How often do you shower?

[bdcp]

I can't believe so many people are saying daily!! My skin is getting itchy just thinking about it! Water strips your skin of so many essential oils and dries it out big time. I wash my face, and, like the OP said, the "essentials", everyday, but my goal is to only take a full shower, including washing my hair, every third day. In the nice weather when I'm out in the sun often, I try not to wash the "non-essential" body parts more than once a week because I don't want to wash off all that great vitamin D. Although, I do love various body wash scents, so I have to really force myself not to use them everyday!

You don't wash off vitamin D. Vitamin D is inside your cells, not on the surface of your DEAD skin. LOL

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

I go every other day unless I've been doing heavy work or somewhere that breeds germs (Chuck E. Cheese...).

 

[U2_rocks!]

I live in the Tropics - must shower every day! DH showers twice or 3 times a day, as he's much more physically active and sweats more easily too.

I used to wash my hair every day, but in the last year I have found it's gotten drier (probably hormonal, as I'm over 40 now), and I can go every other day unless I do a sweaty workout.

 

[Mandychelle79]

Depends for me

I typically shower every day however, when I wake up.

There are days that I decide that sleep is more important than hygiene so I will do a quick wash before dressing and leaving for the day.

If Im switching from a daylight to midnight I will shower twice that day- in the am when I wake up and at night before going to work

If Im going from midnights to daylights I typically skip a day

If Ive had a bad night at work (body fluids) I will shower when I get home.

I also soak a few days a week in the tub

 

[Scurvy]

I shower every morning, though I usually only wash my hair every other day. I'll also shower before bed if I feel like I need to, but I don't usually. Sometimes I take a hot bath before bed, but that's more for relaxation and an excuse to use my Lush products.

I can't believe so many people are saying daily!! My skin is getting itchy just thinking about it! Water strips your skin of so many essential oils and dries it out big time. I wash my face, and, like the OP said, the "essentials", everyday, but my goal is to only take a full shower, including washing my hair, every third day. In the nice weather when I'm out in the sun often, I try not to wash the "non-essential" body parts more than once a week because I don't want to wash off all that great vitamin D. Although, I do love various body wash scents, so I have to really force myself not to use them everyday!

I assume you heard you get vitamin D from sunlight and that's why you said the bolded. (Unless of course you are kidding, in which case please disregard this post.) Vitamin D isn't something that collects on your skin when you're out in the sun. Exposure to sunlight is important so your body will have enough Vitamin D, but it isn't on your body, it's inside it. You couldn't wash it off no matter how much you tried.

 

[KellyWasHere]

Oh! Oh! I received my first snarky replies on the DISBOARD. I feel so special.

So, OK, I have never done lots of research on the vitamin D on the skin thing. I know, of course, that the portion our body is actively using is inside the body, not on the skin. Here is some information:

Yes, but how much of the skin's total production? Agnes Helmer and Cornelius Jensen published a remarkable human/animal study in 1937, showing that significant amounts of Vitamin D are made on the surface of human skin. Reverend Jensen, the senior author, was a professor of biophysics as St. Thomas Aquinas, the precursor of the University of Dayton. The authors collected surface oils from young men before showering, irradiated the oils, and showed those oils contained large amounts of Vitamin D, enough to cure rickets in animals. Then, they tested a very practical question; can those oils be removed by washing? Indeed they found washing, even with plain water, removed much of the Vitamin D from the surface of human skin. Helmer AC, Jensen CH. Vitamin D precursors removed from the skin by washing. Studies Inst. Divi Thomae, 1937, 1:207–216.
Holick, et al's, landmark 1980 study showing most human Vitamin D production occurs in the deep epidermis was incomplete. It was based on surgically obtained (and assumedly surgically prepped) skin samples that had any remaining surface oils removed by washing with hot water. Indeed, to accurately address the question of where Vitamin D is made, one would need to obtain unwashed human skin, difficult to do even from cadavers. Holick MF, MacLaughlin JA, Clark MB, Holick SA, Potts JT Jr, Anderson RR, Blank IH, Parrish JA, Elias P. Photosynthesis of previtamin D3 in human skin and the physiologic consequences. Science. 1980 Oct 10;210(4466):203–5.
It appears to me that the percentage of Vitamin D made on the surface of the human skin, compared to that made inside the skin, is unknown at this time and in need of additional and careful research. Furthermore, if the percentage made on the surface is significant, studies of cutaneous Vitamin D production in modern humans—unless from skin that went unwashed for several weeks—will not give accurate estimates of Vitamin D production in early man. Thus, these studies cannot give an accurate estimate of the "natural" 25(OH)D levels present when the human genome evolved in Northeast Africa.

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/newsletter/more-vitamin-d-questions-and-answers.shtml

So believing that this is true (and no I have not I have not double-checked the sources), I suppose if even water can wash it off, I am not doing myself any favors.

At any rate, that is not the main reason I don't shower everyday. It's more to keep my skin from drying out. And also, I secretly like being smelly. Do you have any idea how smelly a forearm and leg get when not vigorously scrubbed every single day? Woo boy, you don't even want to know!

 

[Scurvy]

Oh! Oh! I received my first snarky replies on the DISBOARD. I feel so special.

So, OK, I have never done lots of research on the vitamin D on the skin thing. I know, of course, that the portion our body is actively using is inside the body, not on the skin. Here is some information:



http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/newsletter/more-vitamin-d-questions-and-answers.shtml

So believing that this is true (and no I have not I have not double-checked the sources), I suppose if even water can wash it off, I am not doing myself any favors.

At any rate, that is not the main reason I don't shower everyday. It's more to keep my skin from drying out. And also, I secretly like being smelly. Do you have any idea how smelly a forearm and leg get when not vigorously scrubbed every single day? Woo boy, you don't even want to know!

Snarky? I truly apologize if my reply seemed snarky to you. I was just trying to help, since I thought when you said "I don't want to wash off all that great vitamin D" you actually thought the Vitamin D was on your skin. You said you shower less often in the summer because of the Vitamin D, but that you love your body wash scents and have to force yourself not to use them more often. I thought you might be glad to know that you wouldn't be washing away all your Vitamin D if you indulged your desire to enjoy those body washes. I do apologize if I offended you.

 

[KellyWasHere]

Snarky? I truly apologize if my reply seemed snarky to you. I was just trying to help, since I thought when you said "I don't want to wash off all that great vitamin D" you actually thought the Vitamin D was on your skin. You said you shower less often in the summer because of the Vitamin D, but that you love your body wash scents and have to force yourself not to use them more often. I thought you might be glad to know the you wouldn't be washing away all your Vitamin D if you indulged your desire to enjoy those body washes. I do apologize if I offended you.

Sorry, I just meant the one a few before yours. I pluralized accidentally. Hate when that happens. And thank you for the information.

 

[Kimberly]

I voted more than once, because that's often how things go. If I go to the gym, I shower immediately afterwards or any kind of strenuous activity. I rarely shower in the morning, usually in the evening before I go to bed. I just find it an excellent way to wind down the day. Especially since my bath tub overlooks the sun set....

 

[marcyinPA]

Every day, but on Mondays and Thursdays, I shower twice a day. I take Zumba class on those days. I definitely need a shower after that!

 

[debf]

I shower every day. I don't feel awake until I take my shower.

 

[AshleyW]

Well, I prefer baths to showers, so my answer is sort of skewed. I only shower when I wash my hair, which is about twice a week. I have INCREDIBLY thick hair that doesn't get oily, and it gets really dried out & frizzy if I wash my hair more than that. I take a bath about 3 days a week, so there's probably 2 days a week where I don't shower or take a bath.

 

[PatsMom]

I voted every day but I actually shower twice on the days I walk for exercise. Hate to sit around in the evening feeling sweaty! But I only wash my hair once a day. It is short and holds up fine being washed daily.

I just don't feel awake and ready for my day without my morning shower. I work from home two to three days per week and I get up, have my coffee, shower, put on clean pajamas and go to the office in my home to log into my work computer.

 

[Luv'sTink]

I am amazed at how many people shower multiple times a day, especially here on the environmentally conscious DIS.

People worry so much about other environmental usage, but see nothing wrong with wasting water and energy to heat said water multiple times a day. Unless, of course, you use rainwater and solar energy

 

[Darth Boeder]

Every other day unless I have done exercise or some kind of activity that makes you sweaty and feeling funky. I also shower at night. There is nothing like going to sleep clean in your fresh jammies. I also like my sleep as well.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

Can I just say some of the this answers are making me think "ICCKKKK"!

Like I stated yesterday I shower everyday. I have had major surgery and been on the shower chair & in the shower that night.
Just won't go a day.......

off to find the big Lysol & put it in the bag that stays packed at all times!

 

[Lloyd Gondolli]

I shower everyday because I exercise everyday. I also make sure to take quick, cool showers so hopefully I am not impacting the environment too much.

 

[dabute]

I can't imagine not showering at least once every 24 hours. I shower more if I've been exercising or swimming. I use body creams and moisturizing body wash and my skin is as soft as a baby's. I also have dry skin, but I would never skip a shower because of it. I love to smell and be clean.

 

[KellyWasHere]

Anytime you take a shower -- especially a hot one -- with soap and a scrubbing device like a washcloth or a loofah, you're undermining the integrity of your skin's horny layer. The soap and the hot water dissolve the lipids in the skin and scrubbing only hastens the process. The more showers you take, the more frequently this damage takes place and the less time your skin has to repair itself through natural oil production. What's more, the horny layer of your skin can be sloughed off by scrubbing, exposing the delicate skin cells beneath. The result of showering too frequently is generally dry, irritated and cracked skin.

http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/daily/tips/daily-shower-skin1.htm

LONG LIVE THE HORNY SKIN LAYER!!!

 

[KellyWasHere]

Can I just say some of the this answers are making me think "ICCKKKK"!

Like I stated yesterday I shower everyday. I have had major surgery and been on the shower chair & in the shower that night.
Just won't go a day.......

off to find the big Lysol & put it in the bag that stays packed at all times!

Better keep that big Lysol in your bathroom ...

Researchers found showerheads are breeding grounds for bacteria and when water is passed through them, they blast out the bugs.

The microbes, which are naturally present in water and soil, may build up to hazardous concentrations in shower heads, 100 times the normal “background level”.

This can cause respiratory problems such as tiredness, dry coughs and general ill health. In the elderly and vulnerable they could even develop lung diseases.

Professor Norman Pace, and his colleagues at the University of Colorado, tested 45 shower heads from nine cities across the US and found 30 per cent contain high amounts of a pathogen - or organism - that causes the lung infection mycobacterium avium.

The findings, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, support previous studies suggesting lung infections could be on the rise in the developed world because of increased use of showers.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/6188932/Daily-shower-could-be-hazardous.html