How often should you really shower? Jake Gyllenhaal, Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell spark washing debate

Is there a ‘correct’ number of times you should be taking a shower? Dermatologists say Jake Gyllenhaal made a good point with his recent comments on bathing being “less necessary at times”

How often should you wash? (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Daily showers are not the done thing in the luxury hills of Hollywood, according to some recent revelations.

The internet was left in a state of shock last week when Jake Gyllenhaal told Vanity Fair that he finds bathing to be “less necessary at times”. It came after Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher said they only bathe their children when they see dirt. And Kristen Bell has admitted she is a “big fan of waiting for the stink” before washing.

But Dwayne Johnson isn’t here for the latest A-list trend. He has jumped into the conversation by telling fans that he is “the opposite of a ‘not washing themselves’ celeb” and that he in fact takes three showers a day.

Is there really a ‘right’ number of times to wash per week? Clearly, it’s a contentious issue, even away from the Hollywood hills. A 2019 YouGov poll found that nearly half (49 per cent) of its respondents showered once a day, and one in five showered four to six times a week. One in 20 (6 per cent) showered or bathed several times in a day.

“I shower every work day because it makes me feel ‘ready’,” Donna, 38, Edinburgh, tells The Independent. “I don’t feel productive without it. On the weekends, I shower if I’m leaving the house, but I don’t bother when I’m not.”

“I work in a hospital and I ‘need’ a morning shower before setting off so that I feel fresh,” says Joe, 34, London. “On weekends, I’ll only get one if I plan to leave the house. But I do feel gross if I don’t have one.”

“It’s daily shower unless I’m like staying in all day, then I’d just wash my face and have a sink wash.” adds Alice, 30, London. “Also if I’m extremely hungover, usually on a Saturday, I can’t even bring myself to shower.”

Some people go that one step further: “I get a shower before work and just before bed,” says Carmel, 33, London. “I’ve done this since I was a teenager, I just want to always feel ‘fresh’. And during lockdown, I’ve even added baths during my lunch hour to the routine.”

“I go for a run most days, and I always shower when I get in from one,” adds Tim, 35, Yorkshire. “A lot of the time, I’ll already have had a shower in the morning, which means I quite often have two showers a day.”

The fact that most people want to experience that “fresh” feeling to help prepare for the day ahead suggests that taking a daily shower is a mental ritual as well as a physical one. A 2008 study reported that participants receiving hydrotherapy for the treatment of depression experienced an improvement after one or two cold showers a day over several weeks.

But is a daily body wash as good for our bodies as it is for our minds?

“From a medical perspective, unless you are visibly dirty or sweaty, you probably don’t need to shower more than three times a week,” Dr Sarah Welsh, gynaecology doctor and co-founder at HANX, explains.

“The factors that impact your need to wash include your occupation (if you’re doing manual labour or working with patients) and your social and exercise habits. Generally, it’s important to especially wash your feet, armpits and groin, as these areas are prone to becoming infected if not kept fresh. And even without Covid, you should ensure you wash your hands regularly.”

But Welsh warns that over washing also had its downsides: “It can break down the skin’s natural barriers and cause soreness and dryness. So, basically, just try to keep it clean on a regular basis.”

Dr Kathy Taghipou, an NHS dermatologist from DermConsult, adds: “It is recommended to take a shower in the morning as humans tend to perspire at night. Washing in the morning will get rid of sweat and bacteria from the sheets that are sitting on your skin and reduce the chance of infection.”

And Emma Coleman, a dermatology and aesthetics RGN, advises that showering and bathing frequency can be altered according to the seasons: “It is kinder to the skin to wash on alternate days during the winter, as warm showers and baths can irritate eczema symptoms such as itching, which tend to flare up more during the colder months of the year. But in the summer, you may need to wash your body more frequently due to sweating.”

When it comes to washing your baby, the NHS website states: “You don’t need to bathe your baby every day. You may prefer to wash their face, neck, hands and bottom carefully instead. This is often called ‘topping and tailing’.”

While it’s clearly important to wash regularly, it turns out that Gyllenhaal has actually made a pretty valid point about everyday showering being somewhat unnecessary.