The morning, or evening routine, is usually the same. Turn the water on, step in the shower, get clean, turn the water off, get out. It’s a simple process, and we pride ourselves over how lacking in complexity our showering experience is. What if I told you that you might not be getting as clean as you think? It could come as a surprise to learn that most of us don’t have the right showering habits, and we might not be utilising our routine in quite the way we should be. I’ve got the answers for you below, so why not find out if there are things you should be doing differently?
How Often are You Showering?
There’s a lot of debate as to how often you should be showering. Some say every day, others every other day, and some a few times a week. But what’s the real figure? Honestly, there isn’t an official number for how often you should be washing; it’s down to what you are comfortable with. Of course, I wouldn’t recommend going for weeks at a time without washing.
Interestingly, children shouldn’t wash every day because their immune systems are still developing and the dirt and germs, they collect each day help to make it stronger. Once they hit the age of 12, they should wash every day because puberty starts kicking in and they tend to start smelling more.
How Long are You Showering?
This is another interesting question. There are some who can stay in the shower for an hour, and others that can’t bear to be in there for anything more than a couple of minutes. Who has the right idea though? Well, staying in the shower for a prolonged period of time can lead to dry skin, which may become irritated after a while.
If you don’t spend enough time in the shower, you aren’t going to be getting clean enough. A good example is if you are washing your hair, if you don’t spend a good amount of time massaging it into your scalp, it can actually lead to a higher chance of hair loss. This is because the massaging process stimulates your hair follicles and encourages new growth.
Experts claim that ten minutes is the perfect amount of time for washing, with anything more or less not being quite enough to have an effective shower.
Are You Showering Right?
What about your techniques and the products you use? This is also something that gets forgotten so easily when it is an essential part of any cleaning routine. Here are the top tips you should remember if you want to shower the right way:
- Keep the temperature warm to prevent your skin from getting dry. Too hot results in cracked and brittle skin.
- Keep daily showers brief to save your skin.
- Don’t scrub too hard when you are cleaning yourself, as it can make your skin sore and dry.
- Use soap on the essential areas only; your arms and legs are more prone to dry skin.
- Washcloths are really good for your skin.
- Leaving conditioner in for longer than needed won’t do anything for your hair.
World Showering Stats
Interested to know how the rest of the world showers? We have a fantastic and informative infographic that shows you the, sometimes, shocking truth behind the showering methods of people across the globe.
This infographic is from SteamShowerParts.co.uk.
To Conclude
Hopefully, this has been able to teach you a little more about the way you shower, but also how people across the world get clean every day. It’s a fascinating topic, and one that is a little more complicated than we previously thought. Next time you step into the shower before, or after, work; ask yourself if you are using the right habits and making the most of your shower time.
