Thousands of people around the world are taking up the no-shower challenge and going au naturel. But are the benefits worth the sacrifice?
A hot shower can solve a multitude of woes. It soothes aching muscles and unwinds a racing mind. It can both energise you in the morning and prepare you for sleep at the end of the day. And, in the middle of winter, a hot shower can warm you to your bones.
So why would you give that up? Well, converts of the no-shower movement say that over showering is bad for our skin, and that by washing away important bacteria we could be playing havoc with our personal hygiene.
Writing for the Guardian, Madeleine Somerville says that like the gut, our skin plays host to millions of beneficial bacteria.
“Showering destroys these happy bacterial colonies; they’re completely wiped out by all of our frequent rubbing and scrubbing.
“And when the bacteria washed off by soap repopulate, they tend to favour microbes which produce an odour – yes, too-frequent showering may actually make you smell more,” says Somerville.
I asked dermatologist Fiona Tuck if she thinks showering could be having a detrimental effect on our skin. She tells me that over cleansing the skin with perfumed alkaline soaps and body washes can upset the natural pH and microbiome making the skin more prone to sensitivity and inflammation.
“If we are constantly stripping the microbiome with exfoliates, super-hot baths and showers we can strip and dry the skin. This also weakens the good bacteria naturally present on our skin, which compromises the immune function of the skin,” she says.
Tuck says that we should avoid hot showers, scrubbing the skin and smothering the body in “washes, lotions and potions”.
“Wash daily with warm water and use a gentle pH balanced wash. Avoid overzealous scrubbing and cleansing products which can potentially do more harm than good,” she suggests.
It is sound advice. But for me, giving up a hot shower in favour of a “daily wash” is about as appealing as giving up my morning tea in favour of a glass of warm water. It may be good for my health, but I’m not going to enjoy it.
In spite of this premonition, I decided to take up the no-shower challenge to see if forgoing my scalding hot shower made a noticeable difference to my skin.
I managed five shower-free days. I wasn’t a total grot – I had a daily sink wash and used deodorant as normal. I dealt with my manky hair by wearing a beanie 24 hours a day. I don’t think I was smelly – I certainly didn’t lose any friends.
Was my skin grateful for the break? Definitely. Even after a couple of days I was using less moisturiser, my skin felt great.
Was it worth it? I’m not so sure. My skin may have been singing, but my soul was cold. Like a soak in a hot bath, a long shower is much more than a means to an end. It’s a mini massage, precious alone time and a soggy mediation.
But, while the benefit to my skin wasn’t enough to convince me, the cost of showering to the environment might be. There is no escaping the importance of water conservation.
The average seven-minute shower uses 65 liters of water. Multiply that by a couple of showers a day and that’s 910 liters a week. That’s a lot of water down the drain.
I won’t give up hot showers for better skin. But I will (begrudgingly) cut down on showers to save water. Will you?
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