People have mixed feelings when it comes to showering.
If you've ever wondered about how long a shower should actually be, we have your answer.
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There are certain health and safety concerns you should keep in mind before lathering up.
We are going to go over everything you need to know when it comes to showering.
But how long is it advocated to keep easy and wholesome skin?
Some humans may not like the bathing manner, so they do it speedily.
While many humans find the feeling of warmth and warm water pouring down on them the ultimate country of relaxation.
- The German magazine "Fit for Fan" shows the difference between the 2 classes and their effect on the frame's pores and skin.
-While the importance of bathing several days a week, if not daily, is critical to your overall health and hygiene, spending too much or not enough time in the shower can lead to issues with your skin.
👍According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average shower lasts 8 minutes.
-If you like to linger in the shower for longer than 15 minutes, you might want to rethink your hygiene routine.
👍According to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Edidiong Kaminska, MD, the recommended maximum shower time is about 5 to 10 minutes.
-This is enough time to cleanse and hydrate the skin without overdoing it.
“Our skin needs water, just like our bodies, but if we over- or under-do it, then it may have consequences,” she adds.
👍And if you have dry skin or eczema, Dr. Anna Guanche, MD, FAAD, says shorter, lukewarm showers are recommended.
👍Moreover, the Baylor College of Medicine says it’s especially important to avoid hot showers in the winter months since the heat can damage the surface of the skin, which can lead to inflammation and increase symptoms of eczema.
- “It is enough to shower for 5 minutes every day to completely cleanse the pores and skin of dirt and sweat debris.”
- The doctor also advises ending the shower with a quick cold bathe for about 20 seconds.
- This exercise can stimulate blood circulation and decrease pressure.
- In addition to relieving muscle aches after education, as well as tightening the pores and skin and giving the hair a natural shine.
How long is the ideal shower?
Accepting that the intended goal of your shower is to get clean, dermatologists agree that five to 10 minutes ought to do the basic trick of getting you thoroughly washed without causing any skin damage.What’s the best way to wash your hair in the shower?
Ideally, you shouldn’t even be washing it every other day.Overwashing is death to your beloved natural oils.
When you do wash your hair, don’t use super-hot water or it’ll go brittle over time – warm is fine.
And finally, it’s important to rinse with cool or cold water, which will close your hair cuticles and give your hair that glossy look.Soap and Skin Health
Soap and Skin Health
If you struggle with keeping your skin hydrated even when using soap with good ingredients, you can limit where you use soap to your face, underarms, groin, hands, and feet.Some soaps and body washes are made with harsh chemicals that do more harm than good.
People with eczema can experience flare-ups on their back, arms, and legs.
-If you're over-washing, you may experience:
- Rashes: When you damage the skin's natural barrier, you may be more susceptible to developing rashes.
- Adult Acne: When your skin is stripped of its natural oils, it may trigger your body's oil glands to go into overdrive. When your body produces too much oil, it can clog your pores and lead to acne.
- Seborrheic Dermatitis: This skin disease can manifest as a rash looking red and swollen. However, this condition can persist for years, coming and going.Since it can be confused with psoriasis, eczema, or an allergic reaction, you will need to see a dermatologist.
The Ideal Shower Temperature.
Some people love a scolding hot shower year-round. If this is you, you may want to consider the health of your skin.
Cold water doesn't affect this layer, but hot water can melt it away.
If you are young, your skin will replace this protective later relatively quickly. People in their 20's and younger will probably be fine with a hot shower every day. However, someone in their 40's may experience dry patches if the water is too hot.
Your skin gets thinner when you get older, and it becomes harder for your body to regulate its temperature.
If you get too hot, you could feel faint and even pass out in the shower, which is dangerous.
The ideal water temperature for your shower is 112 degrees. This temperature allows you to wash away dirt and germs without being too hot.
Coldwater is considered to be around 70 degrees Fahrenheit by dermatologists. You can also do a cold rinse for shinier hair and to close your pores.
How To Shower
Now that you know the in's and outs of how and when to shower, it's time to apply it to your life.
Let's go over the actual steps to getting the job done.
Step 1: Turn on your shower and adjust it to the ideal temperature. You want it to be comfortable but not steaming hot.
Slightly warm is what you should aim for when testing the water.
Step 2: Get in the shower and allow the water to wet your body fully.
Step 3: Grab what you're going to use to wash your body. You want to use something that's clean and doesn't hold harmful bacteria, like an old loofah can. Instead, try one of Spongellé's sponges. They can cleanse, exfoliate, and massage your body with none of the germs. The self-preserving formulation and patented technology prevents bacterial growth and resist contamination.
Step 4: Apply a premium quality body wash or soap and begin to scrub your body. Don't forget to wash your feet. Standing in soapy water doesn't count.
Step 5: Rinse off your body thoroughly and not to leave any soap behind.
Step 6: If you're washing your hair, apply shampoo focusing on your scalp. Once you rinse it out, apply conditioner, working it into the ends of your hair.
Step 7: If you're going to do a cold rinse, now is the time to change the temperature.
👉Rinse out the conditioner and rinse your body one final time.
What temperature should a shower be?
Dermatologists (are of the opinion that around 40C is the optimal shower temperature). However, that’s not to say you can’t go above or below that – it all depends on personal preference.
Choosing hot, warm, or cold water
But if you’re not sure which temperature is best for you, err on the side of caution, and go with a warm or lukewarm shower. Warm, rather than hot water, is better for skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema, Using warm water, rather than hot, can also help keep your water bill down. Cold showers may also have a few benefits such as reducing muscle soreness, calming irritated or itchy skin, and of course, helping you wake up in the morning. Hot showers, on the other hand, can help you manage the symptoms of a cold or cough by loosening phlegm and opening airways.
Side effects of long showers
While a long, hot shower might seem like the best way to pamper your body, over-showering may dehydrate the skin.
“The purpose of showering is to hydrate and cleanse the skin, but warm or hot showering for prolonged periods strips away natural oils of the skin and opens up our pores and allows moisture to escape,” Kaminska says.To keep moisture in, she usually recommends applying a body moisturizer after showering to the skin since it allows the water (hydration) to stay in the skin and not escape.
Side effects of short showers
If over-washing has consequences, it’s safe to say that under-showering also poses problems. In general, under-showering may not thoroughly cleanse the skin.
“We all have normal bacteria and organisms that live on our skin (normal flora), and this protects our skin from injury or insult,” Kaminska explains.
If the balance is tilted toward the overgrowth of normal or healthy flora, she says this may increase the risk of skin infection—not to mention the risk of body odor if you consistently under-wash your skin.
So is it OK to have a hot shower?
Hot showers can damage your skin by stripping away oils that protect it. But there are definite pluses: it’s good to have one when you have a cold – because the steam will open up your airways. And it’s also handy to have a hot shower after a workout, as it increases the blood flow to your muscles, aiding recovery time.
What about a cold shower? Is it actually good for you?
Having a cold shower is definitely good for combating inflammation and numbing pain. Beyond that, there are various studies looking into everything from its positive effects on mental health to the stimulation of the immune system, although there’s nothing super-conclusive. So it’s potentially good for you (if you’re a huge masochist).
Is it OK to skip showering?
Brace yourselves – many dermatologists actually think it’s better for your skin if you shower every other day, as showering can strip the oils from your skin. Other dermatologists believe it’s fine to shower every day as long as you don’t have unusually sensitive skin.
How to shower properly
What you do in the shower matters just as much as how often you shower and how long you let the water penetrate your skin. “There are many ways to shower, but the simplest and most gentle way is to use your hands,” Kaminska says. Her steps for showering include:
What Happens if You Don’t Shower?
Maybe you fall on the opposite side of the spectrum, and you're not showering on a regular basis. If you just wash your hands and face and think you can go days without a shower, not so fast. Poor hygiene comes with its own set of problems.
You can end up with a buildup of dirt, dead skin cells, and sweat on your skin. When you leave this stuff on your skin, you can develop acne. You can also end up with the same conditions people do from over-showering, like psoriasis, dermatitis, and eczema. You can also end up with hyperpigmentation from the dead skin cells left on your body.
Not showering can lead to an imbalance of the good and bad bacteria that live on your skin. When there are too many bad bacteria, your skin is at a higher risk of infection. If the infection is left untreated, it can have a severe impact on your overall health.
These side-effects are all how it impacts your health, but you may also want to consider the people around you. Your friends, co-workers, and family may be subjected to your body odor. No one wants the stinky person people try to avoid.
You can keep all of these negative side effects at bay with frequent showers. So how often do you need to shower? A general rule of thumb is once a day. However, if you work out in the middle of the day, you may want to implement a quick second shower.
Does a shower get you cleaner than a bath?
If your only goal is to get clean, a shower probably has the edge, with its even, pressurised distribution of clean water.
- Get the body wet with warm, but not hot, water
- Use a simple bar of soap or liquid cleanser.
- Make suds with your hands, and wash the body in a top-down manner, or from your head to toes.
- Don’t forget all the nooks and crannies such as the folds of skin, underarms, groin, and in between the toes.
- Shower for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Apply moisturizer after drying off.
How Much Time Should You Take To Shower?
The average shower lasts about eight minutes. If you're spending more than 15 minutes in the shower, you may need to make an adjustment. Dermatologists recommend keeping your showers between 5 and 10 minutes. This time period gives you enough time to properly clean your body without overdoing it.
If you have certain skin conditions, staying in the shower too long could have negative effects. Hot water can cause inflammation and worsen dry skin or eczema. These skin conditions can become more of a problem in the winter months, and adding extra stress to your skin with long showers should be avoided.
Plus, if you cut back on your shower time, you can save water and energy. With more than 300 million people, there is a lot of wasted water every year from showering alone. If everyone cut their shower time back by one minute, 170 billion gallons of water would be saved in a single year.
Knowing how long you should stand under the water is just part of the equation. You also need to be mindful of how often you shower.
👍According to the American Academy of Dermatology, most people do not need more than one shower a day.
👍That said, the AAD points out that sometimes, there is a need to clean your body more than once a day, such as if you engage in a sport or activity that causes you to sweat.
You should shower when finished. If that’s the case, make sure the water is lukewarm and moisturize immediately following a shower.
But if you’re still having trouble with dry skin after frequent showers, you can speak to a dermatologist for tips on how to minimize dryness.
Takeaway
Limiting your time in the shower to 5 to 10 minutes and using lukewarm or warm water can help keep your skin from drying out, while thoroughly cleaning your body.
Showering Facts
Did You Know?
Save Water and Energy
Every Drop Counts!
Use Your WaterSense
Shorter showers are good for your skin
But you need to get clean
I’m calling it: Eight minutes is the time to beat
Save Water and Energy
In Summary
There is a middle ground you have to find when showering. You don't want it to be too hot or use too much soap. You also shouldn't avoid it altogether. Spongellé products can help you look forward to showering and maintaining healthy skin.
RESOURCE
Save Water and Energy by Showering Better | CDC
Burning Question: What Is the Best Water Temperature for Your Bath or Shower? | Wallstreet Journal
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