You Don't Need to Shower Daily, Experts Say

You Don't Need to Shower Daily, Experts Say
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What I am about to suggest is going to seem gross to many of you. Heck, you may just gawk at it and think, "Oh, hell no!" In fact, I am sure there will be some interesting comments on this article firing back at me, too.

To clarify, I do shower daily because I like to run a few miles in the evening and that makes me pretty sweaty and funky.

But, according to a new survey, one-third of the people in Britain actually do not take a daily shower. This has to be one foul-smelling horde, you'd think. But some experts say that you really only need to shower twice per week.

Eck. Right?

Dr. Elaine Larson works at Columbia University School of Nursing and specializes in infectious diseases. In a recent interview with Time Magazine, she said that you don't need to be taking daily showers to keep your skin clean.

"People think they are showering or to be cleaner, but bacteriologically, that's not the case," she explained.

Taking too many showers can actually rob your skin of its natural oil (sebum) and can dry out the skin, risking more infection from the cracks that can form in the skin's folds.

According to Dr. C Brandon Mitchell, who works at George Washington University as a professor of dermatology, all you really need is about two showers per week.

"Your body is naturally a well-oiled machine. A daily shower isn't necessary," he told Time.

But where do we draw the line on this one? I mean, are these doctors considering that people work out? What about people who have dirty jobs?

I can't imagine not taking a shower to wash off the sweat, smell and gunk after running two miles in the heat of the summer.

After I am out camping for a few days, same thing: I feel like I have been dumpster diving.

I do have sensitive skin, but I use lightly warm water to prevent drying my skin out. I also use organic body wash that contains a lot of moisturizer so that my skin is not stripped of its oils.

Sure, these doctors may have a point. But it's a gross one.

As for me, I will stick to my daily shower routine.

How about you? Do you think only showering twice per week would be gross?

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