Maintaining your physical health is essential, and part of that balance includes personal hygiene. Exfoliating scrubs, face masks, cleansers, toners, the list of products goes on and on.
There has to be a point where it’s too much, right?
Is there an answer to how many showers per week are enough necessary to maintain your immune system? Absolutely. However, It’s different for everyone. Your lifestyle, activity levels, age, and hormones all have a say in how often you should probably shower.
So how do you know if a daily shower is good or bad for your immune system?
Your Activity Levels
If you play sports or work labor-intensive jobs, you are bound to generate higher amounts of sweat, which add extra oils to your body. Toss in debris from whatever materials you’re working with, and you might want to have an additional shower.
If you didn’t exert yourself throughout the day or get covered in oil or dirt, you might want to give your body and skin a break from showering. If you didn’t do anything to get dirty, what do you have to clean?
A soapy washcloth can work wonders in a pinch too.
Why Showering Is Important
To maintain your appearance and, ultimately, your health, you need to be clean. Showering removes harmful bacteria and debris from your body. Giving your hair some TLC will make it shiny and radiant.
Plus, showering is a healthy way to take a minute for yourself and breathe at the end of the day. Your mental health will enjoy some zen time washing away all the negative energies with that fresh water.
And let’s face it, nobody wants to be the smelly friend. Body odor is magnified the longer you wait to shower, and that can be avoided by a quick trip in a pretend waterfall.
Don’t Overdo It
For some people, showering daily can be bad for your immune system because it removes necessary oils that form to protect your hair follicles while they grow. If you’re repeatedly stripping these faster than they can be regenerated, you’re depriving your hair of the tools it needs to shine.
Stripping oils and natural protections leave your skin vulnerable to infection. Without the right volume, you may reduce your immune system’s ability to fight against external diseases.
Long hot showers can also affect you physically, especially if you’re already exhausted and dehydrated. The heat may make you lightheaded and dizzy. If you partake in regularly steamy ones, you will do well to take extra precautions, like having a glass of water nearby and a running fan.
Sometimes showering is used as a coping mechanism, triggered by a memory of an experience. It’s essential to take a moment to realize intense scrubbing may have the ill-intended effect of damaging your skin.
The Happy Medium
Your body will give you signs when it’s time to shower. Greasy hair, body odor, even muscle aches can let you know it’s time to douse yourself in some soapy water.
Alternatively, it will also let you know when it’s had too much of a good thing. Brittle hair and dry patches of skin might plague you if you spend a little too much time performing shower karaoke.
Using the right kinds of products at the right time is crucial in finding the balance between healthy and unproductive showers. Abrasive products like exfoliants should be used sparingly, and too much conditioner can be a bad thing.
The Best Time To Shower
Finding the best time to shower depends on your lifestyle. Some people prefer showering right before bed so they can climb into bed, all refreshed and clean. Deep sleepers might want to shower first thing in the morning to wash away the sweat.
Another benefit of showering first thing in the morning is that cold water can wake you up. Refreshing soaps with rejuvenating scents like eucalyptus or lemon can refresh your energy levels and start your day on the right foot.
Warmer showers can aid with stuffy noses, so allergy sufferers would benefit from the steam before getting on with the day.
The Verdict
There’s a fine line between whether or not daily showers are good or bad. On the one hand, they are used to maintain general appearances and physical health. On the other hand, too much exposure to cleansers and water can dehydrate skin and cause damage.
So what’s the answer? What’s the magic number? Nobody knows the magic number, that was a trick question.
If you take daily showers with all the bells and whistles like exfoliators and such, it is not good for your immune system. Too much water can strip your hair and skin of protective and necessary oils that support a healthy body.
Alternatively, if you sweat a lot, or spend time in an environment that causes you to look and feel dirty, then daily showers are the right thing for you.
