As a child, my family鈥檚 shower schedule was ironclad.
The same ritual played out every evening at 8 p.m. sharp; my brother would shower first 鈥 no longer than 15 minutes, our parents demanded 鈥 then me, mom and finally dad. 鈥淵ou sleep way better when you鈥檙e clean,鈥 mom argued.
I was a rebellious teen and wouldn鈥檛 stand for such tyranny. When I moved out, I swore to only take morning showers from then on. The habit stuck; a decade later, I still need to rinse the sleep from my skin before starting the day.
But are morning showers actually better? Partly out of curiosity (and partly because mom still badgers me about my shower habits all these years later), I asked skin care experts to finally settle the debate 鈥 here鈥檚 what they said.
The case for morning showers
There鈥檚 no real 鈥渞ight or wrong鈥 best time to shower 鈥 it mostly comes down to personal preference and our lifestyle, according to , a 海角社区官网dermatologist, assistant professor at the University of 海角社区官网and author of 鈥,鈥 a book on showering and its impacts on our skin.
That said, there鈥檚 an argument for both sides. People prone to acne or teenagers (who are typically oilier than adults) 鈥渕ay want to shower in the morning because it鈥檚 actually helpful to get (excess oils) off of your skin, if you had lots of oil build up over the night time,鈥 she said.
Morning showers can also help people with chronic skin conditions like eczema 鈥 as long as they moisturize right after, said Dr. Renita Ahluwalia, the lead dermatologist and co-founder of the Canadian Dermatology Centre in Toronto.
鈥淲hen you come out of the shower and your skin is still a little bit damp, that鈥檚 the key time to moisturize the skin 鈥 It鈥檚 going to lock in that moisture and provide more hydration to the skin, and that helps the skin barrier,鈥 she said.
Otherwise, morning showers can help wake us up and 鈥渁ctivate our minds鈥 for the day, Ahluwalia continued.
The case for showering at night
On the other hand, showering before bed helps rinse off the day鈥檚 grime so we can go to bed as 鈥渁 clean canvas,鈥 according to Dr. Monica Li, a .
鈥淪howering in the evening can help remove debris, products, oil from the day that鈥檚 accumulated on the skin,鈥 she said 鈥 especially if we were active during the day. If we take these to bed with us, they could transfer to our bedsheets and lead to nighttime allergies, acne or worsened skin.
Additionally, a warm shower an hour or two before bed can improve sleep quality, serving to relax our bodies before bed, Li continued. 鈥淎 really hot shower or a really cold shower right before bed is probably not a good idea because there鈥檚 such a difference with the ambient temperature it can kind of shock the system鈥 and keep us awake, she said.
But in general, the experts agree it鈥檚 less about when you shower and more how you do it.
Avoid natural soap and long, hot showers, experts say
Skotnicki and the others caution against the use of soaps, instead favouring cleansers. Our skin is slightly acidic, she said, while natural soaps are basic due to their use of lye. 鈥淎 cleanser is different 鈥 it鈥檚 pH-adjusted to our skin,鈥 Skotnicki continued.
Our skin contains countless microbes, many of which are helpful. This 鈥渕icrobiome鈥 thrives in the acidic environment of our skin, but can die off when we use soap 鈥 potentially harming our immune system, as it needs regular stimulation from microbes to keep in top shape.
It鈥檚 why many doctors no longer recommend antimicrobial soap, Li added, unless one has a skin infection or certain skin conditions. 鈥淚t can potentially disrupt our normal microbiome, (which can lead to) skin irritation, inflammation,鈥 she said.
In a similar vein, Li warns against taking too-hot showers, as the temperature could strip natural oils from the skin and 鈥渨orsen dryness and aggravate any underlying inflammatory skin conditions.鈥
So too can overlong showers or the use of scrubbers, like loofahs, damage our skin and natural oils, Li continued. In fact, not only is it not necessary for most people to shower every day, experts agree that over-showering can even be harmful to our health.
鈥淚n general, the shorter the shower, the better 鈥 meaning 5 minutes or less,鈥 Li said, adding that she recommends 鈥渓ukewarm or slightly colder water.鈥 When it comes to using cleanser, target the 鈥渁rmpits, groin, buttocks and feet 鈥 arms and legs, for instance, don鈥檛 always need soap.鈥
Finally, she advises patting ourselves dry and moisturizing right after to preserve as much of our natural oils as possible.
The takeaway
As much as it pains me to admit, my mom had a point 鈥 there鈥檚 not much merit to morning showers for those who aren鈥檛 teenagers or don鈥檛 have a skin condition. If you鈥檙e active during the day, it鈥檚 not a bad idea to rinse off that grime before you bring it to bed.
At the end of the day, however, experts agree the benefits of either are minor relative to the damage we can do by over-showering or misusing products. As long as you shower properly, the time that you do it is mostly a matter of personal preference.
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