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How often should you shower? Doctors weigh in and rock some people's worlds.

Once a day is not ideal.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska/Pexels

Doctors say a lot of us are showering more than we need to.

A few times in recent years, celebrities and social media influencers alike have made waves by sharing that they don't make their kids bathe every day. For some parents, that was totally par for the course, but for others, letting a child go more than a day without bathing was seen as a travesty.

Doctors have made it clear that kids don't need to bathe daily, with some going so far as to recommend against it when they are young to protect kids' delicate skin. But what about grownups? Most of us don't take baths regularly as adults, but what's the ideal frequency for showering?

According to a YouGov poll of over 5,700 Americans, just over half of respondents said they shower daily and 11% said they shower twice or more per day. That means two out of three of us are showering at least once a day.

woman, showering, shower, daily shower, bathe A woman in a shower cap.Canva Photos

But according to doctors and dermatologists, that's probably overkill for most people. Unless you're doing heavy labor, exercising vigorously, working outdoors or around toxins or otherwise getting excessively dirty or sweaty, a few showers per week is enough for healthy hygiene.

In fact, Robert H. Shmerling, MD of Harvard Health says too frequent showering could actually have some negative effects on your health.

"Normal, healthy skin maintains a layer of oil and a balance of 'good' bacteria and other microorganisms," Dr. Shmerling writes. "Washing and scrubbing removes these, especially if the water is hot." He shares that removing that protective layer can make our skin dry, irritated or itchy, which can lead to damage that allows allergens and bacteria to cross the skin barrier. Additionally, our immune systems require exposure to microorganisms, dirt, and other environmental stimuli in order to create "immune memory," and if we wash them away too frequently, we might be inhibiting the effectiveness of our immune system.

dirt, immune system, environment, kids, baths, dirt don't hurt A healthy coat of dirt.Giphy

Dermatologists who spoke to Vogue had similar advice about shower frequency. Board-certified dermatologist Deanne Robinson, MD, FAAD told the magazine that you can skip showering for the day if you haven't engaged in rigorous activity. Mamina Turegano, a triple board-certified dermatologist, internist and dermatopathologist. agreed. "I think that showering three to four times a week is plenty for most people,” she said.

Of course, everyone is different and what is good for one person's skin isn't good for another's. Showering frequency and health also depend on what kinds of products you're using, what temperature of water you're using, and how long your shower is. There's a big difference between a quick pits-and-privates rinse-off and a long, hot everything shower.

While scorching yourself and steaming up the bathroom may feel luxurious and relaxing, especially if you've got sore muscles, dermatologists say it's not good for your skin. Hot showers are especially problematic for people with skin issues like eczema.

"Any skin condition characterized by a defective skin barrier can be worsened by a hot shower," board-certified New York City dermatologist Shari Marchbein told Allure. "[It] strips the skin of sebum, the healthy fats and oils necessary for skin health, and dehydrates the skin."

shower, shower temperature, hot shower, lukewarm shower, showering Maybe cool it on the hot showers. Canva Photos.

In fact most dermatologists recommend keeping showers lukewarm. That sounds like torture, frankly, but who's going to argue with the experts?

A lot of people, actually. Modern humans are pretty particular about our shower preferences, and judging from the comments on cleanliness discussions, some folks are dead set on the idea that a daily shower is simply not negotiable. Even with the experts weighing in with their knowledge and science, a lot of people will continue to do what they do, advice be damned.

But at least the folks who've been judged harshly by the daily shower police have some official backup. As long as you're showering every couple of days, you're golden. As it turns out, there really is such a thing as being too clean.

This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

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Debate over night vs. morning showers gets surprisingly heated. Here's what experts say.

Certain details might change people's minds about when they shower.

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People have strong feelings about showering in the morning or at night.

When we think of life's big questions, we usually think about things like the meaning of life and whether or not God exists. We probably don't think about which way a toilet paper roll should hang or how often we should wash our bed sheets, but interestingly enough, those practical daily life questions often lead to more heated debates than the mystical existential ones.

Case in point: A viral X thread in which people discuss whether it's best to shower in the morning or at night. It appears that people have surprisingly strong feelings about the subject that they vehemently defend. Is what time of day to clean your body a world-changing debate? No. Is it a life-changing one on an individual level? Maybe.

The debate started when someone posted about normalizing showering and wearing deodorant to school, and a person responded that night showering was becoming less normalized. "We need to talk about it," they wrote, and talk about it people did.

The morning shower people chimed in with their thoughts and reasoning:

"Good, morning showers is the way to go. Don't tell me you get out of your bed and just start the day all crusty And why would you shower just before sleeping like."

"I shower in the morning because helps me wake up. That’s why I don’t shower at night."

"I like feeling clean in the morning before school, simple as."

"In the morning u wake up for the day and also its easier to fix ur hair if it dries weirdly while u sleep."

"That’s because you sweat more in your sleep (yes, even if you’re cold) so you wake up sweatier and greasier than you went to bed. Showering in the morning makes the most sense to me, I’d rather not go out sweaty and stanky."

"Think about it. You shower at 9 pm and wake up at 7 am. That's already 10 hours, no shower. Then you have a full day doing jacksht. Do you really think your body won't start to smell throughout the day? This is mind-boggling to me."

shower, morning shower, showering at in the morning, woman in showerSome people prefer to wake up and shower.Photo credit: Canva

But the night shower people made their own cases as well:

"People assuming people stink being a night shower person when really we should be assuming these people don't wash their sheets cause how are you gonna stink that fast just by sleeping on a presumably clean bed."

"Morning showering makes no sense, you’re showering before you get dirty, you then come home, sleep in your bed dirty, then wake up and shower."

"I shower at night so I sleep and wake up clean. I feel nasty as hell if I go to bed without a shower."

"Night showers make the most sense to me. You wake up clean, go about your day and get dirty, wash the dirt off before you go to bed, get in bed clean, wake up clean, etc."

"Why would anyone go to sleep dirty???? to sit in your filth for 8hrs?? build up all that bacteria on ur sheets?? so gross. u dont get dirty sleeping in a clean bed. so shower at night, wear deodorant to bed if u sweat, and wash ur face in the morning. that should be the norm."

shower, nighttime shower, showering at night, woman in showerSome people insist that showering at night is the only way to go.Photo credit: CanvaPhoto credit: Canva

As always, there were some centrists on the matter, explaining that everyone has different needs and preferences and lifestyles that might lend themselves to one or the other:

"Depends on the day tbh, if I’m working out and running errands outside then definitely a night shower, if I stay in all day and laze around then my usual morning shower is all I do, so sometimes two times a day sometimes one!"

"When I worked in an office and needed to greet people all day I was a morning showerer. Now I do manual (and quite filthy) labor, I cannot imagine even stepping foot into my bedroom with the yuck of the day still on me."

"Controversial take but imagine everyone is different and everyone's body behaves different and either is absolutely fine as long as u use deodorant."

shower, morning shower, showering at night, man in showerSome people insist on showering at night and in the morning.Photo credit: Canva

And then there were the double judgers, who were appalled that everyone isn't showering in the morning and at night:

"The amount of people in the comments not taking a shower both before bed and in the morning is disappointing."

"Tbh, especially if you work or are on your feet for multiple hours of the day it’s at minimum 2 showers a day."

"Night shower so you clean off the dirtiness from outside and get into a clean bed morning rinse so you rinse off the sweat from the night and get a good morning freshener."

shower, morning shower, showering at night, when should you take a showerSome people insist on showering at night and in the morning.Photo credit: Canva

The sweat and stink factors seem to be the crux of the debate divide, with some assumptions being made all around. For instance, the morning showers assume the night showerers aren't putting on deodorant after their shower. Some even point to the idea that putting on antiperspirant before bed isn't healthy, as your armpits "need to breathe." Many night showerers assume it's a given that they'd deodorize after their shower. Some people sweat more at night than others, making nighttime showering seem more or less icky to different people.

So what do the experts say about showering in the morning or at night?

In short, it doesn't really matter all that much.

“There’s no definitive answer for the global population on whether to take an evening vs. morning shower,” dermatologist Alok Vij, MD told the Cleveland Clinic. “But for each individual, there tends to be a right answer. And it’s all based on preference.”

But what about the sheets staying clean? Eh, it's not quite that simple.

Microbiologist Primrose Freestone wrote in The Conversation that she personally prefers day showering and asserts that night showering doesn't prevent your sheets from getting icky. "Even if you’ve freshly showered before bed, you will still sweat during the night—whatever the temperature is," she wrote. "Your skin microbes will then eat the nutrients in that sweat. This means that by the morning, you’ll have both deposited microbes onto your bed sheets and you’ll probably also wake up with some BO."

In fact, she added, “A morning shower suggests your body will be cleaner of night-acquired skin microbes when putting on fresh clothes. You’ll also start the day with less sweat for odor-producing bacteria to feed on—which will probably help you smell fresher for longer during the day compared to someone who showered at night."

man dancing in the showerMorning showers might have a slight benefit over nighttime ones.Giphy

The most important behavior in this discussion is washing your sheets regularly—at least weekly—no matter when you shower, according to both Freestone and Vij.

“It’s a wash,” Dr. Vij said in response to the sheets question. “Regardless of when you shower, you should wash your sheets on a regular basis. You’re still going to deposit a lot of dead skin cells, accumulated overnight sweat, bacteria and oils. Fungus is going to live there. There’s all sorts of contaminants and pollutants in your bed whether you take a shower beforehand or not.”

The only people who might actually be "wrong" in the debate are the folks who are judging those who aren't showering twice a day. Dermatologists don't recommend showering more than once per day so as not to upset the balance of natural oils and good bacteria that live on your skin. In fact, several times a week is sufficient for most people (barring those who do extremely dirty or sweaty work, of course).

Bottom line is, shower when you want to, morning or night. But do shower, and make sure to wash your sheets regularly.

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People are finally discussing the secret etiquette of pooping at someone else's house

Is the courtesy flush polite or a waste of water?

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Lighting a candle? That's basic compared to these advanced tips.

Poop anxiety isn't the most heavily studied medical field, but some estimates say up to a third of people suffer from some kind of anxiety around going to the bathroom in a public place or another person's home. On the low end, they can feel ashamed or embarrassed. At the higher end, they may avoid social functions, public events, or leaving their own home entirely. This phenomenon also tends to affect women more than men. For some people the worry gets so bad that they constipate themselves or refuse to eat, all because they're worried of what people will think of them.

But you don't have to have extreme "shy bowel" to know the uncertainty associated with feeling a rumbly tummy while you're a guest in someone's house. There are a lot of unknowns to manage. How good is their soundproofing? Does their toilet actually flush properly? Will someone be waiting to go in right after me? Some people anticipate these worries and come up with elaborate rules and routines to leave as little evidence of their go as possible.

A guy took a simple question to social media: Should you always courtesy flush when you're a guest in someone's house? The answer sparked a huge debate about the secret etiquette of public pooping.


poop, bathroom, dancing, funny, humor, toiletThis dancing poop says pooping can be fun!Giphy

In a thread on the subreddit r/NoStupidQuestions, the OP asked: "My mother tells me that at other people's houses, when going to the bathroom, it's expected to do a 'courtesy flush'. Is this a real thing?"

For the uninitiated, a courtesy flush is when you flush halfway through your "go." The thinking is that it helps get rid of odors before they build up. Not only that did the poster's mother advocate for courtesy flushing, she insisted on a very specific ritual when visiting other people's homes:

  1. Always carry Poopurri and spray before you go
  2. Flush halfway through your session
  3. Flush at the end (obviously)
  4. Clean toilet bowl with wand... every time!
If it sounds a little extreme to you, you're not alone.

However, some commenters were extremely pro-courtesy flush.

toilet, bathroom, home, hygiene, cleaning, etiquetteWhite ceramic toilet bowl with cover. Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

"I’ve done the 'courtesy flush' thing for years… mainly to help minimize lingering odors more than any other reason."

"That’s good advice. First flush on delivery, second flush with clean up. Reduces odor and skid marks."

A few people noted that the courtesy flush is common in jails and prisons, of all places. Due to the tight (extremely tight) quarters, inmates are encouraged to repeatedly flush while they go. I don't want to know what the consequence might be for violating this code.

Others claimed the courtesy flush was a waste of water:

"Flushing twice seems very wasteful in my opinion. I would not like a guest to do that."

"No, please don't waste my water. But do make sure everything goes down."

"If someone did that at my house I'd be low key annoyed at them for wasting water."

Experts agree that the effectiveness of the courtesy flush is very much up for debate. Does it mildly lessen odor? Maybe. It's also a gigantic waste of water. Older toilets can use up to six gallons per flush—yikes! An extra flush is also questionable at best when it comes to sanitation—flushing poop with the lid open is known to spray bacteria all over the bathroom. Yuck.

"Everyone poops, I don't want my guests worrying about it," wrote one commenter. "Crack a window if it's like, lethally stinky, I guess. If you clog the toilet, the plunger is in a plastic tub right there. If you need help, cool, now we have a funny story."

The courtesy flush, however, was only the beginning of the OPSEC tips for pooping in public.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Some commenters were on board with OP's mother's idea of using the toilet brush if it's available:

"If there's some brown stuck to the porcelain after I flush, and if there's a toilet brush on hand, I give it a quick cleaning and a second flush. But not if things look clean otherwise," someone wrote.

Another commenter had an even more advanced idea: "You can also float a strip of toilet paper on top of the water before you poo. Gets wrapped in paper as you drop off your delivery and less likely to leave skid marks in the bowl."

Of course, commenters in threads all over the Internet sing the praises of Poo-Pourri, or even carrying a lighter with you at all times to burn up some of the stinky oxygen. And how's this for a pro-level tip?

"Tip for the courtesy flush.. if one who finds it hard to poop in a public bathroom because you don’t want people to hear you. Flush just right before you push and the sound of the water will cover the sound of gas etc and it will go right down with the water so very minimal smell."

I mean, all you can do really is clap at the social-anxiety-fueled ingenuity on display. The experts seem to agree here. Even Healthline recommends carrying air purifier spray, lining the inside of the bowl with toilet paper to absorb sound, and flushing several times to reduce anxiety worries.

The general consensus is that, when pooping at someone's house, basic etiquette applies. Clean up after yourself to a normal degree, but remember, as the saying goes: Everybody poops.

Some people are really protective over the bathrooms in their homes, which is their right. But if that's the case, they really shouldn't be having guests over and expecting them not to partake in normal human biological behaviors.

Some of the advanced tips shared by anxious-pooers might help, but try not to send yourself into a tailspin trying to cover your tracks. In extreme cases of bathroom anxiety, experts say cognitive behavior therapy or even antidepressants may be needed. But the rest of us might just need to read that world famous children's book again.

This article originally appeared in March

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Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis shared their family bathing habits and sparked a debate

How often is often enough?

TechCrunch (left), Gage Skidmore (right) via Wikimedia Commons

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have two kids together.

The water bill at the Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis residence appears to be pretty low after revelations the couple made about their family's bathing habits.

In a 2021 appearance on Dax Shepard's "Armchair Expert" podcast, they admitted they're not that into bathing themselves or their two children, Dimitri Portwood, 4, and Wyatt Isabelle, 6. The conversation started when Shepard explained his ongoing disagreement with co-host Monica Padman. The two have dissenting views over whether people should use soap. "You should not be getting rid of all the natural oil on your skin with a bar of soap every day," he said. "It's insane."

kids, bathtub, bathing, cleanliness how often should you bathe your childrenHow often should you bathe your children?Photo credit: Canva

Kunis agreed with Shepard and was very candid about her bathing ritual. "I don't wash my body with soap every day," she shared. "But I wash pits and tits and holes and soles."

"I can't believe I'm in the minority here of washing my whole body in the shower," Padman replied. "Who taught you to not wash?"

"I didn't have hot water growing up as a child," Kunis recalled, "so I didn't shower very much anyway." Kunis was born in the then-Soviet controlled Ukrainian city of Chernivtsi in 1983. Her family migrated to America when she was 7.

Kutcher added that he regularly uses soap and water on just his "armpits and crotch" and "nothing else."

shower, paul rudd, cleanlinessShould you wash everything every day with soap? Giphy

Kunis has passed her lax attitude towards bathing on to her children.

"When I had children," she said, "I also didn't wash them every day. I wasn't the parent that bathed my newborns—ever." Shepard agreed, saying that he and wife Kristen Bell only bathe their children as part of a nighttime routine and don't pay much attention to their cleanliness.

"That's how we feel about our children. We're like, 'Oof, something smells,'" Kunis added. Kutcher has a simple rule when it comes to his children and their cleanliness. "Here's the thing — if you can see the dirt on 'em, clean 'em," he says. "Otherwise, there's no point."

While the Kutcher-Kunis clan's approach towards hygiene may not be typical of the average American family, they may not be wrong according to science. Research suggests that children benefit from being exposed to germs early in life.

"This line of thinking, called the 'hygiene hypothesis,' holds that when exposure to parasites, bacteria, and viruses is limited early in life, children face a greater chance of having allergies, asthma, and other autoimmune diseases during adulthood," WebMD says.

Basically, the more your body is exposed to the more it can fight off.

"Just as a baby's brain needs stimulation, input, and interaction to develop normally, the young immune system is strengthened by exposure to everyday germs so that it can learn, adapt, and regulate itself," notes Thom McDade, PhD, associate professor and director of the Laboratory for Human Biology Research at Northwestern University.

However, a whole slew of TikTok videos in 2025 have taken the unscrubbed masses to task with elaborate shower routines that include not only soap, but multiple steps of exfoliating and cleansing on a daily basis.

@pickleflipflops

my in-depth shower / smell-good routine! yall taking notes? #pickleflipflops - #showerroutine #bodycare #hygienetips#vanillagirl #vanillaperfume #signaturescent #showertok #everythingshower #cleangirl #smellgood #hygieneroutine #blackgirl


Some people are swearing by these routines after trying them, so maybe there's something to them. On the other hand, some say this much cleansing and scrubbing would cause problems with eczema and other dry skin conditions, so maybe it's all individual need and preference.

As for Kutcher and Kunis, they both share the same attitude when it comes to hygiene so nobody in the relationship has the right to complain if the other is a little funky. If it works for them, who are we to judge?

This article originally appeared four years ago and has been updated.


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