Best Shower Habits for Healthy Skin

CLEVELAND - September is National Skincare Awareness Month.

It’s the perfect time to think about your daily routine, like how often you shower.

Whether you lather up in the morning or at night, Cleveland Clinic dermatologist Shilpi Khetarpal, MD, recommends showering at least once a day.

“You want to shower daily because we all come into contact with allergens, and we want to rinse those allergens off,” Dr. Khetarpal said. “If you're someone with sensitive or eczema-prone skin, soap only needs to be applied to the face, armpits and groin area. If you're someone with normal skin, you can use soap all over.”

Dr. Khetarpal said showering daily can help prevent things like acne, dandruff and eczema flare-ups.

If you’re someone who likes showering multiple times a day, use soap only one of those times to prevent drying your skin out.

She adds that sticking to a non-scented soap or body wash is best since fragrance can dry and irritate your skin even more.

And although a steamy shower may feel nice, you want to avoid overly hot water for those same reasons.

Dr. Khetarpal said these recommendations also apply if you prefer baths.

“For those who opt to take a bath, I would avoid using bubble bath and other things that are very fragranced. Those foaming agents can be very irritating and drying to the skin, especially when you’re sitting in it for a prolonged amount of time,”Dr. Khetarpal said.

If you do use bubbles or a bath bomb, Dr. Khetarpal saidit’sa good idea to rinse off afterward since some of the ingredients in those products may irritate the skin.