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Health, Lifestyle

Science Suggests You Should Not Shower Every Day Anymore

Written by Evlin Symon
Evlin Symon is a health and wellness expert specialized in fitness, weight loss, pregnancy, nutrition and beauty.

When people say they don’t shower every day, we usually find that weird. However, is showering every day necessary? It turns out that showering on a daily basis isn’t the healthy habit we thought it was. Keep reading this article to find out why showering less is good for you.

Do we need to shower every day?

Dr. Casey Carlos, assistant professor of medicine in the division of dermatology at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine suggests that showering too much isn’t good for you. Carlos explains that it’s quite difficult to get people to use soap only when they need to do so.

Skin care science is simple; soaps remove oils from the skin. In turn, your skin becomes dry and gets a rough texture. Carlos also suggests people should use soap only in particular places such as the groin, armpits, and feet. Furthermore, you should skip using soap on chest, back, legs, and arms. Why? It’s because our skin has the amazing ability to clean itself.

Scientific explanation

Most health and lifestyle outlets today don’t rely too much on scientific explanations that support their claims. Luckily, below you can see why frequent showers aren’t such a great habit:

  • The top layer of your skin is composed of dead skin cells that protect underlying skin layers
  • The top layer is held together by fats or lipids that are responsible for moisture
  • Whenever you shower and scrub, you’re breaking this layer apart
  • The more showers you take, the more damage occurs in top layer
  • Due to frequent showers, your skin has less time to repair and recover through natural oil production
  • It prevents “good” bacteria from growing on your skin. This good bacteria is beneficial for protecting your skin and your body from infections
  • It’s bad for your hair too. Negative consequences include dry, dull hair that is prone to dandruff. In some cases, hair can become greasy as scalp tries to overcompensate for dryness

Supplementary benefits

  • You’ll save time
  • You’ll use less hot water
  • You’ll save money on shower gels, lotions, etc.

How to look great even when you don’t shower every day

We are used to the idea of showering every day, and we sometimes don’t even notice it’s not good for us. However, it’s possible not to shower on the daily basis and still look amazing. Below, you can see some style and beauty tips that you’ll find beneficial:

  • Remove makeup before bedtime – this will prevent clogged pores, and you’ll wake up feeling fresh
  • Put on a new pair of underwear each morning
  • Take a wet washcloth and wipe groin region, armpits, etc.
  • Use skin brightening creams to restore healthy glow
  • Use a deodorant that doesn’t leave white streaks. Also, go for the product that doesn’t have a distinctive smell.
  • Wear clothes made of natural fabrics, particularly during summer. Polyester and sweat are never a great combination, even when you do shower every day.
  • Shave armpits regularly
  • Use dry shampoo – if you don’t have a dry shampoo, you can use baby powder. This way, your hair will look clean and smooth and smell great
  • Style your hair
  • Don’t overdo it with moisturizer
  • Use apple cider vinegar to naturally deodorize your armpits
  • Use panty liners.

Conclusion

Showering on a daily basis strips away the moisture from our skin. In turn, our skin becomes dry, rough and is more prone to irritations and redness. Excessive showering is comparable to excessive exfoliating. Both practices have the same effect. Your skin can clean itself, and there are many things you can do to appear like you just got out of the shower.