Rally’s been a daily shower guy his whole life. But it turns out that habit might be doing his skin more harm than good. Today he digs into why dermatologists say we older adults can (and probably should) shower less often, plus the simple tweaks to your routine that can really save your skin — and your time!
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Hey there, Beautiful People – Rally Preston here. Still 71 years old – now I’ll let you know if that drops back down.
So today’s topic – it’s kinda different. And honestly, something I never thought of, probably cause I’m not all that smart. But I think this one’s important.
Alright, let’s get this going with a question. And not to get too personal, but here it is: Do you take a shower every day? Well, I guess that’s kinda personal, who am I kidding?
But I’ll answer first. So I do take a shower every day. I live in Arizona…it’s super hot, dusty right now – so yeah, I don’t see how I could skip a shower. I’d make people’s eyes water.
But it turns out showering every day as older adults, that might not be such a good idea.
So a lot of dermatologists are saying showering, or you know, bathing, less often might be better for us.
Now, growing up, I’d weasel out of as many showers as I could get away with. Yeah, my poor parents. But I turned out okay, I think. Remember those soap commercials, “You’re not fully clean unless you’re Zestfully clean.” So yeah, I bought into that pretty quick – and had to scrub away every day.
Well now, in my 70s —well, barely!— showering every day — I might need to rethink that.
The big reason here is that as we age, our skin changes. More than I’d guess, honestly.
Now it still holds everything together, but it changes a bit. Our skin produces less natural oil. It gets a little thinner. Drier maybe. And it’s more delicate, or vulnerable, whatever you want to call it.
So we have what’s called the skin barrier. That’s just the outer layer of your epidermis, but its whole job is to lay down a protective coating between the outside world and the rest of your body.
And when we shower every day, especially with hot water and soap, we strip away some of that protection that’s just not as thick and strong as it used to be.
So regular showers and scrubbing away can lead to dry skin, itching, even some skin tearing. So, yeah, none of that’s good.
But here’s what offsets this a little bit, maybe. As we get older, we sweat less. And we produce less body odor. Now, you may disagree… but that’s what the research says.
So I’m guessing we’re not getting as grubby as we did when we were kids. We’re just not diving into the dirt and grime so much anymore – so, yeah, that makes sense.
So dermatologists are saying two to three showers a week is plenty for most of us.
Now there’s a little caveat to this…
You still gotta wash key areas every day. Face. Hands. Underarms. And, you know, other areas.
So if you can hit those hotspots every day, they’re saying you should be good to go without a shower for at least another day.
And I’m sure you’ve read about a celebrity here and there doing this. Not showering much. Maybe not using deodorant. And why do we even know this much about their personal hygiene? I don’t know.
Anyway, so, some of you are no doubt more active than others. Maybe you’re gardening a lot. Smacking a pickleball around, or, chasing grandkids around. Or you live in the Sonoran Desert, like me. So then yeah, you might need to soap things up more often. Use your own judgment there. Well, of course, your spouse might have an opinion on that. Mine doesn’t hold back.
Now if you’ve got certain health conditions, a more frequent rub-a-dub might make more sense for you. But probably for most of us, we could try skipping a day or two and just see how that goes. Your skin will be better off if you can; that’s for sure.
Okay, here’s another tip. When you do shower, keep the water lukewarm. Not hot.
I know, hot showers feel pretty amazing sometimes. A little spa moment for you. But hot water dries out your skin even more. So try dialing that back to just lukewarm, for your skin’s sake.
And they also say keep your showers short. Something like three to four minutes. And that’s a pretty quick shower, at least for me, but I’m definitely going to try to speed through them faster.
And here’s one more thing they suggest: Only use soap where you actually need it. You don’t have to lather up head to toe every time. And again, I think this one’s doable for me anyway.
And right after you get out, while your skin’s still a little damp, put on some moisturizer. That’s when it works best. Anybody remember Avon’s Skin So Soft? That was the family fave back in the 60s, 70s. So use something like that. A good body lotion locks in the moisture before it escapes.
Now look. I know for a lot of us, daily showers are a must; it’s just part of your routine, pretty much a habit. Like, you know, brushing your teeth, right?
But we’ve got to face reality here – our skin’s changed since we were younger. So maybe our routine needs to change too.
Now, some of you might feel a little guilty about not showering every day. Almost like you’re getting away with something. And if that’s you, well, I say just enjoy it. You’ve earned a skipped shower or two every week.
And hey, fewer showers means a lower water bill. And you get more time to do something else. So yeah, there’s some other upsides to showering less.
Alright, Silver Beasties, let’s turn this into some kind of plan. I’ve got some Silver Beast Action Steps for you here.
Number one. Cut back two or three full showers a week. Unless, you know, you’re very active, or live somewhere hot, or have a health condition that says otherwise.
Number two. Wash key areas daily. Face, hands, underarms, and other areas that need it. Do that much every day.
Number three. Keep the water lukewarm, not hot. And keep your shower short. Aim for three to four minutes.
Number four. Go easy on the soap. And just use it where you need it. Not head to toe every time.
Number five. Moisturize right after you towel off. While your skin’s still damp. Lock in that moisture.
Now look, I know, change is hard. Especially with showering. We’ve been doing it the same way our whole lives. And it feels weird to step back on it now. But you know, it’s less work for you.
So if you’re up for this one, give it a try. It’s better for your skin. That’s what the research says.
And you can always start small. Just dip your toe in it, so to speak. So try skipping just one shower this week. See how it feels.
Now, as always, this isn’t medical advice. If you’ve got specific skin issues or health conditions, please talk to your doctor first about your shower frequency, or really, anything else.
Alright, that’s it for today. You’ve got skin in the game of life here, so try going easier on the Mr. Bubbles.
Hey, thanks for dropping by. This is Rally Preston. And I’ll catch you next time, right here, on the Silver Beast Podcast. Take care!