If you didn't start this morning off with a shower, I'm about to make your day, month and even your year with this incredible news: You probably shower too much.
I bet you didn't even know this could be possible as "the cleaner, the better" is a mantra that's been instilled in your brain since you were young. But today I am here to debunk the myth around showering.
if i stay in bed ill be warm if i get in the shower ill also be warm but the distance between the bed & the shower no that is not warm — Student Problems (@FactsOfSchool) January 11, 2015
Showering is a process in and of itself and, after a long day at the office and a tiresome post-work routine, the last thing you want to do is spend upward of an hour doing something you really don't want to be doing. Isn't it more refreshing to just lie in bed after a busy day?
Unfortunately, this isn't usually the route we take because of this stigma attached to cleanliness... aka we believe we have to shower on a daily basis.
So, what are the benefits of showering less? ...And, yes, they're backed by science, I know -- you're welcome.
Your greasy hair is good for you!
What? No way. Oh yes... yes way. Think about it: The less you are touching your hair, putting products in it and styling, the less damage you will cause to your hair.
Dermatologist Jason Emer says that, "The more you shampoo, the more you potentially remove oils needed to protect hair shafts and keep the scalp healthy and moisturized."
The less you shower, the longer your hair color will stay in tact.
Do you have over $200-300 to throw around carelessly to keep your color looking pristine? I can barely f*cking afford coloring it twice a year, let alone every couple of months.
Hairstylist Kerrie Urban says, “Minerals in shower water can dull blondes, strip color from reds, and cause brunettes to lose richness.
Skipping washing so often will really help to extend the life of your color." Need we say more?
You've been washing your hair wrong this entire time anyway.
I bet you think you're a pro at shampooing and conditioning, but today I'm about to blow your mind. When you shampoo your hair, it's important not to get it on the ends of your hair.
When you put it on at the scalp, it will rinse downward and eliminate the need to scrub the ends, which eventually results in breakage.
When you condition, it's the exact opposite. Urban advises: "Try not to put the conditioner on the roots, because that can cause your scalp to get greasy faster."
You want to wash your hair after a vigorous workout? Totally understandable... but you don't need to incorporate shampoo or conditioner -- just rinse the sweat out and get the F out of that shower!
Showering too much can actually damage your skin.
WHAT? Isn't the entire point of showering to cleanse your skin? Maybe, but you're doing it far too often and in all the wrong ways.
Let's get scientific for a moment: The top layer of your skin is comprised of hard, dead cells (umm, gross) which protect the underlying layers of healthy skin.
The top layer is held together by lipids, aka fatty compounds, that help maintain moisture, so any time you shower and scrub, you are breaking this layer apart.
OK, so how is that bad for your skin? Josh Clark explains, "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."
Believe it or not, you can get away with bathing only twice a week.
GASP! Yup, I said it -- TWICE A WEEK! Sure, this may sound disgusting to some, but to others, this is quite a relief. A trend called "cleansing reduction" supports this idea as its benefits include maintaining the good "bugs" that help fight diseases.
According to Lancaster University sociologist, Dr. Elizabeth Lancaster, this trend is far from new and has been around for at least a century.
John Oxford, Professor of Virology at Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry is another professional who supports the idea of showering less frequently.
He argues that as long as people are consistently and constantly washing their hands and staying aware of the situation below the belt, including the use of a bidet, showering twice a week would not be problematic.
Dry Shampoo was invented for a reason.
Why would such a product exist if you were supposed to be washing your hair every single day? Exactly... because you shouldn't be!
Kim Kardashian may anger the sh*t out of you, but when it comes to her, there's one thing we can agree on -- she's got damn good hair. Her secret? Washing it only twice per week.
It's a huge waste of time, water and effort
Do you know what you could do with an extra hour of your day? You know all of those errands you've been pushing off for the past few weeks? Well, you can finally do all of them! The same goes for that huge pile of dirty laundry in the corner just waiting to be washed.
Stop showering for the sake of thinking you need to take a shower, and just take one when you need to.
