathe too often. Daily showers might be part of your schedule, but at the end of the day, you need to do what's best for your skin.
If you experience dry skin and are looking for a way to stop skin inflammation and irritation, experiment with fewer showers. Or limit your showers to 5 minutes and opt for warm water and gentle products instead.
