How often should we really wash?

In most parts of the world, it seems that showering and washing daily is the norm and the way to go. However, have you ever thought about how important or necessary it really is to shower daily? N.A.E. has decided to investigate this phenomenon and see whether showering daily is a societal expectation or actually recommended by professionals. However, despite what society and professionals may have to say, at the end of the day, it is of course up to you.  

What’s the magic number? 

While showering definitely means washing away dirt and dead skin cells to help clear pores and keep your skin functioning normally, does washing really need to occur every day? Sometimes it’s comforting to know a solid number to have a concrete answer but, in this case, it’s not that simple. There’s no real specific number in saying how often you should shower because there are far too many variables. To determine a recommended washing routine, we have to consider things like our age, level of activity, occupation, daily commute and a whole lot of different things we all do very differently on a daily basis. 

Showering too often can dry out your skin

This fact is especially true for winter months. For most parts of Europe, winter is cold and dry, while summer is hot and humid. During winter, your skin is not only exposed to cold dry air and wind, it’s also exposed to heating which contributes to dry skin. Dermatologists recommend that we should adjust our winter showering routines to the following:

•          Don’t have scolding hot showers, use warm water instead. Hot water strips away essential oils from your body. You know you will have overdone it when you come out of the shower and notice your skin is red and itchy.
•          Keep your showers short, no longer than 5 minutes. Too much soaking can dry out your skin.
•          Use moisturising or gentle shower cleansers to maintain the natural oils in your skin.
•          Exfoliate twice a week to remove dry dead skin and help regenerate new healthy skin cells.
•          Keep your bathroom door and window closed to create steam and increase the humidity.
•          Moisturise your skin with lotion as soon as you have dried off to lock in the moisture from your shower.
  

 When it’s not winter

Although the above showering suggestions are great for winter, you can also perform them to keep your skin healthy all year round. Remember, the purpose of showering is to remove dirt and odour. If you have not perspired from weather conditions, strenuous exercise, been around strong odours or simply do not feel sticky, dirty or smelly, consider this – skip your daily shower! Not only will you keep your utensil bills low, you will also positively impact the environment. To help this idea, consider these three recommendations as a good routine for not just your skin, but our environment too.

•          Keep your shower temperature as low as possible, remember it certainly does not need to be freezing, simply warm.
•          Keep your showering time as short as possible, 3-4 minutes is best. And when you need to wash your long hair, you can increase this time to 5-8 minutes.
•          Moisturise your skin with lotion as soon as you have dried off to lock in the moisture from your shower. 

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