Dermatologists suggest that the average shower should be between five and 15 minutes, but it depends on what you plan to do in the shower. Shorter, cooler showers are generally better for your skin. Overusing soap or showering in hot water can negatively impact your skin and hair.
Showering for Too Long
“Just as with hot water, a longer shower causes skin to lose more oil and, thus, moisture,” says Friedler. If you notice you're having dry skin problems, back off your shower time, capping it at five to 10 minutes, according to the National Eczema Association.
Shower With Power
Did you know that standard showerheads use 2.5 gallons of water per minute (gpm)? Water-saving showerheads that earn the WaterSense label must demonstrate that they use no more than 2.0 gpm.
There's no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Many doctors say a daily shower is fine for most people. (More than that could start to cause skin problems.) But for many people, two to three times a week is enough and may be even better to maintain good health.
The average person has a shower duration of 7 minutes. Shower timer duration is 4 minutes; saving 3 minutes shower time or 45 litres (QLD Government 2008). The average Burnside household is made up of 2.36 people (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006).
The shock of cold water can stimulate the blood cells that fight off infection (leukocytes). One study in the Netherlands found that people who switched to cold showers for 30, 60, or 90 seconds for 90 days called out sick from work 29% less than people who didn't switch to cold showers.
If you're more active, you'll probably want to shower more often to prevent issues like itchy, dry skin. But if you're more sedentary—working from home or working a desk job—it's likely safe to shower every other day, or 2 to 3 times a week. No matter how often you shower, just remember to keep them short.
It also depends on your personal preference. If you feel better with a daily showering routine, go for it. If you would rather skip some days, that's OK, but never go more than two or three days without washing your body with soap.
Take Shorter Showers
A long, hot shower is great, but it wastes a lot of water. By shortening your shower by just four minutes, you can save up to 4,000 gallons of water per year. This can cut your bill by about $100 annually. Taking shorter showers may also help lower your gas or electric bill.
Taking shorter showers is just one of many ways to reduce water use and conserve our drinking water . It's also an easy way to reduce your water bill. Shorter showers can also save up to 350 kilograms of carbon dioxide a year and help cut down your energy bills.
Healthy Showering Tips
Whenever you take a shower, there are some steps you can take to protect your skin. Keep it short. Five to 10 minutes is ideal for showering. If you stay in the water too long, it can dry out your skin.
In addition, bathing or showering causes blood vessels to dilate and triggers a drop in blood pressure. If you move too quickly, your brain may not get enough oxygen, making you feel light-headed and dizzy, says Hoffman.
Likewise, Abbas Kanani, pharmacist at Chemist Click, says that around 8-10 minutes is usually enough time to hydrate your skin and cleanse. "Showering for less than five minutes may not be long enough to cleanse your body, and can cause bacterial or fungal infections," she added.
Showering or bathing too often can strip the skin of natural oils and dry out the skin. At times it can lead to itchy and flaky skin – which can cause infections. Therefore, it's okay for the elderly to just bathe once or twice a week.
Pro: A morning shower may make your skin look refreshed, but dermatologists agree that an evening shower is better for your skin because it cleanses it before you sleep.
Skin irritation, says Dr. Aishah Muhammad, M.D. “Dead skin and grease naturally gather on the top layer of skin,” she said, “and by not washing, this buildup can leave your skin feeling itchy and dry.” Other skin irritation, like dryness or red, inflamed patches that you don't usually experience, can build.
Extreme tiredness and cognitive effects, such as brain fog and negative thinking, can pose a personal hygiene challenge. People with depression commonly experience executive dysfunction, a mental processing issue. It can manifest in difficulty in starting and finishing a task, such as showering.
A person can start by taking a warm shower and then switching the water to cold for a brief time. This could be anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Some people prefer to take just a brief cold shower of around 5–10 minutes. This may also be a practical approach to cold water therapy.
Best Temperature for Showering
Cold showers can help reduce inflammation, relieve pain, improve circulation, lower stress levels, and reduce muscle soreness and fatigue. Hot showers, meanwhile, can improve cardiovascular health, soothe stiff joints, and improve sleep.