\n
![](\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/img-assets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/GettyImages-486775591-e1689962294901.jpg?w=2048\")
<\/p>\n [ad_1]
\n<\/p>\n
America Ferrera doesn\u2019t shower for days<\/a>. Al Roker showers twice a day<\/a>. Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard wait for the \u201cstink<\/a>\u201d to bathe their kids. I, as if you care, shower daily.\u00a0<\/p>\n The shower frequency debate is constantly resurfacing, and we can\u2019t seem to find a winner because it is personal to everyone.\u00a0<\/p>\n IM SO MARGOT LIKE WHAT???????? sorry like why are you guys against showering pic.twitter.com\/WjhIJWJOJM<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 ananda (@scarberlain) July 20, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n According to Harvard Medical School<\/a>, I\u2019m in good company, with about two-thirds of Americans who shower daily\u2014but everyone\u2019s routine is different. For us daily rinsers, the shower is necessary because of the morning workout, a sweaty day out and about, or body odor\u2014not to mention the newfound love I have for a quick cold plunge shower<\/a> in the morning to hype me up for the day. But how often are we really<\/em> supposed to be showering?\u00a0<\/p>\n Like all things health, unfortunately, the answer doesn\u2019t come with a one-size-fits-all solution.\u00a0<\/p>\n As with most of my skin-related questions, I texted my handy dermatologist cousin based in Philadelphia this morning, Dr. Mark Abdelmalek, and posed the same question. His initial response was, \u201cMore is not always better.\u201d Other experts agree.\u00a0<\/p>\n Showering too often can irritate what he describes as the skin<\/a> barrier, leading to dry, itchy, inflamed skin. It can present itself microscopically initially, and it\u2019s especially prevalent if you take multiple long, hot showers.\u00a0<\/p>\n Further, the skin has a coating of healthy bacteria, according to Harvard Medical School.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOur immune systems need a certain amount of stimulation by normal microorganisms, dirt, and other environmental exposures in order to create protective antibodies and \u2018immune memory,\u2019\u201d according to a post from Harvard. \u201cFrequent baths or showers throughout a lifetime may reduce the ability of the immune system to do its job.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n On the flip side, not showering enough causes body odor and might be caught by your spouse, colleague, or a stranger standing next to you in the grocery store\u2014let\u2019s avoid that. Excess dirt buildup from a lack of showering can also affect the skin barrier, causing clogged pores, acne, dandruff, and eczema, according to the Cleveland Clinic<\/a>.<\/p>\n Welcome to your shower Goldilocks problem. We don\u2019t want to shower too often, and we don\u2019t want to shower too infrequently. So what\u2019s just right?<\/p>\n \u201cThe purpose of our skin is to provide a barrier between the outside world and the inside world,\u201d Abdelmalek says. \u201cAs long as showering is not to a degree where it\u2019s impacting the integrity of the skin barrier, then you\u2019re okay.\u201d<\/p>\n Experts typically recommend showering several days a week.\u00a0<\/p>\n The decision is personal, but knowing your body and routine is key. Showering every day is not bad for you (yay!), and showering every other day or even a couple of times a week isn\u2019t either.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you have a strenuous job where your skin is in contact with sweat, dirt, and the outside world, showering every day may make sense to keep your skin barrier intact. But if you don\u2019t have this daily routine, showering less frequently\u2014say, a couple of times a week\u2014makes more sense.\u00a0<\/p>\n \ud83d\udebf @alroker<\/a>, @sheinellejones<\/a>, @dylandreyernbc<\/a> and @adriannabrach<\/a> discuss how often we should be showering every week \u2014 and, according to dermatologists, this is the right answer. \ud83d\ude2c pic.twitter.com\/yEgVtCJyuz<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 TODAY (@TODAYshow) July 18, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n The key is how <\/em>you shower.<\/p>\n The American Academy of Dermatology Association <\/a>recommends showers no more than five minutes (don\u2019t hate me, shower singers and reflectors). And contrary to the full body loofah, we don\u2019t need to wash every inch of our bodies. The most important thing is targeting the groin, feet, and armpits<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also important to wash your body gently, and \u201cskip the loofah, buff puffs, and washcloths, which can irritate your skin and cause psoriasis to flare<\/a>.\u201d Use gentle soaps and washes with minimal ingredients (goodbye to my brother\u2019s favorite heavily scented liquid body wash).\u00a0<\/p>\n Depending on your hair type, shampooing every day is not always necessary. If your hair tends to be more oily, it makes sense to wash it more frequently than dry or coarse hair. I have very curly hair, and it wasn\u2019t until my cousin (a different one) with the same texture told me I needed to shampoo only once or twice a week. I noticed a great difference\u2014not to mention I saved a boatload of money on products.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a lover of the morning shower but also find yourself sweaty after a long day or evening workout, double dipping is not necessarily bad for you.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you\u2019re doing double, keep your showers short, not hot, and focus on moisturizing right after the shower. There\u2019s also no need to soap yourself up twice in one day, my cousin reminds me.\u00a0<\/p>\n The point of a second shower should be to rid yourself of more dirt and sweat or to feel less humid.\u00a0<\/p>\n Showering for three to five minutes reduces your risk of getting too dry.\u00a0<\/p>\n Burning-hot showers can irritate your skin. Consider turning down the dial and having lukewarm or colder showers.\u00a0<\/p>\n Use soap that is gentle, and don\u2019t aggressively rub it into your skin.\u00a0<\/p>\n Restore moisture to your skin after a shower by applying moisturizer to your body post-shower.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
How often should you shower<\/h2>\n
\n
How you shower matters the most \u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
What if I need to shower more than once a day?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Here are four tips for showering and protecting your skin <\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Take short showers\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. Take warm or cold showers\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Use soaps that aren\u2019t going to dry your skin<\/strong><\/h3>\n
4. Moisturize<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0<\/h3>\n
View the new Fortune 50 Best Places to Live for Families list. Discover the 2024 top destinations across the U.S. for multigenerational families to live, thrive, and find community. Explore the list<\/a>.<\/div>\n