I Just Learned How Many Minutes We're Really Meant To Spend In The Shower, And It's Less Than I Thought

Okay, fine, there’s the age-old debate about whether you shower in the morning or evening. 

But if you ask me, the more important variable is the length of the scrubbing session; usually, one member of the household always hogs the bathroom for what feels like hours, while others are in and out. 

I’ve always been in the latter camp (growing up in a family of six teaches you things). So I was pretty pleased to find out that us shorter showerers are on the right side. 

Speaking to health information site Healthline, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Edidiong Kaminska said: “Our skin needs water, just like our bodies, but if we over- or under-do it, then it may have consequences.”

So what’s the ideal time? 

Dr Kaminska says a shower should take between 5 to 10 minutes. 

Any longer than that, and your skin may dry out, she says; spending less time in the shower, meanwhile, may mean you’re not cleaning your body thoroughly enough. 

That’s because “The purpose of showering is to hydrate and cleanse the skin, but warm or hot showering for prolonged periods strips away natural oils of the skin and opens up our pores and allows moisture to escape,” the doctor explained.

For that reason, she recommends using moisturising lotions after you leave the shower too. 

How often should you shower a week?

The question of how long you take in the shower is one thing ― but according to Harvard Health, you don’t absolutely need to shower every day if you’re not sweaty. 

Healthline adds that using water that’s too hot can dry your skin out further. 

So, a 5-10 minute lukewarm shower most, or every, day is best for our skin, it seems.