Do you shower every day? Most days? Every other day? The idea that we should shower every day is taken for granted in the US and many other countries, but this practice may actually be doing harm to our bodies.
There actually are some very good reasons to skip a shower or two throughout the week.
Your skin will be softer and moister
People have been known to spend a ton of money to achieve soft, moist, wrinkle free skin, but here’s an idea that won’t cost you anything: shower every other day instead of every day. Showering daily, especially if you use hot water, dries out the skin, which encourages wrinkles. Showering less frequently allows the skin to retain its natural oils, thus keeping it softer and more radiant.
And, the same is true of your hair! Washing it every other day, or only a couple times a week, will keep it stronger and healthier than washing it every day.
You will keep more healthy bacteria on your skin
Good bacteria isn’t only necessary for our gut; it’s crucial for our largest organ—our skin—as well. Our good bacteria help us to produce our own, natural antibiotics, which can then fight off the bad bacteria we’re exposed to. When we shower with soap, we wash off all this good bacteria, and leave our skin without protection.
Showering less frequently leaves this good bacteria intact longer, so it can keep us and our skin healthy. Although your hands do need to be washed frequently, for other areas of your body it’s simply not necessary.
You can avoid harmful chemicals and soaps
Many shampoos, conditioners, and commercial body soaps contain harmful chemicals which strip your skin of its natural oils. Without the oils’ protection, your skin more easily absorbs harmful chemicals and toxins.
These include sodium lauryl sulfate, triclosan, and all the synthetic chemicals and fragrances added to give the soap its scent. Triclosan, in particular, has been shown to disrupt hormones and make conditions like allergies and asthma worse.
You can smell like you
We know what you’re thinking: ‘But I shower to get rid of the smell!’ We’re not talking about the smell that makes people avoid you at the office. There is a difference between being stinky and having your own natural scent or musk that those very close to you can notice.
Research has shown this personal scent to be very important in terms of mate selection and other social interactions, and when people wash it off all the time, we can’t use this important evolutionary signal.
If the aforementioned reasons aren’t enough to convince you to shower less frequently, you can, at the very least, adhere to the following shower guidelines for optimal health and beauty:
o Use organic, natural cleansing products. Homemade with love is always best.
o Use warm, not hot, water to keep some of your natural oils intact
o Avoid washing your hair every day, as it’s over-drying to both your scalp and your hair
o Keep showers short (about 5-10 minutes). Again, this will help you to avoid stripping your skin of those beneficial natural oils.
-The Alternative Daily
Sources:
https://www.thealternativedaily.com/are-you-killing-good-bacteria-by-overshowering
http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/blogs/how-often-do-you-really-need-to-shower
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/beauty/shower-tips
