Why showering every day is bad for your health

There's nothing better than taking a long hot shower or a relaxing bath to wash away the day's stresses and pamper your skin. But did you know that indulging in a daily shower or bath could actually be causing your body more harm than good?

While showering rejuvenates the skin, mind and provides a host of additional health benefits, such as increasing blood flow, ITV's This Morning resident doctor Dr. Chris has lifted the lid on why showering every day can actually be bad for your health. So before you pick up the best eReader to accompany you for the long hot soak in the bathtub, here's why you might want to skip your daily showering obsession.

"It can be harmful because the skin is densely populated with friendly bacteria," When it comes to highlighting why showering every day is bad Dr. Chris explained, friendly bacteria help to maintain healthy skin, he warned, "Having a shower every day can remove friendly bacteria."

And he's not the only one showing cause for concern. University publication Harvard Health pointed out that normally, healthy skin maintains a layer of oil and a balance of friendly bacteria and other microorganisms but washing your body on a daily basis it removes this barrier. Even the best eye creams and best moisturizers for dry skin will struggle to create friendly bacteria.

"Washing and scrubbing remove these, especially if the water is hot," Harvard Health explained. This can trigger a number of complications - one follows on from the skin becoming dry, irritated, or itchy.

The university publication further explained why showering every day is bad, "Dry, cracked skin may allow bacteria and allergens to breach the barrier skin is supposed to provide, allowing skin infections and allergic reactions to occur."

When it comes to explaining why showering every day is bad, another common issue is that antibacterial soaps can actually kill off normal bacteria and as a result, they can encourage more harmful organisms that are resistant to antibiotics. The publication added, "This upsets the balance of microorganisms on the skin and encourages the emergence of hardier, less friendly organisms that are more resistant to antibiotics."

Meanwhile, other warnings previously revealed why you shouldn't wash your face in the shower.

And Healthline reports that dermatologists only recommend a shower every other day, or two to three times a week.

If you shower too much it can lead to discomfort, and you may experience, itching dry, flaky skin, flare-ups of skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis as well as dry, brittle hair.

Showering and bathing less also has a positive impact on the environment as you will be using less water and saving money on your utility bill - especially if you are on a water meter as the Alliance for Water Efficiency estimates that the average shower lasts about 8.2 minutes and uses roughly 17.2 gallons of water.

But showering too little has negative effects too. It can trigger an imbalance of good and bad bacteria on your skin. Too much bad bacteria on your skin also puts you at risk for skin infections. This may lead to dermatitis neglecta, where patches of plaque develop on the skin due to inadequate cleansing.

Bathing also removes dead skin cells. So when you don’t bathe enough, these cells can stick to your skin and cause hyperpigmentation. Resuming good hygiene can correct this condition.

The best way is to listen to your body and skin, to find a balance that is both good for you and your health.