# Showering Daily



## Apdenoatis (May 23, 2012)

So I just got yelled at by my parents for skipping a day of showering (something I actually do fairly often.) I do have somewhat dry skin, though, and I noticed that even if I apply moisturizer, showering every day if I haven't even left the house really messes me up.
I obviously wash after physical activity or going outside or something.

Exactly how unhealthy is it to skip a day or two? What are the potential health effects of showering once a week? Never at all? Is it unhealthy to shower too much?

Also, how often should hair be washed?


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## milti (Feb 8, 2012)

Lol, I asked the hair washing question too. It depends on the hair type, really. If your hair is dry and you don't go out often, once every 3 or 4 days with shampoo and conditioner could be enough. I just wait till it starts becoming greasy (usually every 4 days) and wash it when it starts to show signs of itching, which is not always dandruff but dry skin (the itchiness goes away and there are no flakes, i.e. dry scalp). 

Of course, if your hair is the oily type and you sweat a lot, you'll need to wash more often. 

I sometimes skip a shower too, now that it's getting colder, especially if I have nowhere to go.  Sometimes I go for days (not saying how many, lol) without a shower. But I always shower just before I have to go out somewhere, and sometimes after I come back from a long day and am travelling by bus or something icky like that. And I have two showers (or more) in the summer. 

My mom says generally once every 24 hours is good, or at LEAST once every 3 days. After that your dead skin cells build up and your pores get clogged.


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## Trinidad (Apr 16, 2010)

There have been threads on this before. Check this one for example, saves you some trouble 

For the record, I completely agree with @milti.


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## Red Panda (Aug 18, 2010)

As long as you clean the intimate areas, the rest of the body doesn't really need cleaning that often. It's probably worse for the skin to get exposed everyday to soap, it's probably why you have dry skin. I shower every 2-3 days except in summer which is hot here so it's kinda necessary.


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## Aslynn (Jun 2, 2012)

The posts above are right -- it really isn't a big deal to miss a day or two of showering. I usually shower every other day, and it really helps reduce dry skin (washing too much takes moisturizing oils out of the skin). If your parents insist on you showering every day, try taking them in cold water, since it makes you want to finish quickly (less time wasted every day) and it can be really energizing.


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## chip (Oct 12, 2011)

I clean with baking soda. I don't use harsh chemical products. And my skin and hair is extra soft from it.


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## Haydn (Sep 20, 2012)

Apdenoatis said:


> So I just got yelled at by my parents for skipping a day of showering (something I actually do fairly often.) I do have somewhat dry skin, though, and I noticed that even if I apply moisturizer, showering every day if I haven't even left the house really messes me up.
> I obviously wash after physical activity or going outside or something.
> 
> Exactly how unhealthy is it to skip a day or two? What are the potential health effects of showering once a week? Never at all? Is it unhealthy to shower too much?
> ...


I think you should shower daily especially if you use the toilet daily. Most people smell worst than they think they do and if you live in a hot climate you really need that shower. Those of us with sensitive noses can detect an old stale smell when a person only just washes the intimate areas. Maybe your parents are smelling a bad smell being emitted from you. Just wash with a mild moisturizing soap/cleanser very quickly in water that is not hot and your skin should be fine, put some lotion on after too maybe. Of course, if you do not care about developing skin infections (unlikely) or offending others with your body smell then don't bother.


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## Vivid Melody (Apr 25, 2011)

I think your parents are overreacting a bit. If it was once a week I could understand. I suggest changing your soap to something very moisturizing. I tried a type with olive oil in it (I have dry skin) and it worked well. Also try to bathe in warm water, not hot.

I found this interesting: EcoHearth - My Body Is a Self-Cleaning Organism: Natural Body-Cleansing Tips


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## Infermiera (Mar 2, 2012)

maybe it's a cultural thing but in my country, showering twice a day is a given.


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## paulenfj (Dec 1, 2012)

According to my training as a health worker it's essential to regularly clean under skin folds. Hence someone with more weight would need to pay more attention to cleaning areas of the body where skin touches skin. Hence arm pits, love handles, between toes etc. If you are slim and fit it would not be as important to shower so often however there would always been some body parts you would need to mantain as best possible.


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## Elaminopy (Jun 29, 2011)

You need to consider the horny layer. Read about it here: Discovery Health "How much should you shower?"

(taken from the above article)

The outermost layer of your skin's surface (called the *stratum corneum* or *horny layer*) is a barrier made of hardened, dead skin cells. These skin cells offer protection for the underlying layers of living, healthy cells. The horny layer is more than just dead skin cells; it's held together by *lipids*, which are fatty compounds that actually help maintain moisture in your skin.

Anytime you take a shower -- especially a hot one -- with soap and a scrubbing device like a washcloth or a loofah, you're undermining the integrity of your skin's horny layer. The soap and the hot water dissolve the lipids in the skin and scrubbing only hastens the process. The more showers you take, the more frequently this damage takes place and the less time your skin has to repair itself through natural oil production. What's more, the horny layer of your skin can be sloughed off by scrubbing, exposing the delicate skin cells beneath. The result of showering too frequently is generally dry, irritated and cracked skin.


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## theatrical blood (Nov 29, 2011)

I don't know any kind of health implications of going without showering for a day or two. A couple of years ago I read an article about people skipping showering or bathing daily because they had extremely dry skin and just washed up the important areas. They generally saw improvements with their skin. It's still a taboo subject if you're in a shower daily culture but for people with sensitive or really dry skin using soap and water daily can aggravate the skin. You're stripping moisture away then you'll have to replenish some of the moisture lost with some kind of emollient. I tend to shower everyday. I'm a person of habit. I skip a day when I'm feeling sick though.


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## Cosmicsense (Dec 7, 2011)

I only wash my pits, bum, and package daily. Vitamin-D takes up to 36 hrs to be fully absorbed once synthesized. It stays within the oily sheeth of your skin until then. Showering daily is... stupid.

Oh btw, I don't wash my pits if I wanna get laid on the weekends. We're naturally attracted or repulsed based on pheremones which come out the funk in your pits. You'll get a better chance of having wild sex if you nab someone while your funk is through the roof.


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## bombsaway (Nov 29, 2011)

^ I had a friend with that theory but I always just thought he smelled bad. ;/

I shower every other day most of the time and occasionally go another day. However, I'm normally a night time showerer so if I miss my shower day and leave it until the next day I'll probably shower in the morning so it's not quite a whole other day if that makes sense. I've always done the every other day thing and so have my parents, which is probably why my habit started like that. I know most people do it every day but it's not a part of my routine like that and I spend way too long in the shower to fit it in everyday. 
:tongue:

As far as I know, nobody notices. I use deodorant daily and spend a lot of time caring for my skin when I do shower (exfoliating, washing, moisturising etc) so I'm fine. My main thing is I don't let my hair get greasy but that normally only happens if I go three days without showering (which, I hasten to add, I rarely do)


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## Pete The Lich (May 16, 2011)

*sniffs armpits*
But I don't smell :sad:

I only shower when I need to
Sitting in an air conditioned house all day pretty much doing nothing? I'd just cake on the deoderant
If I do some odor generating activity or it has been a while I will shower
Save the planet and all that crap
More importantly save my time and effort


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