How Often Should You Shower

There is no one rule for everyone when it comes to how often you should shower as everybody is different, some of us have naturally drier skin or oily skin, and some of us sweat more than others.  These are all contributing factors when determining how often you should shower:

How often should you shower: Once a day

• If you are very active: when you exercise your body produces more sweat which can result in more body odour, it would beneficial for you to wash daily to remove dirt and keep your skin fresh.
• If you find you produce more body odour: some of us produce more body odour than others due to a number of reasons including genetics, the food you eat, hormones, and stress. If you find yourself in this category you should shower once a day using a moisturising shower gel to retain hydration to help manage your body odour.
• If you live in a hot environment: Living in a hot environment causes your body to produce more sweat and much like when being active, you should shower once a day to combat this.

How often should you shower: Once every two days

• Unless you are very active, have bad body odour, or live in a hot environment, one shower every other day is plenty for most people as your body does not get dirty so quickly that you need to wash frequently and you are unlikely to smell after one day without showering.
• Try the NIVEA Clay Fresh Shower Blue Agave & Lavender to thoroughly cleanse and hydrate your skin.

Those who should never shower more than once every 2 days include:

• Babies & young children - babies and children have very delicate skin and it's important to try to maintain the balance of their skin's natural oils in order to keep their skin healthy.
• The elderly - as you age your skin becomes drier so showering frequently will cause your skin to dry out much quicker, which can lead to irritated and sore skin as well as increasing the appearance of wrinkles as lines appear deeper when not moisturised. It doesn't matter whether you like to shower in the mornings or the evenings, so long as you are not showering too often it will affect your skin in the same way.

Cold weather dries out skin more which is why skin often becomes dry and cracked more easily during the winter months. However, as the weather is colder you're less likely to sweat which means you need to shower less often. The opposite is true of Summer, as the weather is warmer your body releases sweat to cool itself down which over time can result in body odour, meaning you should be showering more often in the Summer than you do in the Winter. It's important to remember that no matter what time of year it is, you should always follow each shower with a healthy dose of moisturiser to lock in moisture and keep skin healthy and cared for.

Discover our winter skincare guide.

Washing your hair depends on your hair type as well as whether you have oily skin, dry skin, or normal skin as some people's scalps are drier and find they can go for longer periods without washing their hair, or more oily and feel they must wash their hair often to keep it from becoming greasy.

Hair types & how often you should shower & wash your hair:

• Thick brunette hair types - these types of hair tend to get greasier more quickly so need washing around 3 times a week
• Coloured or over-processed hair - this type of hair tends to be drier so requires less washing washing of around once a week
• Try the NIVEA MEN Strong Power Shampoo, it's mild on your scalp but thoroughly cleansing

Read more about how often you should be washing your hair.

How often should you wash your face depends on your skin type too:

• Oily skin: Although it's a common misconception that people with oily skin should wash their face multiple times a day, this has the opposite effect and can actually do more damage than good. When oily skin is frequently washed it produces more oil (sebum) to combat the drying effect of washing and can lead to breakouts and blemishes more easily. Instead, you should wash your face with a gentle face wash before bed to remove dirt from the day and and use a toner in the morning to remove dirt traces gathered over night. What you should focus on is applying a lightweight moisturiser that won't further clog your pores rather than frequently washing.
• Dry skin: Even if you have dry skin it's important to wash your face once every two days with a gently exfoliating face wash to remove dead skin cells that might gather on the skin causing spots. After this you should apply a more nourishing moisturiser that will keep your skin hydrated for longer or a moisturiser containing hyaluronic acid which provides a moisture boost for the skin.
• Combination skin: For combination skin it is a little more complicated - how often you should wash your face depends on the different parts of your face. For example if you have an oily T-zone you should wash this area once a day and only wash the drier parts of your face such as your cheeks once every two days so that you are not further drying them out.
• Normal skin: If you have normal skin you should use a face wash that contains a gentle formula to remove any dirt and this should be done once every day or two days. Between washes you should use a cleanser or toner to remove dirt each day so that you don't get blemishes.
• Mature skin: Mature skin tends to be drier so much like dry skin you should only wash your face every two days, but avoid harsh exfoliators as your skin becomes more delicate as you age - instead use a hydrating gentle face wash and make sure to apply moisturisers containing hyaluronic acid or Q10 to lock in moisture afterwards.