Showering: How Often Should You Really Do It?

Showering is one of those things that the civilized world expects people to do often, on a daily basis really, but is it necessary?

If asked, most of those living in the western hemisphere will say they shower every day and not many are prepared to accept that they don’t, even if that is so.

Let’s face it, showering every day sometimes just doesn’t happen. Whether it’s due to illness or laziness, there are times that essential part of our daily hygiene is skipped. Come on, you have done it once or twice. That lazy Sunday afternoon when all you want to do is lounge and you sleep in, get to doing things around the house (or not) and suddenly it’s time for bed again.

Why shower at all? After all the day is pretty much done and no one will notice at this point, right? You may have a point.

Of course, not showering is something easier to do if you live alone, or your partner really doesn’t mind (assuming you don’t smell), but doing so on a regular basis is something relatively new in historical terms.

Showering often has only been a “trend” for about 100-years or so, before that, most people didn’t have the means to do it more than once or twice a week.

Some European countries are notorious for being lax at showering often and when American tourists come for a visit, they have a hard time finding adequate shower accommodations, if any.

Many local hotels, say in Paris, don’t even have showers, let alone shower curtains, which makes it difficult for visitors to quickly get clean.

According to a report in Yahoo Shine people don’t stop showering out of lack of cleanliness, but due to other concerns, such as eczema, which is exacerbated with long, hot showers.

Many believe that it is healthier not so shower often, since the natural oils and lubricants the skin normally produces, to protect it, get washed with too much showering.

It is highly likely that unless you work in construction or another job where you are exposed to dirt and dust, nothing other than those areas that are exposed to the elements, such as the face and hands will get really dirty.

Proponents of fewer than daily showering suggest that if one stops washing the skin so often — after an adjustment period — the body actually reduces the oils it produces and less cleaning is required.

One important consideration in limiting how often showering should take place is physical activity and body odor. Some people may not have a choice but to shower daily or run the risk at being looked at funny.

The one area of the body that needs constant washing is the hands and what lies below the waist, other than that, the rest of the body is okay with less-than-daily showers.

Would you ever stop showering often?

[Image via Shutterstock]