I don't know about anyone else, but if I don't shower daily, I don't feel clean! Apparently though, we don't actually "need" to shower daily. According to Dr. Joshua Zeichner our bathing habits are more because of the social norm and NOT because of us being "unclean". Dr. Ranella Hirsch (a Boston dermatologist) says "We over bathe in this country and that's really important to realize".

Most of our "norms" came from good advertising starting shortly after the Civil War. The advertising for "toilet soap" was much more effective in America than in other countries. Showering daily became especially popular when people stopped working on farms as much as and started working in factories close together.

However, frequent showering may be doing more harm than good it turns out (and many studies have shown this already). As discussed in a previous Looking Good article, hot showers can irritate and dry out your skin, as can showering too much. It also washes all the good bacteria that naturally exists on your skin away and can cause cracks in your skin, both of which can help lead to infections. This is why many doctors recommend that babies and toddlers are not bathed on a daily basis. Early exposure to dirt and bacteria may make the skin less sensitive as you age and prevent allergies or eczema according to Zeichner.

Obviously though, if you work out daily, play sports, or do extremely strenuous activities daily, showering every two to three days as suggested may not be something you're comfortable with, but as a general rule, if you can go every two to three days, you should! You can clean the grosser parts of your body with a washcloth or wipes daily to freshen up though! Also, change your undergarments daily. You shed more dirt and oil in your clothes than you do in the shower!