To not want a shower everyday?

[Ointb]

I find they dry my skin out if I shower every day, even if I use lukewarm water and emollient creams - I have kept them short, and tried everything I can think of short of seeing a dermatologist. My skin itches like crazy after most showers.

I do feel a lot fresher of course but is it really unhygienic to switch to every other day? (And for my partner is it gross?!)

Every other day for me but I also have a Japanese’s bidet toilet which washes down below whenever I go to the loo.

Japanese

“I am too clean! I smell too nice!”

If you like your partner’s natural pheromones why do you want him/her to replace them with the smell of soap, antiperspirant and shower gel every day?

I think my DH smells best when he’s been a couple of days without a shower, he has a lovely natural scent plus the base notes of his cologne come through. Fresh cologne is a bit overpowering but once it settles and blends with his natural scent it has a subtle spicy aroma.

I shower every day for work (before a shift) and before meeting friends as it seems polite and hygienic. They probably wouldn’t notice but one of my friends went through a phase of showering every few days and she smelt a bit musty. More like musty clothes though or clothes not dried properly?

My DH thinks it’s weird to shower daily and complains I always smell of soap, shampoo, washing powder, deodorant etc. I see what he means, they’re artificial smells.

I wash any clothes I travel in, any clothes I’ve been outdoors in, all scrubs get hot washed between shifts and I shower at work after a shift but that’s for infection control.

At weekends or on leave I use baby wipes and a touch of deodorant if I’m staying home for a couple of days. My hair’s long and dry so only needs washing every 3-4 days. I use conditioning masks on my hair if I have to wash it too much or the under layers knot!

We have a lovely power shower at home, plentiful hot water, double shower cubicle in a well heated well ventilated bathroom with a heated floor, so it’s not the facilities. It’s just nice to get dressed into lounge wear without showering some days.

Still more people coming onto the thread to advocate for ‘strip washes’. It’s touted as some sort of ‘easier’ alternative to a shower, when not only is it anything but easier, it’s less effective and much less enjoyable

Depends what you consider a strip wash. At weekends it’s much quicker for me to use a few baby wipes, dab on a bit of deodorant and get dressed than wait for the shower to heat up, strip naked, wash thoroughly in shower, wash and condition hair, dry thoroughly, blow dry hair, moisturise all over, while DC is shouting for me!

Lots of patients in hospital prefer to ‘strip wash’ because the showers are too far/too cold/they mustn’t get dressings wet etc. They’re given anti bacterial body wipes plus a bowl of hot water and towels. They still use their deodorants, perfumes, body lotions etc and change into clean clothes, have their bed linen changed daily. They rarely smell malodorous!

Japanese’s bidet toilet which washes down below whenever I go to the loo

Great things aren’t they. We have hoses plumbed in so you can have a nice warm wash after using the loo. Lots of U.K. houses have them now so it must be catching on 😊

I was born in the late 50s and I don't think that average households had showers in them, we certainly didn't when I was young and I'm sure it wasn't unusual, we had a bath and in between a wash at the sink and iirc your neck was always checked if it was clean, this was in the mid 60s when I was at primary school. I recall having a spray thing that fixed to the tap but it wasn't a proper shower, this was probably about late 60s/70

Have you tried showering using oil (something like Occitane Almond shower oil)?

I think this subject is totally age related. I'd guess many over 50's quietly disregard the current germaphobia and continue with the washing regimes they grew up with

Indeed. I often miss a day in the shower, and don't believe I smell - and haven't yet seen anyone move away from me in horror.

I prefer to shower every day because I enjoy it, but I do skip a day here or there. I also have quite dry skin. A strip wash is quicker for me because it's not pleasurable so I won't linger over it. And I don't need to wipe down the shower afterwards which is a bonus.

When I encounter a really stinky person it's usually somebody who looks like they haven't washed their hair in a month and is generally not taking care of themselves. On the other end of the scale are people who smother themselves in perfume and lotions, which is equally bad. A particular curse on women who spray themselves with perfume etc before they go swimming.

@Daphnise

If you want to be dirty that's up to you. If you sleep with another person you are being selfish and gross.

Don't be fucking ridiculous. Christ almighty.

Strip washes are definitely easier if your shower is unreliable like mine - I have to run the bath hot tap for a couple of minutes for the shower (which is at the other end to the bath taps!) to warm up. Whereas it doesn’t really matter if a flannel is warm because you’re not getting as wet.

Just shower as and when you need to.

Sometimes I'll be in a shower three or four times a day, other times I'll shower every other day.

I don't feel particularly obsessive or particularly slovenly.

Just do what's best for you.

It’s just nice to get dressed into lounge wear without showering some days.

This would make me feel so gross.

I shower every day. I feel so grotty after being asleep.

Understand if it aggravates your skin though

My DH thinks it’s weird to shower daily and complains I always smell of soap, shampoo, washing powder, deodorant etc. I see what he means, they’re artificial smells.

But as you say they do combine with the natural scent of the skin so the resulting aroma isn't entirely artificial!

I shower every morning and again if I've exercised. I like to use good quality nicely scented body lotion as the effect is more subtle than actually wearing scent. Though after my second shower I just use unperfumed emollient cream.

I don’t shower every day. Women in general don’t need to.

Meant to add I exercise late afternoon so it's not a complete waste putting the scented body lotion on in the morning!

@GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing

I don’t shower every day. Women in general don’t need to.

No they probably don't, but I shower because I like to, not because I really need to. I'm not a very sweaty person.

Obviously you can if you want to!

If you’re not actually dirty or sweaty, then a daily wash of pits, bits and preferably feet, too, is fine.

It’s what people had to do for years, before the days when there was ample hot water for everybody, every day.

@Lockheart

Just shower as and when you need to.

Sometimes I'll be in a shower three or four times a day, other times I'll shower every other day.

I don't feel particularly obsessive or particularly slovenly.

Just do what's best for you.

What do you do to need to shower that many times in one day? Are you an exercise teacher?

I think it is quite unhygienic to be honest. But if you're not showering, you should at least wash down there and arm pits.

@PattyPan What do you do to need to shower that many times in one day? Are you an exercise teacher?

I don't need to shower that many times in one day as a matter of routine, but yes I can easily be in the shower 3 or 4 times a day when it's a hot summer and I'm going to the office, with a gym class in the morning, and a date night in the evening. So once when you wake up, once after the gym, once before going out, and once before going to bed.

Like I say, respond to the conditions and demands of your day. Sometimes I'll be in the shower 3 or 4 times a day, other times every other day.

@SaturdayRocks

Glad I’m not the only one *@IcedPurple*.

Still more people coming onto the thread to advocate for ‘strip washes’.

It’s touted as some sort of ‘easier’ alternative to a shower, when not only is it anything but easier, it’s less effective and much less enjoyable.

Totally agree, do they have separate flannels for their pits and bits? Are the flannels washed in the machine after every use or do they use the same one the next day? Are the flannels different colours for different body parts? How do you rinse your bum after scrubbing with a flannel at the sink?, doesn’t the water run down your legs? So many questions on the logistics! Surely it must be easier to have a quick shower, I just do not understand why anyone able bodied and with showering facilities would choose to do this.

Cannot stand the idea of a sink wash, just take a bloody 2 minute shower!