In an early episode of “The Andy Griffith Show,” Andy employs English valet Malcolm Merriweather as a way for him to pay off a traffic fine. When Andy comes home one evening to find Opie dressed in a suit and bowtie for dinner, Opie says, “Malcolm made me do it. I had to take a bath too – and it’s only Wednesday.”
While not taking a bath is something that Opie and kids in general can get away with to some degree, the question has arisen in recent years concerning adults: Is it essential to shower or bathe every day?
“The truth is there is no one-size-fits-all standard approach,” said Dr. Charles Dunn, an affiliate of the Dermatology & Laser Center of Charleston and chief resident in the KCU-GME Consortium of Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery. “The ideal frequency depends on your skin and hair type, how much you sweat, how dirty you get and if you have any baseline skin conditions you are managing.”
He pointed out that a person’s upbringing and cultural background are also factors in the equation.
“About 60 percent of Americans shower daily – in Australia, it’s more than 80 percent,” he said. “But in China, less than half of people report bathing only twice weekly.”
Personal nature also plays a significant role.
If you sweat a lot, tend to have oily hair and skin or significant dandruff, daily bathing can help rinse away sweat, dirt, yeast, fungi and bacteria that can clog pores and lead to breakouts, infections or flaky skin.
For those with dry or sensitive skin, showering less often can help prevent cracked, irritated, itchy skin and allow skin to maintain a layer of oil, moisture and balance of healthy microorganisms. “Also, use of oils, perfumes and other additives in shampoos, conditioners and soaps can irritate the skin or dry it out and even cause allergic reactions,” Dr. Dunn said. “In such situations…showering several times per week is sufficient.”
Time itself is also an element. Dr. Dunn noted that as your skin ages, “it needs change as well.”
“Don’t just think that the way your skin used to be is the way your skin is now or will always be in the future,” he said. “You can develop intolerance at any time to things you’ve always done and may, in fact, need less frequent bathing or an alternative cleanser.”
Greenville resident Tommy Lewis Neal knows about this kind of change. Neal said that in high school, his cleaning routine was the same every day: full shower at night, rinse-off shower before going to school, using any kind of soap or shampoo, with no conditioner.
“Some of that routine is still in place, but it’s changed a lot, too,” Neal said. “I don’t shower every day anymore because I don’t sweat like I used to. I shampoo maybe once a week instead of every day, and now I always use conditioner and antibacterial soap. Even a cleanser occasionally because, at some point, my skin let me know it needed it.”
Additionally, there is often more to showering and bathing than just getting clean.
“For me, showering is a way to transition from being mostly in a sleep state to being awake,” said Greenville resident Harold Moore. “I like to clear my head and wake up slowly. And since I have to be up at 3 a.m. for my job, showering helps to take the edge off.”
It also has the equal opposite effect when you are trying to fall asleep—it helps you fall asleep without resorting to sleeping pills or other forms of sleep medicine.
“Sleeping medications lose their effectiveness after a while and can often make you dependent on it,” said Dr. Sarah Stolz, neurologist with Swedish Sleep Medicine in Seattle. “Whereas a bath or shower warms your body and helps you fall asleep more easily.”
It also serves as a natural way for the body to unwind before sleep.
Dr. Amy Zack, a family physician at South Pointe Hospital Medical Office Building in Warrensville Heights, Ohio, said occasional full bathing can go a long way in combating daily stress.
“Baths also create a good environment for meditation, thought and escape from everyday stressors,” said Dr. Zack in a 2023 online article for the Cleveland Clinic. “Promoting relaxation helps you let go of things that can keep you awake as you try to wind down.”
Dr. Dunn said any changes to your daily bathing habits should still involve some form of cleaning “even if you think you don’t need it.”
“It’s a good idea,” he said, “to cleanse areas – like the face, armpits and groin – which are predisposed to developing bacterial byproducts, odor or clogged pores without some form of hygienic maintenance.”
By L. C. Leach III
