“Normal skin can also tolerate a daily shower, but would be happy with less,” she said. The situation is different for sensitive and dry skin. “If the skin tends to be dry, it can dry out if you shower too often, as the water draws moisture from it,” said Dr. Ralf Merkert. “Particularly in the winter months, when people spend more time in heated homes, the skin can dry out due to the dry heating air and is more susceptible.”
How often should you shower, based on your skin type?
The ideal frequency? Like most things in life, it varies from individual to individual, and largely comes down to lifestyle. “There’s no one answer to suit everyone,” Dr Sophie explains. “If you exercise a lot, naturally sweat more or the weather is very hot, you might want to shower every day, but if not, every couple of days is enough, with washes in particular areas that require more attention to hygiene in between.” Said areas include the groin and armpits, which Dr Sophie tells us contain more sweat glands and breed more bacteria, so will get a bit pongy if not washed when they need to be.
- Normal skin: The skin can tolerate a daily shower, but it should still be avoided.
- Dry and sensitive skin: Water dries out the skin, so avoid showering every day if possible.
- As a general rule (unless it’s summer or you have a job where you sweat), it is sufficient to shower three to four times a week and not every day.
Our skin type guide will show you whether you have sensitive skin. With dry or sensitive skin, the body usually has dry and rough patches and the skin is tight.
Does temperature and shower length matter?
When should you shower? In both summer and winter, it is particularly important to shower in the evening for the reasons mentioned above. Even if occasional cool-downs under the shower or waking up in the morning with cold water have to be omitted.
“My credo is: not too hot, not too long and with as few chemicals as possible,” said Dr. Steinkraus. Even though warm water is particularly conducive to relaxation – stress hormones are reduced in a similar way to a warm bath – the temperature should not exceed 36 degrees. If you have sensitive skin or neurodermatitis, it gets even worse: you should take a very short shower with cold water so as not to damage the skin barrier and possibly avoid soap altogether. In general, both experts advise not to exceed the 5-10 minute mark per day and shower.
“Try alternating showers several times a week! The alternation between heat and cold ensures that the blood vessels alternately dilate and constrict,” said Dr. Ralf Merkert: In addition to anti-ageing effects, this has many other benefits, for example, faster regeneration after sport.
Caring for your skin after a shower
Sensitive skin in particular should avoid fragrances in shower gel or soap formulations. The same applies to body lotions, as Dr. Merkert notes: “After showering, you should apply moisturising, mild lotions – this applies to all skin types, but especially to dry skin.”
And what about deodorant?
As for the deodorant dispute, Dr Sophie tells us it’s probably a non-negosh, unless you, by some miracle, don’t sweat much. “For most women, a degree of underarm sweating is very normal,” she says. “And anti-perspirant is a good choice. That said, deodorant in its own right doesn’t do an awful lot – it literally means to de-odour, or to neutralise smell. It’s better to try and prevent the smell developing by washing as and when you sweat.” Who knew?