Are you the kind of person who showers every day like me? Or maybe you prefer to hop in twice each day. You might even be a weekly washer, and one of those lucky people who can go that long without it impacting their hair or odour.
Regardless of your bathing preferences, there is a question that has been asked for quite some time now – how often should we shower? Well, there is some good news ahead for you.
On average most brits shower atleast once a day, and on mostly would shower between 7-8 minutes. Sounds like a short amount of time right? but try timing yourself next time your in the shower you will be suprised.
Not only do we answer this pressing question, we reveal the showering habits of the world. Scroll on and enjoy.
How Often Should I Shower?
First, I’m going to tell you that you might be disappointed with the answer in this section, and second, it’s all dependent on how old you are. You’ll probably be surprised by the second part though. As a child, you shouldn’t actually be washing every day like you might think – unless you are absolutely covered in mud.
Between the ages of six and 11, your immune system is still developing and learning to become more resistant, and so you should only be washing once or twice a week. That way, the germs on your body can help the immune system to grow stronger and more resistant for later life.
After the age of 12, the official guidelines are dropped, but during puberty, we tend to smell pretty awful most of the time (no one wants to go through that again) and so need to shower more frequently. A lot of the time it is down to personal needs and preference.
I like to shower daily to help me start my day, but others I know go weekly and don’t end up smelling or contracting greasy hair. An important note, however, is that if you are showering with soap every day you are likely to be stripping away your skin’s natural moisturiser – which can cause it to become dry and cracked.
The same goes for shampoo, as it strips the sebum from your hair, making it dry and brittle. As a result, it is advised you drop the soap and shampoo every other day (at least) to give your body a better chance. Showering with nothing but water can be just as refreshing.
How Long Should I Shower?
The age-old question of how long should I actually be spending in the shower? I know people who spend over half an hour standing under the water, and while there are some days I can relate to that level of relaxation, I can’t bring myself to do it.
In the USA, the average shower length is 13 minutes. In the UK, it is a little less at eight minutes, and Spain is super speedy with between two and five minutes on average. It’s quite a variety of times when you look at it, and while it can depend on the person, it’s always good to know if there is a time you should be aiming for.
The experts say that you should not spend more than ten minutes in the shower, and the five to ten-minute timeframe is the most ideal. This gives you ample time to scrub your body, wash your hair, and fit in a little bit of relaxation. The reason for this is that it’s better for your skin, as well as the health of your hair.
However, there is such a thing as a shower that is too quick. Those in Spain who only spend two minutes in the shower may find their risk of baldness increased. Why? The time you spend massaging your head when you cover it in shampoo is actually stimulating hair growth and encouraging it. Even if you are already experiencing hair loss, it can help.
How Many Times Do You Shower a Day? World Statistics Revealed
Before you start wondering if you shower too much or too little, why not have a look and see how your showering habits match up with the rest of the world? You might find yourself surprised by how often (or not) people around the world step into steamy bliss. In the USA, 65% of Americans shower every day, and 21% shower every other day.
In Spain, France, and South Africa, the average number of showers each week is seven, which means that most people are hopping in for a wash once a day. The really clean citizens of the world, however, are the Brazilians, who shower a staggering 12-14 times per week! We’re looking at two showers a day here.
The British and Japanese aren’t quite as neat as the rest of the world with an average of five showers per week, and the Aussies outshine them both with eight.
Looking at all of these statistics, you might feel a little bad skipping a shower once or twice a week, but as we’ve said before, the fact of the matter is you probably don’t need to shower as much as you think. It’s all down to personal preference, as well as your culture.
Showering Habits
Before we get into some of the really interesting showering habits in the world, here’s a few more fun (and shocking) statistics for you to fill your knowledge pool with:
If these statistics show us anything, it’s that women do seem to be quite a bit cleaner than men since they shower a lot more often. That, and South Africans are proudly saucy while some Aussie men are happy to go to work still wearing yesterday’s sweat. What are some other bizarre shower habits though?
Showering Tips
Of course, we can’t leave you without a few handy showering tips to help keep your skin soft, your body clean, and allow you to enjoy those warm showers. Here are our tips and tricks for showering perfection:
Should you shower in the morning or at night?
Most of the science, it seems, falls on the side of the shower at night camp for two main reasons: Cleaning your skin and helping you fall asleep faster. Dermatologists say that an evening shower is good for your skin because it cleans it before sleep.
Bathing Tips
For those of you that prefer the bath, the advice above applies to you as well. It might be tempting to spend five hours relaxing in the tub (I know people who do that), but if you are doing that more than once a month you could be drying your skin out.
Additionally, for all the ladies who like a hot bath, it is advised that you don’t spend too much time in the bath and that you have a quick rinse in the shower after. This is because washing in the bath every day can increase the risk of a UTI due to the stagnant bath water that is surrounding you. Otherwise, follow the handy tips and tricks above.
To Conclude
We hope that this has been both a fun and informative read for you, and that you have learned more about showering – both for yourself, but also in terms of world habits. Full of tips and tricks, you may even leave this page with some new knowledge on how to make the most of your time in the shower.
There’s a surprising amount to learn about washing habits, and the ways in which you can improve your own style, and it’s a weirdly interesting topic. What did you think of this journey through the showering habits of the world?
Did it open your eyes to new and shocking statistics, or have you seen it all before? Maybe you have a few surprising facts of your own to add to the piece. We love hearing from you, so feel free to drop us a message in the comments below.
