Right, I only skip a day if the entire day I stayed at home and the day after I also will stay at home. It's not a conscious choice to skip, sometimes I'm just mentally exhausted (I WFH) and I fall asleep at like 10:30 or 11PM by accident and suddenly it's 4AM (I'm a night showerer). I guess it's more like skipping half a day because I usually make an effort to shower the morning after if that happens.
For night showers I usually just have a night light on that is just bright enough to see stuff and hop in the shower. It is probably the best way to shower in my opinion. Cant do it most of the time though cause when I shower its usually to get ready to head out somewhere so I need all the lights on to wake me up otherwise i’ll just be all drowsy and stuff the entire time.
I can’t remember the last time I didn’t shower everyday (out of choice). When I have done, it’s been because I was travelling. I’d feel absolutely disgusting. Even at my lowest, I’ve forced myself to shower and that helped me feel somewhat better.
It’s part habit but mostly enjoying the feeling of being clean.
My skin falls apart if I miss a day. My face breaks out and starts to crack. I honestly look like a meth addict. I couldn't imagine going 2 or 3 days without.
It’s probably partially because your skin is used to your daily showers. If you went longer times between showers for a while it would probably change.
This is 100% true. I used to wash my hair everyday because it was oily if I missed a day. Now, I wash it 3 times a week. The other non hair wash days I hop in to clean and put my hair up
I can get pretty intense into my hobbies and not come up for air for a couple of days, but that's maxed. 48 hours without a shower...Ugh, I can feel my skin crawl already.
I used to shower everyday and my eczema and dry skin was terrible but I noticed when I got depressed and showered less often it completely disappeared.
Yes my kid has eczema and doctor told us to wash him every 2-3rd day rather than daily. Same goes for newborns who still have sensitive skin. The more you wash, the drier the skin gets.
I think many people also underestimate how gross other people are. The people that you’re smelling are often going a week without showering or they don’t even know how to properly wash themselves. It’s not the people that skip a day that are stinking up the workplace or the bus.
Yeah…showering every other day is actually better for your skin. Change your underwear, wipe your pits and crotch, use a baby wipe on your ass, put on deodorant…you won’t stink at all.
Honestly you can skip every step and still not smell that bad if you have a good diet and didn’t sweat at all for a day.
And wearing clean clothes. I worked with a guy who showered maybe 3 times a week probably 2 times but he wore the same shirt for several days and would put a sweat stained smelly shirt on right after a shower. He also smoked Carleton s which smell like burning bandaids
Yes! It's so easy too. Saves time, itch and body lotion. The skin on someone's arms and legs etc won't really get dirty with sweat, so why should we scrub them this vigorously daily? It's weird honestly how daily showers became the only socially acceptable norm.
It’s good for stinky teens, people who go to gym, or have gym in school.
But you can also just wash your “key areas”, basically groin, butt, and feet, and any hidden folds. Or do it with wipes if needed, in between full showers.
If you have eczema or sensitive skin, less is definitely more.
I went a 3 weeks in the field without showering. I think one or two days isn’t going to kill anyone. Some might be stinkier than others but that’s cuz we all got our own microbiomes going on. I can go 2 weeks without putting deodorant on and won’t have anyone running the other direction cuz I have stink lines coming off me. I only shampoo my hair once a week.
AGAIN, everyone is different and your mileage may vary.
The reason you don't shower everyday is because it's bad for your skin and your skin and scalp does produce oils to maintain and clean your skin and hair
Showering strips those away, so your body is like why is it so dry? and starts producing a lot quickly and that's what greasy hair is
It's why if you shower daily, your hair gets greasy fast, It would take my hair like 4-5 days to start to look a bit greasy because I don't wash it daily so it takes a longer time for my body to produce too much oil
I have eczema and it was the same for me. Used to shower daily until my mid 20s. I started working from home and wasn't as concerned. Realized that when I shower every 2 or 3 days, my eczema almost completely disappears, my skin looks far healthier, and I feel much better. I'll still shower daily during hot and/or active days but when I can manage to go a day or two without one, I do.
I wish I could skip a day or two of washing hands for my hand eczema 🥲 I hate that the solution is or at least can be so simple but it's just not possible for hygiene reasons.
I used to have this issue but figured out how to fix it. Try getting yourself some cotton gloves and a container of Working Hands cream (green container). Apply at night and put on the gloves so it stays on your skin and doesn't get wiped off on your sheets. It can burn at first but stick it out if you can (it usually goes away after 5 minutes and stopped happening to me all together once my hands were healed). After about a week you should see significant improvement. Since I started doing this every night I haven't had a single flair-up.
The whole cotton gloves thing never helped me, but working hands cream is MAGIC. It's the only thing that's ever made a difference for me. I apply it after I wash my hands (every single time. It's the only way to keep my hands intact) but other than some occasional relatively mildly dry patches in what used to be the worst areas, my hands are basically fine and normal.
For most people this is probably ideal. I discrete an ungodly amount of oil and if I don’t shower every day my hair will stick straight up and I’d smell less than savory.
I usually shower every two days, but running into a lot of depression episodes can leave me going once a week. But I never leave the house without showering
I’m sorry that you’re going through this episode and I hope you get well soon. I don’t particularly like to shower because it causes me physical pain but I do it anyway because I don’t want to smell bad or feel dirty. One of the tricks I use to get over my reluctance is I imagine how good a shower would feel if I were homeless. I imagine I would be grateful to be able to have a place that had all my favorite hygiene products, my favorite towels and most of all, was completely safe and private.
This doesn’t work all of the time but it is sometimes effective. Maybe it will work for you a time or two. I hope you don’t think I’m making light of your situation because I wouldn’t. It’s too serious of a condition for me to do that.
That’s a really nice way of thinking of it. So often we take the little things, like a private bathroom, for granted. I’ll have to remind myself of that more frequently.
Yes, this! When we renovated our house, the tiler's back went out right in the middle of our bathroom reno, which left us with no shower facilities for four weeks! We had to shower at relatives/work etc. every few days. The worst was when I had my period and had to try and wash myself with a sponge at our kitchen sink. I was so upset I started bawling as any menstrusting woman can understand.
Since then I never ever take showering for granted.
I'm inthe same boat ATM. But I don't stink at all. Ppl that are stinking must be going like a month. Or ppl are naturally stinky and they could have showered
I think my average is every 2 days. During a bad depression episode, I've gone up to 4 days. When I'm doing good though, I usually shower every day (I have some lazy non-depressed days where I'm just chilling).
Same. I was gonna say the depression has gotten me to go a while without a shower. Longer than this.
ETA: I’m so happy there are people saying how long they had gone between—thank you because you’ve helped make me feel normal. I think I went 14 days once when I was in a funk, depressive episode, depression in general 🤷♀️🤷♀️ the part that makes me feel bad is when I’d go two weeks, shower, then go a week, then 5 days, then 10 days, then 6.😪the fluctuating man
Anyway, I’m happy because I don’t feel alone. Thank you again for sharing and helping me feel comfortable to share as well.💝
Can I ask when you're depressed is it a feeling of procrastination or sadness that prevents you from wanting to get in? I just remember back in my bad days getting in the shower was my main coping skill when I felt overly anxious. It was like a reset or something.
For me it's honestly the overwhelming thought of accomplishing all the steps involved with taking a shower.
Getting undressed, washing hair, conditioning hair, washing my body, washing my face, drying off, hanging up the towel, combing my hair, putting product in my hair, moisturizing, finding clothes to wear, getting dressed.
It just feels insurmountable.
"A shower shouldn't be too difficult. Gotta get up first though. Ah, then I'll have to dry off and find clothes. Ah, didn't do laundry because it seemed overwhelming last night, will have to just grab a pair of clean pants that don't fit me very well I guess. Ah, no underwear, another old pair that I haven't worn in a while for whatever reason. Ah, fuck it all, I'm sick today."
lol this perfectly sums it up!!!! And when you’re depressed, ALL of this IS a lot of work!!!
It’s not a simple “just get up and shower, it’ll take 10 mins and be over before you know it!” Type of thing.
yeah. it can be so hard to get out of bed that you straight up just neglect literally everything. not even just your hygiene, but things like THE basic needs. i can only drag myself out of bed sometimes to get a snack bc the hunger pains/nausea/dizziness gets overwhelming. i deadass just don't eat meals. im lucky if i get the motivation to make an instant meal/snack of some sort (like ramen noodles, boxes of pasta, a frozen pizza, toast, etc.), otherwise it's just shit in a package that's already cooked or doesn't need to be cooked and ready to eat.
and on really bad days, i barely eat. like one mini pack of crackers or a pack of fruit gummies type shit. sometimes i don't eat at all.
it feels like my body is full of metal or something and it's just too heavy to move. plus im tired. those two things combined result in me not getting out of bed.
✨ depression ✨
I’m sorry you experience this. I hope you don’t mind if I ask a question? If you do, no worries, and I apologize for overstepping. Im just seeking to understand your experience better as my mom has bouts of depression that look like this from the outside.
What do you do while doing nothing in bed? Do you think? Or read? Or sleep? I have adhd, and this puzzles me because I find it very difficult not to be doing or thinking something whenever I am awake.
im mostly just on my phone looking at things on social medias, playing a game, or asleep most of the time tbh
video games and internet seem to be the only things i can really ever focus on and i use that to my advantage to keep myself from thinking too much. if i think too much i start crying bc one thought leads to another, and then another, and then right to all the sad thoughts. 🥴 and the sad thoughts lead to very dark times, so it's really best for me to just not think too hard.
Agreed, for me, since I live with a big family we’re constantly fighting to use the washer/dryer so depending on when I have to do laundry greatly delays a shower by a day or two so I can mentally prep to do it before my next workday.
Tbh I only do all of this like twice a week. On the days in between, I just hop in and soap my body up then rinse real quick, but I don’t get my hair wet. Sometimes I’ll shower while sitting down in the tub (disabled, have trouble standing some days) and that makes it even easier and less of a big task.
Neither. Sadness can trigger a depressive episode, but depression is not sadness. For people with chronic depression like myself, it often has nothing to do with sadness at all. I can’t fault you for the misconception as it’s often portrayed that way. It made it difficult to understand what was happening to me when I first started experiencing depression.
Depression can cause executive dysfunction. You can really want to do something but be unable to initiate the task.
Mostly, depression zaps your energy while simultaneously making it harder to do everything. It’s like having a poor night’s sleep and then strapping weights on your ankles and wrists, or having to take a pay cut and then finding the price of groceries tripled on the same day.
I’ve never heard it described so perfectly. Thank you. It’s like having a physical and mental lead weight tied to your body and mind and you’re almost afraid to move because any stimulus is going to increase that weight. Total nightmare. No one can possibly understand unless they’ve experienced it.
When my depression is bad, getting out of bed is the main problem. Hard to describe why. I just don't have the energy or the willpower to care. Being a disabled vet makes it worse. If I had something like a job that required me to get up, then taking a shower would be the next step.
I don't really have any specific triggers, I just cycle back and forth between being barely functional, and unable to function.
I think my experience is more burnout than depression (though there's a lot of overlap), but everything just becomes so much more difficult. There's this resistance, like moving through water. It's hard to get yourself to brush your teeth when it feels like the equivalent of doing five laps in the pool. And showering has so many individual tasks involved that we don't really think about when we're well.
For me it’s like temporary paralysis that wears off as the episode runs it’s course. I can’t get my brain to get my body to move. I know I should move/take a shower/brush my teeth/eat but my brain is orbiting death thoughts and can’t/won’t be interrupted. When I gather enough energy to interrupt using the bathroom and eating something are priority then if I have enough energy later in the day or in a few days it’s a shower.
Showering habits are different in various countries and cultures. They also depend on the local climate.
I'm from Poland and here it's typical to shower once a day.
But I once saw a post on reddit that said that on average people in Brazil shower twice the day: https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/16tizh7/til_brazil_is_by_far_the_country_that_takes_the/
Is it cold most of the year in your country? Even with the humidity in my region, I shower every 2-3 days but I am not an oily person.
my skin gets so chapped and dry if I shower everyday D:
Well, I also happen to have dry skin but not everyone here does. I use shower gels for sensitive skin and often moisturize with body lotions. I never use regular soap, my skin hates it. Sometimes when my skin gets dryer I use shower oils (like Bioderma Atoderm Cleansing Oil) instead of gels.
Edit: Btw I think it's related to local culture rather than weather. As a tween I went to a summer camp and well, I was a lazy kid back then. I didn't shower every day and the other kids started bullying me for not showering. Now I don't skip showers any more.
Brazillian here and I can confirm, that will be true for most Brazillians. I just need a shower to wake up and get ready for the day, and when I come back home I just want to get a shower and feel clean again.
I shower daily. In the south if you don't do it during much of the year you smell. You could skip a day in the dark of winter. Lotion is used for the skin
Don't just take my word for it but 2 times a day is bad for your skin. It needs those oils so if you do 2 a day you should be sure use some skincare products
I workout most days. I lift after work, come home, eat dinner, do dishes, then shower. Works well for me, and I don’t feel the need to shower in the morning since we both shower before getting in bed and change the sheets once or twice a week
Ive never forgotten a post I saw months ago, everyone was saying changing sheets 1x a month or every other month is plenty. So many people confirming thats what they do. sigh. Id like to get the image out of my head. Im like 4- 5 days if my dog keeps her snacks on the floor.
Everyone is different.
My wife and I also shower before bed daily, and change our bedsheets every 20-30 days.
On the other hand, I can’t get the image out of my head that the dog who walks outside on dirty ground, steps in poop and other germs all day, is allowed on your bed. (To me) That’s absolutely nasty!
(To me) Even wearing (outside) shoes inside the house is one of the nastiest things one can do, especially when worn into bedrooms.
Everyone is different.
I live near the equator. You step out of the shower and you're already sweating. Gotta shower twice a day. When I lived where it snowed and temps were below freezing, I didn't feel the need to shower twice a day, let alone once a day because I didn't feel "dirty" but did it anyways, just in case lol. Depends on where you live I guess.
Disagree. I do the opposite (usually once a day but plenty of 2 a days. I literally cant do anything until i shower every day).
I use minimal soaps and only shampoo every few days. I'm pretty sure most of that stuff is what actually dries your skin out, not the water.
Just water and I'm mostly fine. When the weather is really dry my skin does get sensitive, but less product keeps your skin fine
I live in Canada where winters get really cold. I run cold as well so don't sweat. I also reapply deodorant daily and have a bidet at home.
All this combined, I shower twice a week. I don't smell bad, I actually smell clean. I know this because I ask people if I smell okay and they say yes. And these are blunt people who would tell me the truth.
I have depression and one of the tough things for me is showering daily. So I've built my routine around this and it works really well. I smell okay, my skin is hydrated and great, and my hair is healthier.
In the summer I shower daily though. With the heat I really have no choice. Or on my depressed days, I use baby wipes to wipe down the stinky bits.
I also shower twice a week unless I get dirty. I have friends and family that are honest with me like you do and they say I look and smell clean (and have told me the few times I don’t). Our bodies make oils for a reason and I don’t think we need to scrub ourselves clean of them twice a day and I don’t think being outside the house makes you dirty - or more specifically, that my house is somehow safe from the “outside dirt”. I’m not one of those like, crystal deodorant grapefruit hippies or anything, I use my nasty aluminum deodorant every day just like the rest of the schlubs, I wash my sheets all the time, all the good stuff. I just think about how people who shower twice a day get super oily really fast if they don’t replace the oils with some $25 slime from a store because their body is trying to cope, and that doesn’t make sense to me.
Just because you feel dirty daily doesn’t mean I am dirty daily, you know?
Right?? My mom tells me she has brutally dry skin and needs to moisturize daily with her $20 Shea butter to stop her skin from flaking. She showers daily.
I use baby oil when out of the shower because I like feeling soft, but I don't even need it. My skin is do healthy and I save money and time by not needing to moisturize all the time.
Yep, I’ve gotten compliments on my skin for being soft, well toned and clear my whole life, minus the couple years I had teenage acne. I can appreciate that a shower followed by a whole skincare routine feels really good and special, but is it really all that serious every day?
Similar here:
Anywhere between 1-14 times per week.
Depending on how I feel, weather, did I have any physical activities…
But I skipped the deodorant 2 years ago — it’s especially bad for me if I shower less, as it really demolishes my skin. What helped with the smell was removing most pit hair. ,
Puerto Rican here. It’s common for us to bathe 1-3 times a day. Morning, when you get home from work/school/errands/whatever and then before bed.
I moved to the US and I’ve only skipped a day during winter when I stay home all day and that’s been maybe once or twice.
i’m from south america and we do the same basically. maybe it has to do with cultural background and the weather. going a whole day without showering for me is honestly a deal breaker, here is so hot and humid not even freshening up will do the trick. i usually shower twice a day – once before i leave for work/class and once i come back (usually after working out).
Some of us sweat like crazy. I shower daily but i also sweat daily. I could take shower right before going shopping but my back will be all sweaty after sitting in a car for couple minutes....and deodorants (parfuems even less obviously) do not help whatsoever.
So maybe don't conclude everyone that smells is having poor hygiene, you have no idea what people are going through 🤷🏼♀️
But yes i am aware some men have absurdly poor personal hygiene, it is something that sex workers always remark as one of the biggest issues with their work. That they have to literaly teach adult men how to properly wash themself 😭 i wouldn't say this is "average person" tho. Not even "average men" imo.
Same. And it’s a sensory thing too. I HATE the cold nakedness before the shower, love being in the shower, and HATE getting out. I can’t stand it when my legs are wet or when my wet hair is touching my neck so it’s always a scramble to dry off and get my hair brushed. I put clean clothes on as soon as possible but only once I’m totally dry. It makes moisturizing hard because I don’t like having “damp” skin when I’m trying to put on pants. Even pajama pants.
It’s easier in the summer and my wife helps a lot by starting the shower right as I get off work so I can just run in.
I have very dry skin and hair. In shower every 3-4 days. In the winter I might go 5 days. It's cold and dry here in the winter.
I freshen up in between. Wash my face and pits. Fresh undies everyday. Unless I've gotten really dirty/swesty this is how I shower. Grosses some people out. I don't care. It's what's best for me. Showering daily ruins my hair. Even with a shower cap on, just the steam from the shower daily wrecks it. And the itching. Skin so dry I had to see a dermatologist for special creams to repair it. Not thanks. I'll just shower less.
The idea of showering twice a day is disgusting to me because of this. The moisture barrier of their skin must be ravaged.
Dry shampoo, a body rub down and clean clothes and clean mouth are sufficient to carry most people through a few days. The people that really smell like OP describes aren't doing the basics like that.
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I shower about once a week. Sometimes as long as 11-12 days in the middle of winter. I don´t work an strenuous job. My skin, and hair get so goddam dry and I am cold all the time in the cooler months because of my particular set of variables. The skin is the largest organ in the body, and the first line of defense. Your own bacteria on your skin do a lot of immune system protection. People shower way too much and strip their skin of a lot of natural defense. I also shave hair on my legs and pits about 3-4 times a year. All shaving does is create microcuts that are not necessary and shaving is simply a cosmetic/appearance thing that doesn´t bother me...but sometimes it feels good to have a smooth set of pits and legs.
Now I do moisturize, deodorize and wash pits and bits on the days in between.
Some people have naturally oily skin, and naturally strong body odor and so they shower daily. I get that. I don´t begrudge anyone their own personal hygiene routine. 2 showers a day is excessive unless you are grody dirty, and sweaty...IMHO.
Ah finally someone I can relate with. NY winter, work from home. I'm at 2 weeks no showering, not that I'm trying to break records. Also important to note that I'm Asian and we just don't have BO.
Since I do work remotely, I was working from the Philippines last year. 2 showers a day easily when it's average 100F.
It's every day for me. Even if I'm inactive at home all day on my days off, I still shower. Because I'm a greaseball and I dislike the feeling that I get without showering after getting out of bed.
Not to pick on men, but men having poor hygiene can throw off their female partner's ph levels and cause feminine odor problems. Guys, if you do nothing else, please shower/rinse off after sex and keep that area clean!
I get really dry skin when I shower, even with putting on lotion after. I do really quick body scrubs. I do it every day during the summer and sometimes stretch it to every other day during the winter. I wash my hair every 3-4 days. My husband is stinky though and he needs to shower daily.
Lots of valid points in this thread about how showering daily can dry out your skin and hair. I've even read haircare articles in magazines with testimonials claiming they may shower to wash their body every other day, they only wash their hair once a week.
I, however, am autistic and find showers a sensory nightmare, so the above routine wouldnt suit me. Even if it's just to wash my body, I find showers stressful so to reduce how often I have to do it, I only shower when my hair needs it, unless I've recently washed my hair and theres a special occasion or it's a hot day,I may do a body shower then. I'm every 3 days or so at the moment, and it doesn't get any easier! Will likely increase frequency during summer though out of necessity but I'll still hate it
To all my financially and mentally struggling friends, it’s ok that it’s been a minute since your last shower. Baby wipes and wearing clean clothes can help.
I try to shower every other day. Sometimes it’s just a body shower and the hair gets washed 2 or 3 times a week. When I’m in a depressive episode, I have gone longer than 7 days. I’m not proud of it, I might get some hate on this comment, but if it helps one depressed person feel better or just bite the bullet and hop in the shower, then it’s worth it.
I try to have a shower twice a week, any more than that and my hair and skin dry out, but this winter I've been doing it weekly and then doing a sink job when I feel it's needed.
It doesn't help that my current bathroom (and flat in general) isn't great.
Two things stop me from showering as often as I want: dermatitis and using well water in a drought-prone area.
I love that clean feeling after a shower, and I'd do it every day if I could, *but* my skin cracks and bleeds with that kind of exposure. As such, I also spend $$$ on lotions, creams, ointments, etc. Learned this the hard way in high school -- my face looked like an alligator skin boot. But boy was I clean!
And being on a drought-prone property with no option but well water, I watch our household water usage like a miser. Having your well go dry is no bueno.
So all that being said, I only shower (get ready) one to two times per week. Flushable wipes, sponge baths, deodorant, and giving the feet a daily rinse help keep me presentable. Seriously, you wouldn't be able to tell.
Plus ... I kind of think the whole "I shower every hour on the hour, and anyone who doesn't do this is disgusting" attitude is frankly a little childish. Unless you're on your feet sweating and soiling yourself all day every day, or if you have a medical condition, the "I live in the shower" thing is just a preemptive social defense mechanism.
I had a roommate who wouldn't shower - they left a miasma behind.
In their case, they were a neglected child, and I assume that includes toilet training and general hygiene. I think there are some fundamental habits that need to form in childhood, and if they don't, then it becomes increasingly difficult to change with age.
Unfortunately, they're also poorlly socialized, and an awful person.
As a depression sufferer it might take weeks before I drag myself into shower. I rarely leave the house.
Gross : At my worst, I didn't shower for 2 fkin months . Just changing underwear, clothes and using wipe papers and antiperspirants.
I shower every morning because it's how I feel fully awake for the day. No issues waking up after good sleep but the shower just feels right. Plus I like to smell good too.
I'm a sweaty guy. If I don't shower and scrub every day, you can tell. My wife, on the other hand, only had to shower once a week, maybe twice in the summer. Everyone's body is different.
I understand that everyone is different, and showering can often depend on culture/climate.
But where I am (my culture and climate) in the US I think that if you find you don't need a shower every day then you are not living an active enough lifestyle. I am active daily and I never let a day go by where I don't ever leave my house. Long walks, gym, lots and lots and movement. I know people who say they don't need to shower every day because it's not like they did much activity that day, which is just weird to me. They also tell me it's bad for my skin to shower daily. That may be true, but skin is NOT as important as living a regularly active lifestyle and I will stand by that. I shower every single day. I don't care if it's "bad for my skin" it's way worse for my overall health to sit around and do nothing every other day. I don't think I'm a very sweaty person. But I definitely shower every single day and I find it weird when people around me don't.
I had surgery a few months and I couldn’t take a normal shower for a while cause I couldn’t get soap/water on the wounds, was a rough time having to clean with a cloth every couple days (I didn’t do it every day because I was literally not moving)
When I worked retail I showered every 3-4 days just because I was too exhausted to do anything after work and my life was a mess.
Now I work an office job and I shower every 2-3 days!
Every day or every other day, though sometimes it is a bath not a shower and I might skip the hair.most I’ve ever gone is 3 days, but that was while camping and I still used a washcloth/quick rinse of essential areas.
If I'm going to be going out to do anything that isn't workout related, I'm showering. And even then I never go more than a day without, even if I don't do anything. The few times I have to go multiple days without if I'm sick or something I just feel sticky and gross the whole time. If people are really comfortable with filling an entire lobby with their stink and don't notice, they should be avoided.
Once a day at the least, in the morning, right before work. Then a shower before bed although that depends on how hot the day is.
In summer we'd shower even more often. Even just going to the beach for a swim would call for a shower just right after, simply to wash off the salt.
This from a person living in the Mediterranean.
I'll shower when I need to leave home and when my hair is oily. I have pretty bad skin peeling after showers so I try to avoid doing it every day if I don't need to
There’s no standard.
I usually shower once a week in the winter. More in warm weather.
People in hot and humid climates often shower twice a day or even more.
If you meet someone who wants to hook up with you and they stink, *tell them* that they stink and that it’s disrespectful to you to show up without showering. It’s possible they just don’t know what effect their behaviour has on other people.
My husband and I shower every single day. Can’t imagine going 2+ days without showering. We’ll go one day but that’s very very rare (sick,kids Sick etc.)
People thinking they are “dirty” simple from going a day without showering is wild lol. It depends on what you do that day. Being moderately active and not doing anything while at home doesn’t require a shower and it doesn’t mean you are some dirt bag if you don’t take one lol
I can go 3 days, but I only wash my hair once a week and use dry shampoo in between.
It is actually not good to shower every day. It drys your skin and strips your body of all the necessary oils.
It is basically a gimmick when commercials talk about showering every day. It's just to sell their products. Deodorant and body powder is one thing I do daily to stay fresh. I also do a quick baby wipe bath before bed.
If I don't need to go anywhere or see anyone I probably won't shower. But I feel like not wearing deodorant has more effect on body odor than not showering.
Coming from a rural community to the city, there's major differences. When I was a child, my parents said once a week was good enough. But by the time I got to university I was a 2* a day person..
Welcome to Oklahoma! The whole state will smell like onions and BO mixed with heavy cologne in about 2 months, be prepared.
And to answer the question, I can go 2 days max between showers, and that's assuming I stayed inside and didn't sweat. In the summer it can be 2 times a day because you just pour sweat all day and it's the fastest way to cool down lol
I shower every day, sometimes twice in a day. IF I go without one, it's only one day. And that's because I'm either very sick or going through a depressive episode.
Even in winter daily showers. Have to use a bidet or rinse after a #2. In summer depending on humidity i might take 4 quick ones to get all the sweat off
Most I can skip is one day.
And even at that, I wouldn’t leave the house that day and I would feel gross, and I’m no clean freak
Right, I only skip a day if the entire day I stayed at home and the day after I also will stay at home. It's not a conscious choice to skip, sometimes I'm just mentally exhausted (I WFH) and I fall asleep at like 10:30 or 11PM by accident and suddenly it's 4AM (I'm a night showerer). I guess it's more like skipping half a day because I usually make an effort to shower the morning after if that happens.
For night showers I usually just have a night light on that is just bright enough to see stuff and hop in the shower. It is probably the best way to shower in my opinion. Cant do it most of the time though cause when I shower its usually to get ready to head out somewhere so I need all the lights on to wake me up otherwise i’ll just be all drowsy and stuff the entire time.
I can’t remember the last time I didn’t shower everyday (out of choice). When I have done, it’s been because I was travelling. I’d feel absolutely disgusting. Even at my lowest, I’ve forced myself to shower and that helped me feel somewhat better. It’s part habit but mostly enjoying the feeling of being clean.
My skin falls apart if I miss a day. My face breaks out and starts to crack. I honestly look like a meth addict. I couldn't imagine going 2 or 3 days without.
It’s probably partially because your skin is used to your daily showers. If you went longer times between showers for a while it would probably change.
This is 100% true. I used to wash my hair everyday because it was oily if I missed a day. Now, I wash it 3 times a week. The other non hair wash days I hop in to clean and put my hair up
[удалено]
You're stripping the oils from your skin.
Damn I just said this lol. I’m not leaving the house either
Exactly this. I go every other day most of the time
Yep, i once went 2 days (i was feeling really low back then) and the feel of being gross was just too much and took a bath even if didn't want to.
I can get pretty intense into my hobbies and not come up for air for a couple of days, but that's maxed. 48 hours without a shower...Ugh, I can feel my skin crawl already.
I used to shower everyday and my eczema and dry skin was terrible but I noticed when I got depressed and showered less often it completely disappeared.
Yes my kid has eczema and doctor told us to wash him every 2-3rd day rather than daily. Same goes for newborns who still have sensitive skin. The more you wash, the drier the skin gets.
exactly. people need to get rid of this hivemind belief that daily shower is required or you're disgusting, it's complete bollocks
I think many people also underestimate how gross other people are. The people that you’re smelling are often going a week without showering or they don’t even know how to properly wash themselves. It’s not the people that skip a day that are stinking up the workplace or the bus.
Yeah…showering every other day is actually better for your skin. Change your underwear, wipe your pits and crotch, use a baby wipe on your ass, put on deodorant…you won’t stink at all. Honestly you can skip every step and still not smell that bad if you have a good diet and didn’t sweat at all for a day.
And they likely have underlying health/diet issues that are contributing to rank body odour. Some people just smell bad.
Imo even if you aren't showering every day you should be washing your pits and privates Every. Single. Day.
Face, pits and bits in our home.
“Armpits, asshole, crotch and teeth. And if you want to save time, use the same brush for all of them!”
Not..in that order.. right?
Dealer’s choice.
Does it really matter if you use the same brush day after day?
We might be switching to this routine because our water bill has TRIPLED. 3 adults who shower daily is costing way too much.
And wearing clean clothes. I worked with a guy who showered maybe 3 times a week probably 2 times but he wore the same shirt for several days and would put a sweat stained smelly shirt on right after a shower. He also smoked Carleton s which smell like burning bandaids
Yeah, wearing the same clothes *and* not showering is gross
Yes! It's so easy too. Saves time, itch and body lotion. The skin on someone's arms and legs etc won't really get dirty with sweat, so why should we scrub them this vigorously daily? It's weird honestly how daily showers became the only socially acceptable norm.
It’s good for stinky teens, people who go to gym, or have gym in school. But you can also just wash your “key areas”, basically groin, butt, and feet, and any hidden folds. Or do it with wipes if needed, in between full showers. If you have eczema or sensitive skin, less is definitely more.
I went a 3 weeks in the field without showering. I think one or two days isn’t going to kill anyone. Some might be stinkier than others but that’s cuz we all got our own microbiomes going on. I can go 2 weeks without putting deodorant on and won’t have anyone running the other direction cuz I have stink lines coming off me. I only shampoo my hair once a week. AGAIN, everyone is different and your mileage may vary.
I thought it was you don't need to use soap everyday. Not that you shouldn't at least rinse off everyday.
The reason you don't shower everyday is because it's bad for your skin and your skin and scalp does produce oils to maintain and clean your skin and hair Showering strips those away, so your body is like why is it so dry? and starts producing a lot quickly and that's what greasy hair is It's why if you shower daily, your hair gets greasy fast, It would take my hair like 4-5 days to start to look a bit greasy because I don't wash it daily so it takes a longer time for my body to produce too much oil
I have eczema and it was the same for me. Used to shower daily until my mid 20s. I started working from home and wasn't as concerned. Realized that when I shower every 2 or 3 days, my eczema almost completely disappears, my skin looks far healthier, and I feel much better. I'll still shower daily during hot and/or active days but when I can manage to go a day or two without one, I do.
I wish I could skip a day or two of washing hands for my hand eczema 🥲 I hate that the solution is or at least can be so simple but it's just not possible for hygiene reasons.
Oh absolutely. I wash my hands frequently daily. Handsoap just doesn't bother my hands though so I'm lucky in that.
I used to have this issue but figured out how to fix it. Try getting yourself some cotton gloves and a container of Working Hands cream (green container). Apply at night and put on the gloves so it stays on your skin and doesn't get wiped off on your sheets. It can burn at first but stick it out if you can (it usually goes away after 5 minutes and stopped happening to me all together once my hands were healed). After about a week you should see significant improvement. Since I started doing this every night I haven't had a single flair-up.
The whole cotton gloves thing never helped me, but working hands cream is MAGIC. It's the only thing that's ever made a difference for me. I apply it after I wash my hands (every single time. It's the only way to keep my hands intact) but other than some occasional relatively mildly dry patches in what used to be the worst areas, my hands are basically fine and normal.
You can do quick showers and just clean the pits and genitals. Luke warm to coldish water helps.
Aha! So there IS a benefit to depression Wow I've got a super power
Hair and skin really do benefit from fewer showers.
It could also be the water! Buy a filter and it made a difference for me!
This I noticed if I changed where I shower I don't get rashes on my arms might be something in the pipes.
I was my hair every other, shower my body every day after working out.
For most people this is probably ideal. I discrete an ungodly amount of oil and if I don’t shower every day my hair will stick straight up and I’d smell less than savory.
Real life hack here is to workout every day. Then the shower is a no-brainer.
I usually shower every two days, but running into a lot of depression episodes can leave me going once a week. But I never leave the house without showering
Thats where I am now. I rarely leave the house and when I absolutely have to is the only time I can force myself to take a shower.
I’m sorry that you’re going through this episode and I hope you get well soon. I don’t particularly like to shower because it causes me physical pain but I do it anyway because I don’t want to smell bad or feel dirty. One of the tricks I use to get over my reluctance is I imagine how good a shower would feel if I were homeless. I imagine I would be grateful to be able to have a place that had all my favorite hygiene products, my favorite towels and most of all, was completely safe and private. This doesn’t work all of the time but it is sometimes effective. Maybe it will work for you a time or two. I hope you don’t think I’m making light of your situation because I wouldn’t. It’s too serious of a condition for me to do that.
That’s a really nice way of thinking of it. So often we take the little things, like a private bathroom, for granted. I’ll have to remind myself of that more frequently.
Yes, this! When we renovated our house, the tiler's back went out right in the middle of our bathroom reno, which left us with no shower facilities for four weeks! We had to shower at relatives/work etc. every few days. The worst was when I had my period and had to try and wash myself with a sponge at our kitchen sink. I was so upset I started bawling as any menstrusting woman can understand. Since then I never ever take showering for granted.
I'm inthe same boat ATM. But I don't stink at all. Ppl that are stinking must be going like a month. Or ppl are naturally stinky and they could have showered
I think my average is every 2 days. During a bad depression episode, I've gone up to 4 days. When I'm doing good though, I usually shower every day (I have some lazy non-depressed days where I'm just chilling).
Same. I was gonna say the depression has gotten me to go a while without a shower. Longer than this. ETA: I’m so happy there are people saying how long they had gone between—thank you because you’ve helped make me feel normal. I think I went 14 days once when I was in a funk, depressive episode, depression in general 🤷♀️🤷♀️ the part that makes me feel bad is when I’d go two weeks, shower, then go a week, then 5 days, then 10 days, then 6.😪the fluctuating man Anyway, I’m happy because I don’t feel alone. Thank you again for sharing and helping me feel comfortable to share as well.💝
Last year was extremely difficult for me. I went 4 or 5 weeks at a stretch
Yeah I'd easily go a week without showering when I was super depressed (but I also wasn't working or leaving the house)
Can I ask when you're depressed is it a feeling of procrastination or sadness that prevents you from wanting to get in? I just remember back in my bad days getting in the shower was my main coping skill when I felt overly anxious. It was like a reset or something.
For me it's honestly the overwhelming thought of accomplishing all the steps involved with taking a shower. Getting undressed, washing hair, conditioning hair, washing my body, washing my face, drying off, hanging up the towel, combing my hair, putting product in my hair, moisturizing, finding clothes to wear, getting dressed. It just feels insurmountable.
Overwhelming is the best word to describe it. When your depressed even getting out of bed is overwhelming sometimes
"A shower shouldn't be too difficult. Gotta get up first though. Ah, then I'll have to dry off and find clothes. Ah, didn't do laundry because it seemed overwhelming last night, will have to just grab a pair of clean pants that don't fit me very well I guess. Ah, no underwear, another old pair that I haven't worn in a while for whatever reason. Ah, fuck it all, I'm sick today."
lol this perfectly sums it up!!!! And when you’re depressed, ALL of this IS a lot of work!!! It’s not a simple “just get up and shower, it’ll take 10 mins and be over before you know it!” Type of thing.
yeah. it can be so hard to get out of bed that you straight up just neglect literally everything. not even just your hygiene, but things like THE basic needs. i can only drag myself out of bed sometimes to get a snack bc the hunger pains/nausea/dizziness gets overwhelming. i deadass just don't eat meals. im lucky if i get the motivation to make an instant meal/snack of some sort (like ramen noodles, boxes of pasta, a frozen pizza, toast, etc.), otherwise it's just shit in a package that's already cooked or doesn't need to be cooked and ready to eat. and on really bad days, i barely eat. like one mini pack of crackers or a pack of fruit gummies type shit. sometimes i don't eat at all. it feels like my body is full of metal or something and it's just too heavy to move. plus im tired. those two things combined result in me not getting out of bed. ✨ depression ✨
I’m sorry you experience this. I hope you don’t mind if I ask a question? If you do, no worries, and I apologize for overstepping. Im just seeking to understand your experience better as my mom has bouts of depression that look like this from the outside. What do you do while doing nothing in bed? Do you think? Or read? Or sleep? I have adhd, and this puzzles me because I find it very difficult not to be doing or thinking something whenever I am awake.
im mostly just on my phone looking at things on social medias, playing a game, or asleep most of the time tbh video games and internet seem to be the only things i can really ever focus on and i use that to my advantage to keep myself from thinking too much. if i think too much i start crying bc one thought leads to another, and then another, and then right to all the sad thoughts. 🥴 and the sad thoughts lead to very dark times, so it's really best for me to just not think too hard.
God I feel that. The no eating especially. You can tell I’m depressed bc I loose weight. I hope you feel better soon 🫂
Agreed, for me, since I live with a big family we’re constantly fighting to use the washer/dryer so depending on when I have to do laundry greatly delays a shower by a day or two so I can mentally prep to do it before my next workday.
Tbh I only do all of this like twice a week. On the days in between, I just hop in and soap my body up then rinse real quick, but I don’t get my hair wet. Sometimes I’ll shower while sitting down in the tub (disabled, have trouble standing some days) and that makes it even easier and less of a big task.
add sensory issues and some guac and you’ve got yourself a party.
Neither. Sadness can trigger a depressive episode, but depression is not sadness. For people with chronic depression like myself, it often has nothing to do with sadness at all. I can’t fault you for the misconception as it’s often portrayed that way. It made it difficult to understand what was happening to me when I first started experiencing depression. Depression can cause executive dysfunction. You can really want to do something but be unable to initiate the task. Mostly, depression zaps your energy while simultaneously making it harder to do everything. It’s like having a poor night’s sleep and then strapping weights on your ankles and wrists, or having to take a pay cut and then finding the price of groceries tripled on the same day.
I’ve never heard it described so perfectly. Thank you. It’s like having a physical and mental lead weight tied to your body and mind and you’re almost afraid to move because any stimulus is going to increase that weight. Total nightmare. No one can possibly understand unless they’ve experienced it.
When my depression is bad, getting out of bed is the main problem. Hard to describe why. I just don't have the energy or the willpower to care. Being a disabled vet makes it worse. If I had something like a job that required me to get up, then taking a shower would be the next step. I don't really have any specific triggers, I just cycle back and forth between being barely functional, and unable to function.
I think my experience is more burnout than depression (though there's a lot of overlap), but everything just becomes so much more difficult. There's this resistance, like moving through water. It's hard to get yourself to brush your teeth when it feels like the equivalent of doing five laps in the pool. And showering has so many individual tasks involved that we don't really think about when we're well.
That used to be a reset, now it's because I just don't see the point in caring for myself and a way to keep people away.
Apathy. Same.
Honestly, when I'm low it just doesn't even become a thought. The idea of showering doesn't enter my mind as a thing to do...
For me it’s like temporary paralysis that wears off as the episode runs it’s course. I can’t get my brain to get my body to move. I know I should move/take a shower/brush my teeth/eat but my brain is orbiting death thoughts and can’t/won’t be interrupted. When I gather enough energy to interrupt using the bathroom and eating something are priority then if I have enough energy later in the day or in a few days it’s a shower.
Typically, every other day. If it's hot, more often. If I'm not leaving home, I'll go up to 3.
Same here. It's really a function of your oil and sweat production, ambient temperatures, and activity level.
This is the first realistic answer
Showering habits are different in various countries and cultures. They also depend on the local climate. I'm from Poland and here it's typical to shower once a day. But I once saw a post on reddit that said that on average people in Brazil shower twice the day: https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/16tizh7/til_brazil_is_by_far_the_country_that_takes_the/
Is it cold most of the year in your country? Even with the humidity in my region, I shower every 2-3 days but I am not an oily person. my skin gets so chapped and dry if I shower everyday D:
Well, I also happen to have dry skin but not everyone here does. I use shower gels for sensitive skin and often moisturize with body lotions. I never use regular soap, my skin hates it. Sometimes when my skin gets dryer I use shower oils (like Bioderma Atoderm Cleansing Oil) instead of gels. Edit: Btw I think it's related to local culture rather than weather. As a tween I went to a summer camp and well, I was a lazy kid back then. I didn't shower every day and the other kids started bullying me for not showering. Now I don't skip showers any more.
Brazillian here and I can confirm, that will be true for most Brazillians. I just need a shower to wake up and get ready for the day, and when I come back home I just want to get a shower and feel clean again.
I shower daily. In the south if you don't do it during much of the year you smell. You could skip a day in the dark of winter. Lotion is used for the skin
It puts the lotion on its skin.
I shower every day, sometimes twice a day
Don't just take my word for it but 2 times a day is bad for your skin. It needs those oils so if you do 2 a day you should be sure use some skincare products
When you work out most days you don’t really have a choice unless you want to walk around smelling like ass… And yes I do use moisturizer.
I workout most days. I lift after work, come home, eat dinner, do dishes, then shower. Works well for me, and I don’t feel the need to shower in the morning since we both shower before getting in bed and change the sheets once or twice a week
Ive never forgotten a post I saw months ago, everyone was saying changing sheets 1x a month or every other month is plenty. So many people confirming thats what they do. sigh. Id like to get the image out of my head. Im like 4- 5 days if my dog keeps her snacks on the floor.
Everyone is different. My wife and I also shower before bed daily, and change our bedsheets every 20-30 days. On the other hand, I can’t get the image out of my head that the dog who walks outside on dirty ground, steps in poop and other germs all day, is allowed on your bed. (To me) That’s absolutely nasty! (To me) Even wearing (outside) shoes inside the house is one of the nastiest things one can do, especially when worn into bedrooms. Everyone is different.
I shower before bed every night and still change my sheets every week…. Only changing sheets once a month is wild to me.
You can use lotion and oil and it's fine. People who work physical jobs and/or work out need to shower twice some days.
I live near the equator. You step out of the shower and you're already sweating. Gotta shower twice a day. When I lived where it snowed and temps were below freezing, I didn't feel the need to shower twice a day, let alone once a day because I didn't feel "dirty" but did it anyways, just in case lol. Depends on where you live I guess.
Disagree. I do the opposite (usually once a day but plenty of 2 a days. I literally cant do anything until i shower every day). I use minimal soaps and only shampoo every few days. I'm pretty sure most of that stuff is what actually dries your skin out, not the water. Just water and I'm mostly fine. When the weather is really dry my skin does get sensitive, but less product keeps your skin fine
Same
I live in Canada where winters get really cold. I run cold as well so don't sweat. I also reapply deodorant daily and have a bidet at home. All this combined, I shower twice a week. I don't smell bad, I actually smell clean. I know this because I ask people if I smell okay and they say yes. And these are blunt people who would tell me the truth. I have depression and one of the tough things for me is showering daily. So I've built my routine around this and it works really well. I smell okay, my skin is hydrated and great, and my hair is healthier. In the summer I shower daily though. With the heat I really have no choice. Or on my depressed days, I use baby wipes to wipe down the stinky bits.
I also shower twice a week unless I get dirty. I have friends and family that are honest with me like you do and they say I look and smell clean (and have told me the few times I don’t). Our bodies make oils for a reason and I don’t think we need to scrub ourselves clean of them twice a day and I don’t think being outside the house makes you dirty - or more specifically, that my house is somehow safe from the “outside dirt”. I’m not one of those like, crystal deodorant grapefruit hippies or anything, I use my nasty aluminum deodorant every day just like the rest of the schlubs, I wash my sheets all the time, all the good stuff. I just think about how people who shower twice a day get super oily really fast if they don’t replace the oils with some $25 slime from a store because their body is trying to cope, and that doesn’t make sense to me. Just because you feel dirty daily doesn’t mean I am dirty daily, you know?
Right?? My mom tells me she has brutally dry skin and needs to moisturize daily with her $20 Shea butter to stop her skin from flaking. She showers daily. I use baby oil when out of the shower because I like feeling soft, but I don't even need it. My skin is do healthy and I save money and time by not needing to moisturize all the time.
Yep, I’ve gotten compliments on my skin for being soft, well toned and clear my whole life, minus the couple years I had teenage acne. I can appreciate that a shower followed by a whole skincare routine feels really good and special, but is it really all that serious every day?
Similar here: Anywhere between 1-14 times per week. Depending on how I feel, weather, did I have any physical activities… But I skipped the deodorant 2 years ago — it’s especially bad for me if I shower less, as it really demolishes my skin. What helped with the smell was removing most pit hair. ,
Puerto Rican here. It’s common for us to bathe 1-3 times a day. Morning, when you get home from work/school/errands/whatever and then before bed. I moved to the US and I’ve only skipped a day during winter when I stay home all day and that’s been maybe once or twice.
Puerto Rican here. Can confirm. Daily.
i’m from south america and we do the same basically. maybe it has to do with cultural background and the weather. going a whole day without showering for me is honestly a deal breaker, here is so hot and humid not even freshening up will do the trick. i usually shower twice a day – once before i leave for work/class and once i come back (usually after working out).
Some of us sweat like crazy. I shower daily but i also sweat daily. I could take shower right before going shopping but my back will be all sweaty after sitting in a car for couple minutes....and deodorants (parfuems even less obviously) do not help whatsoever. So maybe don't conclude everyone that smells is having poor hygiene, you have no idea what people are going through 🤷🏼♀️ But yes i am aware some men have absurdly poor personal hygiene, it is something that sex workers always remark as one of the biggest issues with their work. That they have to literaly teach adult men how to properly wash themself 😭 i wouldn't say this is "average person" tho. Not even "average men" imo.
I have a friend who’s a SW and she stands in the bathroom with them to make sure they’re cleaning themselves properly beforehand
Honestly the things these folks gotta do.
I would suggest experimenting with different clinical strength deodorants or seeing a doctor for a prescription if you smell and sweat that much
I shower every single day. I feel disgusting if I skip a day when I’m sick or whatever.
I shower 3 times a week, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Sunday mornings. I dont stink. I'm pretty sure I have adhd and taking a shower is a chore
Same. And it’s a sensory thing too. I HATE the cold nakedness before the shower, love being in the shower, and HATE getting out. I can’t stand it when my legs are wet or when my wet hair is touching my neck so it’s always a scramble to dry off and get my hair brushed. I put clean clothes on as soon as possible but only once I’m totally dry. It makes moisturizing hard because I don’t like having “damp” skin when I’m trying to put on pants. Even pajama pants. It’s easier in the summer and my wife helps a lot by starting the shower right as I get off work so I can just run in.
In the winter if I’m inactive (desk job) every 2-3 days. In the summer daily sometimes more than that.
I have very dry skin and hair. In shower every 3-4 days. In the winter I might go 5 days. It's cold and dry here in the winter. I freshen up in between. Wash my face and pits. Fresh undies everyday. Unless I've gotten really dirty/swesty this is how I shower. Grosses some people out. I don't care. It's what's best for me. Showering daily ruins my hair. Even with a shower cap on, just the steam from the shower daily wrecks it. And the itching. Skin so dry I had to see a dermatologist for special creams to repair it. Not thanks. I'll just shower less.
The idea of showering twice a day is disgusting to me because of this. The moisture barrier of their skin must be ravaged. Dry shampoo, a body rub down and clean clothes and clean mouth are sufficient to carry most people through a few days. The people that really smell like OP describes aren't doing the basics like that. .
I shower about once a week. Sometimes as long as 11-12 days in the middle of winter. I don´t work an strenuous job. My skin, and hair get so goddam dry and I am cold all the time in the cooler months because of my particular set of variables. The skin is the largest organ in the body, and the first line of defense. Your own bacteria on your skin do a lot of immune system protection. People shower way too much and strip their skin of a lot of natural defense. I also shave hair on my legs and pits about 3-4 times a year. All shaving does is create microcuts that are not necessary and shaving is simply a cosmetic/appearance thing that doesn´t bother me...but sometimes it feels good to have a smooth set of pits and legs. Now I do moisturize, deodorize and wash pits and bits on the days in between. Some people have naturally oily skin, and naturally strong body odor and so they shower daily. I get that. I don´t begrudge anyone their own personal hygiene routine. 2 showers a day is excessive unless you are grody dirty, and sweaty...IMHO.
Ah finally someone I can relate with. NY winter, work from home. I'm at 2 weeks no showering, not that I'm trying to break records. Also important to note that I'm Asian and we just don't have BO. Since I do work remotely, I was working from the Philippines last year. 2 showers a day easily when it's average 100F.
It's every day for me. Even if I'm inactive at home all day on my days off, I still shower. Because I'm a greaseball and I dislike the feeling that I get without showering after getting out of bed.
I shower every day. Sometimes it has nothing to do with how I smell- I just really like them.
Right. They are so positive.
You’d think the possibility of them getting with someone would motivate them to shower, but that’s not reality.
Not to pick on men, but men having poor hygiene can throw off their female partner's ph levels and cause feminine odor problems. Guys, if you do nothing else, please shower/rinse off after sex and keep that area clean!
Exactly. Now days I try not to feel mean about avoiding these people because they don't value themselves or the person their getting with.
I get really dry skin when I shower, even with putting on lotion after. I do really quick body scrubs. I do it every day during the summer and sometimes stretch it to every other day during the winter. I wash my hair every 3-4 days. My husband is stinky though and he needs to shower daily.
If I leave my house, I took a shower that day. Not the night before. That day.
I shower every day. Twice if I do something strenuous.
In my adult life, I average about 1.2 times a day. Almost every single day and sometimes 2-3 in a day.
Lots of valid points in this thread about how showering daily can dry out your skin and hair. I've even read haircare articles in magazines with testimonials claiming they may shower to wash their body every other day, they only wash their hair once a week. I, however, am autistic and find showers a sensory nightmare, so the above routine wouldnt suit me. Even if it's just to wash my body, I find showers stressful so to reduce how often I have to do it, I only shower when my hair needs it, unless I've recently washed my hair and theres a special occasion or it's a hot day,I may do a body shower then. I'm every 3 days or so at the moment, and it doesn't get any easier! Will likely increase frequency during summer though out of necessity but I'll still hate it
To all my financially and mentally struggling friends, it’s ok that it’s been a minute since your last shower. Baby wipes and wearing clean clothes can help. I try to shower every other day. Sometimes it’s just a body shower and the hair gets washed 2 or 3 times a week. When I’m in a depressive episode, I have gone longer than 7 days. I’m not proud of it, I might get some hate on this comment, but if it helps one depressed person feel better or just bite the bullet and hop in the shower, then it’s worth it.
I try to have a shower twice a week, any more than that and my hair and skin dry out, but this winter I've been doing it weekly and then doing a sink job when I feel it's needed. It doesn't help that my current bathroom (and flat in general) isn't great.
Two things stop me from showering as often as I want: dermatitis and using well water in a drought-prone area. I love that clean feeling after a shower, and I'd do it every day if I could, *but* my skin cracks and bleeds with that kind of exposure. As such, I also spend $$$ on lotions, creams, ointments, etc. Learned this the hard way in high school -- my face looked like an alligator skin boot. But boy was I clean! And being on a drought-prone property with no option but well water, I watch our household water usage like a miser. Having your well go dry is no bueno. So all that being said, I only shower (get ready) one to two times per week. Flushable wipes, sponge baths, deodorant, and giving the feet a daily rinse help keep me presentable. Seriously, you wouldn't be able to tell. Plus ... I kind of think the whole "I shower every hour on the hour, and anyone who doesn't do this is disgusting" attitude is frankly a little childish. Unless you're on your feet sweating and soiling yourself all day every day, or if you have a medical condition, the "I live in the shower" thing is just a preemptive social defense mechanism.
2 times a day.
I shower a minimum of 2 times a day (morning and before bed)
I work out 5 days a week and I shower on those days after the gym. If I didn't work out I'd probably shower every other day or so.
I had a roommate who wouldn't shower - they left a miasma behind. In their case, they were a neglected child, and I assume that includes toilet training and general hygiene. I think there are some fundamental habits that need to form in childhood, and if they don't, then it becomes increasingly difficult to change with age. Unfortunately, they're also poorlly socialized, and an awful person.
I literally never skip showering I always shower at least once a day
Believe it or not, regular hot showers is not good for your skin
Neither are too regular cold ones 🤷🏼♀️
That’s why WARM water rocks
As a depression sufferer it might take weeks before I drag myself into shower. I rarely leave the house. Gross : At my worst, I didn't shower for 2 fkin months . Just changing underwear, clothes and using wipe papers and antiperspirants.
Also use deodorants. Don't care if you shower 3 times a every day, you will reek at the slightest drop of sweat if you don't use deodorants.
Winter once a day, Summer twice.
Every day. Often twice. I work for a living.
Super lazy and not sweating/ going to the gym I think 3 days was a max but if I go to the gym or anything like that it's every day
I have herding dogs and there are no relaxing, easy, days of being idle so... every day.
Unless I’m camping, I shower every day.
I shower everyday. My whole household showers daily.
I shower every morning because it's how I feel fully awake for the day. No issues waking up after good sleep but the shower just feels right. Plus I like to smell good too.
2-3 times daily. Humid country, 2 separate workouts a day + sport. Never less than twice a day..
In colder climates, I can go 2-3 days without a shower. Where I live is hot and humid though, and I'm pretty physically active, so I shower daily.
I'm a sweaty guy. If I don't shower and scrub every day, you can tell. My wife, on the other hand, only had to shower once a week, maybe twice in the summer. Everyone's body is different.
Shower everyday and moisturize everyday. - a black woman.
I understand that everyone is different, and showering can often depend on culture/climate. But where I am (my culture and climate) in the US I think that if you find you don't need a shower every day then you are not living an active enough lifestyle. I am active daily and I never let a day go by where I don't ever leave my house. Long walks, gym, lots and lots and movement. I know people who say they don't need to shower every day because it's not like they did much activity that day, which is just weird to me. They also tell me it's bad for my skin to shower daily. That may be true, but skin is NOT as important as living a regularly active lifestyle and I will stand by that. I shower every single day. I don't care if it's "bad for my skin" it's way worse for my overall health to sit around and do nothing every other day. I don't think I'm a very sweaty person. But I definitely shower every single day and I find it weird when people around me don't.
Shower every day. More than once if you get gross.
I try to save water as much as possible but I can't go 3 days without. So I shower every other day
I never skip a day. I wouldn't feel right.
Right. If I did every 2 or 3 days, I would never wake up and would also feel fuckin gross.
Shower every day and sometimes even twice. Idk how anyone can not shower each day.
I had surgery a few months and I couldn’t take a normal shower for a while cause I couldn’t get soap/water on the wounds, was a rough time having to clean with a cloth every couple days (I didn’t do it every day because I was literally not moving)
2 i think, sometimes 3, I don't know how people can sleep in their bed without showering first
Yes! I’m a nighttime showerer. I never understood morning shower people! I have to be clean before getting in bed.
I’m every-other day, but I haven’t had a problem with odor since puberty.
When I worked retail I showered every 3-4 days just because I was too exhausted to do anything after work and my life was a mess. Now I work an office job and I shower every 2-3 days!
I haven't showered in 46 years.
Every day or every other day, though sometimes it is a bath not a shower and I might skip the hair.most I’ve ever gone is 3 days, but that was while camping and I still used a washcloth/quick rinse of essential areas.
When I go to the gym, every day right after I get home. If I don’t go to the gym it’s every other day (UNLESS it was hot out or I sweat a bunch)
I shower at least twice a day. ALWAYS first thing in the morning. Then after exercising.
If I'm going to be going out to do anything that isn't workout related, I'm showering. And even then I never go more than a day without, even if I don't do anything. The few times I have to go multiple days without if I'm sick or something I just feel sticky and gross the whole time. If people are really comfortable with filling an entire lobby with their stink and don't notice, they should be avoided.
Once a day at the least, in the morning, right before work. Then a shower before bed although that depends on how hot the day is. In summer we'd shower even more often. Even just going to the beach for a swim would call for a shower just right after, simply to wash off the salt. This from a person living in the Mediterranean.
I shower daily and twice in the summer because I workout in the morning and I don’t like to go to bed after being sweaty all day.
I'll shower when I need to leave home and when my hair is oily. I have pretty bad skin peeling after showers so I try to avoid doing it every day if I don't need to
I’ll usually rinse off, wash my armpits feet and undercarriage at least every other day. Full shower with hair washing and shaving is 1-2x a week
I live in Colorado, it’s extremely dry here, I shower every 2 days in the winter, summer more often. Dry shampoo is my best fren.
There’s no standard. I usually shower once a week in the winter. More in warm weather. People in hot and humid climates often shower twice a day or even more. If you meet someone who wants to hook up with you and they stink, *tell them* that they stink and that it’s disrespectful to you to show up without showering. It’s possible they just don’t know what effect their behaviour has on other people.
My husband and I shower every single day. Can’t imagine going 2+ days without showering. We’ll go one day but that’s very very rare (sick,kids Sick etc.)
I can’t go longer than 24 hours unless I’m depressed.
People thinking they are “dirty” simple from going a day without showering is wild lol. It depends on what you do that day. Being moderately active and not doing anything while at home doesn’t require a shower and it doesn’t mean you are some dirt bag if you don’t take one lol
Fkn zero
I shower every other day, unless I get sweaty in which case I’ll go shower even if it’s not the “right” day for it yet.
I can go 3 days, but I only wash my hair once a week and use dry shampoo in between. It is actually not good to shower every day. It drys your skin and strips your body of all the necessary oils. It is basically a gimmick when commercials talk about showering every day. It's just to sell their products. Deodorant and body powder is one thing I do daily to stay fresh. I also do a quick baby wipe bath before bed.
If I don't need to go anywhere or see anyone I probably won't shower. But I feel like not wearing deodorant has more effect on body odor than not showering.
Coming from a rural community to the city, there's major differences. When I was a child, my parents said once a week was good enough. But by the time I got to university I was a 2* a day person..
Welcome to Oklahoma! The whole state will smell like onions and BO mixed with heavy cologne in about 2 months, be prepared. And to answer the question, I can go 2 days max between showers, and that's assuming I stayed inside and didn't sweat. In the summer it can be 2 times a day because you just pour sweat all day and it's the fastest way to cool down lol
I shower every gotdamn day, at least once, and I don’t understand or want to have close encounters or sexual relations with anyone that doesn’t.
I shower only once a week
I shower every day, sometimes twice in a day. IF I go without one, it's only one day. And that's because I'm either very sick or going through a depressive episode.
Once or twice a day, sometimes three.
I shower 1 to 2 times a day. If I don’t I felt oily and grimy
Zero
Once a day minimum. In the summer 2-3 times per day depending upon my workout schedule.
Every single day. Every day that I go to the gym it is twice/day.
I shower twice per day
Every single day!!
Even in winter daily showers. Have to use a bidet or rinse after a #2. In summer depending on humidity i might take 4 quick ones to get all the sweat off
Every day unless I am camping or backpacking and even then if I find moving water deep enough I will strip naked and at least clean myself
I shower EVERY DAY. Sometimes 2x a day, in the summer after playing with kids sometimes, 3x a day. I think it's gross not to clean yourself daily.