Everyone has a shower routine. Some are followed more strictly than others, while some operate on an “as needed” basis. We asked three board-certified dermatologists whether showering every day is really necessary, how often we should be showering, and what our skin can tell us about our showering habits. Read on to learn how to find the right balance between staying clean and keeping your skin healthy.
Do You Really Need to Shower Every Day?
Contrary to popular belief, most people don’t need to bathe every day to maintain overall healthy skin and good hygiene. According to board-certified dermatologist Aderonke Obayomi, “A full shower every single day is a habit, not a medical requirement.” While daily washing of some kind can benefit your hygiene, a full shower isn’t generally necessary.
“What your skin actually needs daily is much smaller: washing the areas that sweat and trap odor, which are the underarms, groin, feet, and any skin folds,” says Obayomi. In a pinch, this can be achieved with a quick rinse or even at the sink. “Plenty of people can shower every other day, or a few times a week, and have perfectly healthy skin,” she adds.
How Showering Affects Hygiene and Skin Health
Showering, particularly with soap and hot water, can strip away some of the natural oils that the skin barrier depends on. In other words, more washing is not automatically better.
That said, if you are someone who works out every day, happens to sweat a lot, or simply feels better after a daily shower, that is fine, too. Just make sure to keep the shower short, the water lukewarm, and moisturize directly afterward.
How Often Should You Shower?
According to board-certified dermatologist Pearl Ugwu-Dike, most healthy adults can shower daily or every other day. For others, four times a week can suffice. However, there’s no magic number of showers that guarantees healthy skin.
“The bathing frequency should reflect your lifestyle rather than some arbitrary rule,” she says. “Ultimately, skin health isn’t about how often you shower but about how well you preserve the protective barrier while keeping the skin clean; it requires a considered and individualistic approach.”
To determine your own bathing schedule, consider your age, skin type, activity levels, and environment. But remember that there is no sounder voice than that of your own instincts. If you feel like you need to shower, take one.
Age and Life Stage
“The skin is an incredibly sophisticated organ with its own microbiome protective barrier and natural lipids,” says Ugwu-Dike. “As we get older, our skin naturally produces less surface lipids, which can leave our barriers more prone to irritation and dryness.” For this reason, older adults may not benefit as much from increased frequency of showering.
The same goes for the younger set. Infants and newborns can safely be bathed just two to three times a week, as their bodies don’t yet generate heavy sweat or dirt, and their delicate skin is thin, sensitive, and still maturing. “Young children usually don’t need a daily bath unless they are visibly dirty, sweaty, or have been swimming,” adds Obayomi.
Adolescents, on the other hand, tend to need more frequent showering because of increased sebum production and hormones. “Once puberty starts, oil and sweat production increase, and daily washing becomes more important,” she adds.
Skin Type
While most healthy adults can comfortably shower daily or every other day, others have to consider the needs of their particular skin and any accompanying conditions when it comes to bathing.
- Dry or sensitive skin: Dry or sensitive skin, and conditions like eczema and psoriasis, call for gentler, shorter washing with a fragrance-free cleanser, and moisturizer every single time. You might do best with a full shower every two to three days, washing key areas in between. Someone with eczema should bathe in tepid water to avoid worsening an already compromised skin barrier, adds board-certified dermatologist Joel Spitz.
- Oily or acne-prone skin: On the other hand, oily or acne-prone skin can benefit from showering after sweating so that sweat and oil don’t sit on the chest and back, making conditions worse. Spitz recommends showering more frequently if you have oily or acne-prone skin. “Acne may worsen if you are sweating a lot and not washing your skin, which can lead to oil, bacteria, and sweat clogging your pores, worsening your acne and/or making you more prone to folliculitis (inflammation of the hair follicle),” he cautions.
Activity Level
If you exercise, work outdoors, or have a physical job, Obayomi advises rinsing off after sweating. “Even a quick lukewarm rinse without soap all over makes a difference,” she says. In other words, bathe when your body needs it. “After a hard workout, a day of yard work, or a sweaty commute, rinse off,” says Obayomi. “On a quiet day at home in winter, a quick wash of the underarms, groin, and feet may be all you need.”
Climate and Environment
Pay attention to your particular climate, the season, and your surroundings, as they all influence how often you need to bathe. “In hot, humid weather, people sweat more and may need to shower more often,” says Obayomi. “In cold, dry weather, the opposite is true.”
Other environmental factors can also affect your skin. A drop in humidity, both outdoors and from heating systems, can make your skin drier during the winter. During those months, Obayomi recommends fewer and shorter showers and a thicker moisturizer.
Rural life versus city life also impacts the condition of your skin and how often it should be cleaned. Someone living in New York City, for example, will be coming into contact with far more pollutants while walking outdoors or taking the subway during the day and might feel the need to shower more frequently.
Tips
Add a humidifier in winter. “Indoor heat makes the air extremely dry,” says Obayomi. “A simple, inexpensive humidifier in the bedroom adds moisture back while you sleep.”
Benefits and Drawbacks of Daily Showering
If a daily shower is something you cherish, you might want to consider the ways in which it can help or hurt you.
Benefits
- Removes sweat, oil, dead skin, and bacteria before they build up: According to Obayomi, this can help with body odor, clogged pores and breakouts on the chest and back, and fungal infections in warm, damp areas like the feet and skin folds.
- Helps with allergies: Daily showering also clears pollen and allergens off the skin and hair, which helps some people with allergies, adds Obayomi.
- Offers an important ritual: For a lot of people, a shower is simply part of feeling ready for the day or winding down at night, and this has its own value.
Drawbacks
- Dries out your skin: “Excessive cleansing, especially with hot water, has the potential to strip away those protective lipids and increase transepidermal water loss, which can leave the skin more prone to eczema, irritation, or dryness,” explains Ugwu-Dike. “That being said, a daily shower often is not excessive, so it really depends on the person and their environment.”
- Uses more water: If you are in an area prone to droughts, the frequency with which you shower and the length of your showers could both have a deleterious impact on the environment. Daily showering can put more pressure on Mother Nature, especially if your showers skew on the long side. Shorter, less frequent showers are recommended for someone concerned about water preservation.
5 Signs You’re Showering Too Often
As much as you may love your daily long, hot, soapy showers, they actually might be doing you a disservice. Luckily, your skin will let you know.
“Skin is actually pretty good at telling you you’ve overdone it with cleansing,” says Ugwu-Dike. The following are physiological signals that it may be necessary to break things up or change your routine.
- Tight-feeling skin immediately after showers: “That squeaky-clean feeling means you’ve stripped away protective oils,” says Obayomi.
- Feeling itchy, especially at night or in winter: Persistent itch with no rash is very often just dry skin, says Obayomi.
- Flaking, rough patches, or an ashy look: Showering too frequently can cause these, most commonly on the shins, arms, and hands. “In deeper skin tones it shows up as a grayish cast,” notes Obayomi.
- Eczema flares and inflamed, sensitive skin: “Showering too much can start to strip away the beneficial lipids (oils) on your skin, dry out the top layer of skin, and alter the healthy balance of our microbes that sit on our skin,” says Spitz. “When the skin dries out, the skin barrier becomes compromised, which allows bacteria into the deeper layers of the skin and can make eczema worse.”
- Small cracks or fine lines on the shins or hands: These are telltale signs that the skin barrier is breaking down, says Obayomi.
5 Signs You’re Not Showering Enough
“Just as your skin can tell you when you’re cleansing too aggressively, it can also offer clues that you may not be cleansing frequently enough,” says Ugwu-Dike.
- Persistent body odor: Body odor that lingers even after changing clothes or using deodorant is a sign that you need more frequent showering. Sweat and bacteria can accumulate, particularly in the underarms and other skin folds.
- Greasy skin or hair: A noticeable buildup of oil on your skin or in your hair may suggest it’s time to wash.
- Breakouts on the chest, back, or shoulders, especially if you often sit in sweaty clothes: Accumulated sweat and oil can contribute to clogged pores.
- Irritation in skin folds: Showering less often can increase the risk of bacterial folliculitis or fungal infections in warm, moist folds. These infections can occur in the groin (jock itch), armpits, and between the toes (athlete’s foot), says Spitz.
- Dark, scaly patches that look like dirt and don’t fade: This can be a buildup of skin cells, sweat, and oil, says Obayomi. It typically comes off with gentle washing, and a dermatologist can confirm it’s nothing more serious.
“Some of these signals may indicate other health issues,” says Ugwu-Dike. “Things to watch out for are persistent body odor, noticeable buildup of sweat, oil or debris, irritation in the skin folds, or an increase in body bumps.” Any of the above issues may warrant a call to your dermatologist for a professional opinion.
11 Dermatologist Tips for a Skin-Friendly Shower Routine
“Not every skin problem is caused by poor hygiene, and showering more often isn’t necessarily the solution,” explains Ugwu-Dike. “I think it’s important to find that balance related to cleansing as much as necessary, but as gently as possible.” Follow these tips to keep your hygiene and skin health at their best.
- Take cold to lukewarm showers: “Hot water can strip away surface lipids that help maintain the skin barrier,” says Ugwu-Dike. “Your skin should feel comfortable after your shower, not tight or stripped.”
- Keep it short: “Five to 10 minutes is plenty,” says Obayomi. “Long showers pull moisture out of the skin.”
- Use soap where you need it: No need to skimp on the soap, but when cleansing, focus on the underarms, groin, feet, and skin folds. “Your arms, legs, and back usually only need a rinse,” notes Obayomi. “Especially if your skin runs dry.”
- Choose a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser: “Fragrance is one of the most common causes of skin irritation and allergic reactions,” notes Obayomi. “The goal is clean skin, not skin that’s been stripped of everything that helps make it function,” adds Ugwu-Dike.
- Skip the rough scrubbing: According to Obayomi, a gentle cleansing touch is recommended. “Loofahs, stiff brushes, and hard rubbing with a washcloth irritate the skin,” she says.
- Moisturize right after showering: “Apply moisturizer within a few minutes of getting out of the shower, while your skin is still damp,” advises Obayomi. “At most, pat lightly. This traps water in the skin.”
- Dry off thoroughly between your toes and in skin folds: Lingering moisture there invites fungal infections, says Obayomi.
- Moisturize frequently: According to Ugwu-Dike, moisturizing should be as natural as breathing. “As we wash the body, thinking about reinforcing that barrier through both humectant and emollient moisturizer is really critical.”
- Choose a cream over a lotion: “Lotions are mostly water,” says Obayomi. “Creams are thicker and do a better job, especially in winter.”
- Seal it in dry spots: For very dry hands, elbows, heels, or shins, Obayomi recommends adding a thin layer of petroleum jelly on top of your moisturizer. “It holds moisture in, and you really can’t overdo it,” she says.
- See a dermatologist if your skin stays itchy, cracked, or flaky despite gentle habits: “Ongoing dryness can be eczema or another condition that needs treatment,” says Obayomi. “And treating it early also prevents dark spots from forming.”
