How Often Should You Shower?

A shower a day keeps the dirt away. Some people don’t feel clean without a long hot shower. 

Over the last 50 years, showers have overtaken baths as the primary method for cleaning the body. In fact, some houses are now built only with showers. And showers are now more elaborate, larger and decorative than ever. It’s not uncommon to see a bathroom renovation where the shower now has three spray nozzles and is now large enough to fit Kansas City Chiefs offensive line.

Showers have several advantages, including using less water than a bath as long as a person restricts their shower time to under 20 minutes. Unlike showers, Baths can strip the skin of its natural oils and cause the skin’s surface to break down, causing inflammation and irritation.

Baths do get you cleaner because you can’t get rid of dead skin cells in a shower, even if you scrub with soap. You must soak first, then scrub.

But is a daily shower necessary—or even healthy?

According to Columbia University research, when it comes to showering, all that scrubbing and exfoliating doesn’t amount to much.

Too much all-over bathing may even raise your risk for some health issues. Dry, cracked skin opens up gaps for infection-causing germs to slip through. That means frequent bathing when your skin is already dry—and especially as you age, when your skin becomes thinner and less hydrated—may increase the odds of coming down with something. 

The sordid history of showers

it's a myth that people in The Middle Ages never had a bath. Nobles and rich merchants bathed regularly, using a large barrel filled with hot water. Beginning around 1300, public baths, which were popular with the Romans, re-appeared. The water was heated from the log fires nearby and carried by servants to the tub. However, the down side was that many of these buildings caught fire and usually took a number of other structures down as well before the fire died out. Because of the scarcity of wood, a bath became a luxury and either whole families and friends shared the water or many had to remain dirty.

Poor people bathed in cold water, but for obvious reasons probably washed less frequently. They would use water where it was convenient to do so - a river, lake or by carrying water to the home.

Interestingly, the reason why so many marriages took place in June was that most people took their annual bath in May so they were still somewhat clean when June arrived. However, as a precaution brides carried bouquets of flowers to cover up any foul odors. June weddings and carrying bouquets are still traditional today but, of course, wedding parties smell like their brand of lavender body wash.

During medieval times in Europe, bathing was viewed either as a form of debauchery or as an opportunity for the devil to possess your body. It would be centuries before the idea that bathing was unhealthy and a way for disease, if not demons, to enter your body finally dissipated.

However, during the Black Plague, personal hygiene gained in popularity with people beginning to wash their hands in warm water, warm wine, or sometimes vinegar. Generally, men bathed first, followed by women, and then onto the children with the eldest first and on down to the youngest. This practice is the origin of the saying, “Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.”

Shower power

It's estimated that two-thirds of Americans shower daily. If you're among them, it may be you're lathering up too often. Excessive exposure to soap and water, especially very warm or hot water, can throw off the acid mantle—the thin layer of fatty acids and sebum (oil) that helps protect skin from outside contaminants and prevents it from becoming dry, flaky, and itchy. This can be particularly problematic for people with skin conditions such as psoriasis or eczema.

So what’s the ideal shower frequency? 

In terms of your health—not how you look or smell—probably once or twice a week, according to the research. However, people might not appreciate your natural musk. 

But as long as you’re washing your hands—and your clothing, which naturally rubs off and collects a lot of the dead cells and grime your body accumulates—you’d likely suffer no ill health effects, according to the research.

All of this is to say that for many people, a full-body shower every other day or even every third day is likely to be sufficient. Adequate personal hygiene can be maintained by using a clean washcloth to wipe underarms and clean the groin area each day, and changing into fresh underwear.

However it is important to wash your face every night to remove dirt and makeup or sunscreen that can clog pores. And of course frequent hand-washing, especially when you're sick or exposed to others who are sick, and after each visit to the bathroom, is vital to preventing the spread of infection. Overuse of antimicrobial soaps and cleansers also can contribute to antibiotic resistance.

The daily showers

Who Should Shower Daily?

People who work with dangerous chemicals and corrosive or radioactive materials typically are required to shower immediately after each shift. A post-work shower also is highly advisable for farm workers, gardeners, construction workers, and others who literally get dirty at their jobs or are exposed to pollens and other allergens.

It's also important to note that showering and bathing needs can be variable throughout the year: If you live in a region with extreme temperature changes—very hot in summer, cold in winter—a daily shower may be necessary during summer but not during fall and winter.

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