How Often You Might Really Need to Shower, According to Expert

Our skin is often regarded as our largest organ, covering approximately 1.4 to 1.9 square meters. It serves as our body’s primary defense, responsible for (among other functions) keeping external elements out while maintaining internal stability. We also tend to keep our skin meticulously clean, which is one of the reasons the beauty and personal care products market continues to expand.

But how often should we actually shower? Here’s the advice from a doctor who challenged social norms.

“You walk into any pharmacy and there are aisles of shampoos and soaps... How much of it is necessary for health? Am I wasting time and money? Would I be better off if I did less?” Dr. James Hamblin, a preventive medicine and public health doctor, recently discussed with CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent.

Intrigued by these questions, Hamblin decided to investigate them firsthand. To do so, he drastically reduced his use of traditional showers for nearly five years. In his book, Clean: The New Science of Skin, he chronicles his experiment while delving into the history of hygiene and cleanliness. “I carefully wrote (in the book) that five years ago I stopped — and I did,” he clarified, emphasizing that those years were filled with trial and error.

“In that time, I tried all kinds of different products. This was a course of experimentation of all different sorts of regimens. So, I didn’t spend five entire years never showering — no. However, I certainly was very minimalist for a very long time.”

Marketing shapes the way we perceive things.

Now a lecturer at the Yale School of Public Health, Hamblin pointed out that personal care products carry “a large health halo.” He explained that people often associate these products with hygiene benefits, largely due to medical-sounding claims that are more about marketing than actual health advantages.

“If you look at the actual way in which many of those products are actually doing anything to prevent disease transmission (besides) making sure you don’t have bodily fluids on you ... that might transmit disease, the rest of it is making you look and feel and smell good,” he said.

Hamblin emphasized that soap is a useful tool, primarily for breaking down sticky or oily substances. However, he noted, “But usually, it’s more the mechanical force that’s doing most of the washing,” explaining that simply rubbing hands together under running water removes much of the grime. (Of course, this applies to most everyday situations and not to cases like food workers or surgeons who need to maintain sterility.)

His inspiration for writing the book stemmed, in part, from a relatively new health trend at the time. “People were suddenly taking probiotics and wanting to have optimal gut flora,” he explained. “And I saw the same thing potentially happening in skin health because you have these trillions of microbes all over you. The skin microbiome is smaller than the gut microbiome, but it’s a similar principle.”

The role of the skin’s microbiome.

Our skin, much like our gut, hosts a rich and diverse microbial community. The skin microbiome acts as a bridge, connecting our body’s internal environment with the outside world. These interactions play a crucial role in our overall health, though we are only beginning to uncover their full impact. Excessive washing can disrupt this delicate balance, potentially leading to various issues.

“There is a harmony between the oils and chemicals that your skin secretes naturally and the skin microbiome that lives on that skin,” the doctor explained. “You temporarily disrupt the microbiome when you take a hot shower, and you use (soap). But you’re also disrupting essentially the soil on which those microbes live, by drying out your skin and removing all the oils.”

He then added, “It’s not necessarily bad, but it changes the dynamic. And if you are prone to an inflammatory cascade like (what) happens with eczema or acne, you can be exacerbating (that problem).” He compared it to clear-cutting a forest, a practice that isn’t always beneficial for the land.

Showering and hygiene are not the same thing.

Dr. Hamblin explained that hygiene is aimed at preventing the spread of infectious diseases, whereas cleansing is more of a personal and ritualistic practice. Hygiene, he noted, includes actions “like washing your hands after you use the bathroom so you’re not spreading any kind of bodily fluids — you’re not sneezing into your hand and then shaking someone’s hand — the very basics of what you would do specifically so you do not get other people sick.”

On the other hand, he described cleanliness as “a much broader category of feeling like you are refreshed and renewed and your best self.” He added, “And it’s certainly not purely cosmetic: There (are) psychological components to it.” According to Hamblin, showering from head to toe every day is “purely a cosmetic and recreational choice,” emphasizing that it is not essential for maintaining health.

BONUS:

The skin of the female intimate area is sensitive and can be easily irritated by everyday products, including shower gels. Therefore, it is recommended not to wash the intimate area too frequently, as excessive washing may aggravate dryness and cause irritation. Once a day is usually sufficient.

Additionally, using feminine wash too often can disrupt the natural microbiome balance in the intimate area. This imbalance can result in various issues, including bacterial infections and yeast-related conditions. Disruptions in the natural balance may also contribute to fertility challenges and have been linked to complications during pregnancy, as well as potential difficulties with conception.

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