Skipping Your Daily Shower May Make Your Skin Healthier (2024)

FAQs

Skipping Your Daily Shower May Make Your Skin Healthier? ›

Also, too many showers may rinse away “good” bacteria from your skin, putting you at risk for infections. Skin health isn't the only reason to shower less, though. Showers use a lot of water, but you may not realize how much.

"For people who are showering far more infrequently than necessary, skin may start to turn darker and thicker as dead skin cells and dirt accumulates." Don't go more than a couple of days without a shower. For some people, the ideal frequency is every other day. For others, dermatologists recommend showering every day.

In general, showering every other day or every few days is enough for most people. Keep in mind that showering twice a day or frequently taking hot or long showers can strip your skin of important oils. This can lead to dry, itchy skin.

It also depends on your personal preference. If you feel better with a daily showering routine, go for it. If you would rather skip some days, that's OK, but never go more than two or three days without washing your body with soap.

Bottom line: Too little bathing could mean more pimples. The buildup of oils can cause other skin problems too: the flaking away of skin on your scalp (dandruff), and flareups of existing skin conditions like eczema.

If you persist in refusing to shower, you'll no longer be able to wash off the dead skin that accumulates on the surface of your face and body. This means you'll likely suffer from hyperkeratosis, a thickening of the outer skin layer, which doesn't sound like something you'd want to do voluntarily.

Generally, she says "you should be showering, bathing or cleansing yourself every two to three days." Though, if you're working out or engaging in an activity where you are sweating a lot, you may have to shower more often. The biggest problem that may stem from not showering enough? The stink.

Your face is, well, how you face the world, and as a result, it collects dirt, oil, and other debris that can — if not removed — lead to irritation and other skin problems. “Overall, the skin would be dirtier, drier, greasier, and older-looking without daily face cleansings,” he says.

Exactly how much is too much depends on a person's skin type, as well as their age, due to less oil being produced by the skin as people get older. Typically, however, it is best to have a bath or shower that is less than ten minutes long at a warm, but not hot temperature.

In the United States, most people bathe daily but, in other countries, many people bathe only 2-3 times per week or less.

Will I smell if I don't shower for 3 days? ›

After a few days without a cleansing shower, we can already see… and smell… the consequences! Our hair becomes oily, we have an unpleasant body odor, people may be less inclined to sit next to us.

Amou Haji (Persian: عمو حاجى, lit. 'Uncle Hajji'; 20 August 1928 – 23 October 2022), also known as the "World's Dirtiest Man", was an Iranian man known for not bathing for more than 60 years.

Since the benefits of not showering every day include saving water and energy, you'll save money on your utility bill! It is also worth noting that showering less frequently may lead to lower personal care expenses.

However, daily showers do not improve your health, could cause skin problems or other health issues — and, importantly, they waste a lot of water. Also, the oils, perfumes, and other additives in shampoos, conditioners, and soaps may cause problems of their own, such as allergic reactions (not to mention their cost).

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't have this daily routine, showering less frequently—say, a couple of times a week—makes more sense.

Lack of personal hygiene can be characteristic of several other mental health conditions, such as depression and schizophrenia. Additionally, there may be another reason why someone refuses to bathe, such as the water or soap causing them pain.

Dermatologists universally agree

The idea of needing to shower every 24 hours is great for soap manufacturers, but most people only need to take a few showers a week, depending upon their activities and environment.

An added bonus of not showering every day is that it's good for our skin's microbiome. These natural “communities” on our skin, create antimicrobial substances that compete with unwanted pathogens. A healthy microbiome helps protect us from those bugs and can reduce skin infections like eczema.

If you don't have a skin condition, showers are the way to go. Showers expose thebody to less water than a bath. Too much water, like during a bath or a long shower, can strip the skin of natural oils. This can cause the skin's surface to break down, leading to “irritation and inflammation.”