How Often Should You Shower?

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) advises showering no more than once daily. Still, how often you should shower may vary depending on your environment, exercise habits, and skin type, Heidi Waldorf, MD, a dermatologist specializing in cosmetic medicine, told Health.

Generally, how you shower is more important than how often you shower. Try limiting your showers to 10 minutes and using lukewarm water. Use a gentle, unscented skin cleanser to cleanse the skin rather than harshly scrubbing it. Apply a moisturizer right away after showering while your skin is still damp.

Read on to learn how certain factors may change your shower habits and general tips for showering that help avoid dry, irritated skin.

General Guidelines for Showering

There is no one-size-fits-all recommendation for showering because everyone's skin is different. Generally, dermatologists advise that people shower once daily or after exercising or swimming. You may be able to shower less often than that if your skin does not accumulate bacteria, oil, and sweat.

People with particularly dry skin, like those with eczema or psoriasis, can shower daily. Baths and showers can help hydrate the skin if you use a gentle skin cleanser and lukewarm water and moisturize afterward. Limiting showers to no longer than 10 minutes may help, too.

Factors That Influence How Often You Should Shower

Certain factors, such as body odor, environment, exercise habits, occupation, and skin type, may change how frequently you need to shower. Depending on your skin concerns, you may need to adjust how you shower, too.

Body Odor

Showering once daily helps eliminate bacteria that emit body odor from your skin. Certain body parts, like your armpits, can produce a strong smell when you sweat. 

Body odor can vary between people. Some people who sweat a lot, like when it's hot outside or while exercising, may have a stronger body odor than others.

Other causes of sweating include:

• Anxiety
• Fever
• Hyperhidrosis, or a health condition that causes excess sweating
• Menopause, or the end of your menstrual periods as estrogen declines with age

Generally, changing clothes if they are sweaty and daily showering helps limit body odor. An antiperspirant or deodorant can help dry your sweat and eliminate strong smells.

Environment

You can have dry skin regardless of whether cold, dry, hot, or humid outside. 

Avoid using hot water to shower, no matter the weather, especially if it's dry and cold outside. Cold weather may cause cracked lips and dry skin. Hot water can dehydrate your skin, worsening dryness. Make sure that you moisturize right away after showering.

You will want to shower daily, especially after swimming, to minimize the bacterial build-up on your skin if you live in a hot, humid environment.

Exercise

The AAD advises showering after exercising to cleanse your skin. Sweating may clog your pores, leading to skin concerns like acne and dandruff. 

Acne may occur if bacteria, oil, and sweat build up on your skin while exercising. Dandruff happens when yeast that lives on your skin overgrows and flakes off your scalp. Yeast thrives in moist, warm environments, like when there’s excess sweat on your scalp. 

Cleansers with benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid may cleanse your skin and unclog your pores. Benzoyl peroxide washes away bacteria and eliminates body odor. Salicylic acid exfoliates your skin and prevents excess oils from building up. Do not use benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid at the same time if you have sensitive skin, as both products are drying. 

Use lukewarm water to gently cleanse your face if you do not have access to a shower right away after working out. Make sure to change into clean clothing, too.

Occupation

You may not be able to shower less than once per day, depending on your occupation. 

People who perform manual labor outside, like construction workers or truck loaders, may sweat more than others. You may have more bacteria, oil, and sweat build-up on your skin by the end of the workday if your job requires physical activity.

Try patting your skin dry with a clean towel throughout the day to avoid excess build-up. You can cleanse your skin with salicylic acid pads to prevent acne.

Skin Type

You may shower less or more frequently and take precautions if you have particularly dry or oily skin.

Some evidence suggests that one to two baths or showers daily may improve eczema symptoms like dry, itchy, red skin. People with eczema have a weak skin barrier that does not lock in moisture well. In contrast, baths and showers hydrate the skin.

Here's how to avoid dry skin, which may trigger eczema, while taking a shower:

1. Make sure that you use lukewarm water and limit your showers to no longer than 10 minutes. 
2. Clean areas that accumulate oil and body odor sites with an unscented cleanser. 
3. After showering, apply a moisturizer while your skin is damp.

Of note: Your skin type may change as you age. For example, reduced estrogen may cause dry, itchy skin in postmenopausal people. Try applying a moisturizer with glycerin or hyaluronic acid, especially to your neck and jaw, to help your skin retain moisture.

In contrast, certain skin conditions may cause oily skin. People with rosacea are more likely to blush and flush than others. A subtype of rosacea, which causes acne-like breakouts, may lead to oily skin.

Sometimes, heat triggers rosacea. You can help prevent rosacea flares by using warm—not hot—water in the shower.

Risks of Showering Too Much or Not Enough

Showering too much may cause dry skin. Harsh products, like exfoliants and soaps, strip away moisture and oil. 

Some people like using exfoliants because they give you a feeling of being extra clean. Chemical exfoliants dissolve dead skin. You can mechanically exfoliate your skin with a brush or scrub to remove dead skin cells. Both types may aggravate acne and damage the skin.

Soaps disrupt your skin by dissolving the natural fats that create a barrier, which dries it out. Instead, try using a gentle cleanser that cleans your skin without stripping it.

In contrast, body odor is one of the most common side effects of not showering enough, but there are other risks for your skin. 

Not showering enough can clog your pores and lead to acne if you have acne-prone or oily skin. Keep your skin clear of bacteria and dirt by washing your skin daily. Avoid using alcohol- or oil-based cleansers that may further irritate your skin.

Dermatitis neglecta is a rare skin condition that may develop from infrequent showering. Dermatitis neglecta causes dark brown, scaly patches on the skin if dirt, keratin, oil, and sweat build up. Keratin, a protein, is essential to your hair, nails, and skin.

You can reverse dermatitis neglecta by regularly showering. You may need gauze soaked in rubbing alcohol to dissolve crusty, hard patches.

Tips for Showering

There are some ways you can prevent irritating your skin, no matter how often you shower, such as:

• At most, shower or bathe once daily.
• Choose a gentle soap that does not have a fragrance. Harsh soaps with alcohol, dye, and fragrances may irritate your skin.
• Do not scrub or vigorously rub your skin with a loofah or washcloth.
• Immediately apply a moisturizer with ceramides to retain moisture from showering. Moisturize as needed throughout the day.
• Pat or blot your skin while drying off.
• Shave after washing your skin, which softens your hair.
• Use lukewarm water for no longer than 10 minutes.
• Use skin cleansers or soaps with added moisturizers.

A Quick Review

How you shower is more important than how often you shower. Generally, shower no more than once daily or after exercising and swimming to cleanse bacteria, oil, and sweat from your skin. Those impurities may cause acne or dandruff. Remember to use lukewarm water and moisturizer while your skin is damp to help minimize dryness and excess oils.

Consult a dermatologist if you have questions about what products are best for your skin type and other questions about showering.