This is how often you should actually be showering, according to two doctors - and it's less than you think!

Showering is a personal ritual that everyone takes part in differently – yet, when someone brings up how often they shower, it often causes a stink.

Those who shower daily like to 'shower shame' those who shower weekly, and vice versa. You simply cannot win! And this was clearly demonstrated back in 2021 when our girl Kristen Bell received backlash for her “only shower when you smell” method.

Critics jumped on Bell’s case, the internet spiralled, and the whole world started debating how often a person should wait to wash.

The debate was never fully resolved, so we recently asked a consultant dermatologist and an NHS GP for their views on how often you should really shower...

Sorry to break it to you, but there’s no hard-and-fast rule on how often a person should shower. Some say a spruce up a day keeps the B.O. at bay, while others say a daily shower is unnecessary and could actually be bad for your skin’s health.

The amount you shower is completely up to you, but it’s best to consider things like the climate, your skin type, and how much you sweat. If you have a physically demanding job, exercise a lot, or live in a hot climate, you’ll probably want to shower more often to get rid of sweat and smells.

Equally, if you have skin conditions such as eczema or live a sedentary lifestyle, one shower per day might be a no-go.

Dr Tim Churchill, a consultant dermatologist at the Cadogan Clinic, says that you should aim to shower two to three times per week on average. Or, if you start to feel physically dirty when showering this much, up the number. He adds that if you feel like your skin or scalp is irritated, you might want to shower less – it really all depends on your body and lifestyle choices.

Ideally, between 5 and 10 minutes. This affords enough time to have a good, thorough wash. If you’re just looking for a little cleanse, you should take showers around the 5-minute mark, but if you’re looking to remove lots of excess dirt and sweat, aim for the 10-minute mark.

Dr Churchill says the overall length should be “as long as it takes to get water and body wash on all areas of your body, especially under your armpits and body folds.”

If you can take shorter showers, this is the most beneficial because long, intense showers tend to dry out the skin and strip the body of all its good natural oils.

Dr Raj Arora, an NHS GP and the founder and medical director of The FaceBible, says lengthy, harsh showers can cause “more skin irritation, redness, and stripping of oils.” They also contribute to greater water wastage, which isn’t great for environmentally-conscious girlies.

While your favourite influencers might boast the most complex 15-step glow-up shower routine, the ideal is pretty simple. According to Dr Churchill, all you really need to do is wash with a soap of your choice, pat yourself dry, and moisturise a few minutes after if you’re prone to dry skin.

“It may seem a bit basic, but actually, all the things that are trying to be introduced into skincare and self-care routines are not necessary,” says Dr Churchill.

Dr Arora says that you can also gently exfoliate before jumping in the shower if you like, but it’s not a must. When in the shower, you can wash your exfoliator off and give your hair and body a good clean. Then, once you jump out, you can pat yourself dry and moisturise in the first few “golden minutes” out of the shower.

She says, “You want to pat your skin dry and not scrub it dry because, when you’re patting it dry, you’re conserving that moisture and hydration. When scrubbing it dry, your skin can get irritated. You want to apply moisturiser in the golden minutes, as that’s the best time to moisturise and hydrate the skin.”

Nobody likes the stink, sweat, and stickiness of an unwashed body that needs some serious TLC. Here are some signs that your shower routine needs to be a little more… frequent:

• You or others can smell your body odour
• You start to experience itching and irritation
• You have visible dirt on your body and/or hair
• You can see sweat build-up on your skin
• You feel a sticky sheen on the skin
• You have oily hair with an itchy scalp
• You start to feel unclean

You may be surprised to know that showering too much can be just as bad (if not worse) than not showering enough. All that grit and grime might be really nasty, but the state of your skin and scalp is important, too. Here are a few tell-tale signs that your showers are more on the excessive side:

• Sensitive and sore skin, especially for those with conditions such as eczema and psoriasis
• A dramatic change in your skin’s microbiome (the healthy bacteria and microbes that lie on the skin and prevent infections and inflammation)
• A dry, itchy, and/or flaky scalp
• Dry, brittle hair that’s prone to more breakage
• Excess water waste

Whether you love to wake yourself up with a cold rinse, or turn up the heat and start your days in steaming hot water, neither hot nor cold water is the best for your shower routine.

Dr Arora says, “You want lukewarm water. You don’t want it too hot or too cold either.”

But, if you really want to wash in cold or hot water, you should know that cold water can’t actually harm you, while hot water can.

“Hot water is definitely an issue because you can definitely strip the oils and irritate the skin,” says Dr Arora.

This article is not intended to replace professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider if you have questions regarding a medical condition.