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You're probably showering too much, according to research

Photo: iSTOCK / torwai
Photo: iSTOCK / torwai

We’ve all been there: you wake up, bleary-eyed, only to find you’ve slept through your alarm and now have no time to shower before work.

Well, fear not. A lengthy post published on IFL Sciencerevealed that we’re all probably showering too often anyway.

It might sound too good to be true – or like an excuse made by someone who just couldn’t be bothered – but writer Rafi Letzter lays out the convincing argument that showering too much can mess up your skin and affect the way your body functions.

The bulk of his research focuses on the human microbiome which, in simple terms, is a cluster of tiny microbes which live on the human body and essentially keep it functioning. Showering, scrubbing and lathering-up can all strip this – as well as some pretty necessary oils – from the skin, in turn contributing to skin conditions.

This, of course, doesn’t mean that you won’t still smell pretty terrible if you decide to give up showering. You will. But, if you’ve got the stomach for it, your body will apparently adjust over time and instead produce a less funky, more pleasant smell.

At least this was the experience of James Hamblin, who documented his transition into a shower-free life for The Atlantic – although he could just have had really, really polite friends.

Maybe you’re sold on the idea of not showering. Maybe you’re a die-hard LUSH fanatic and simply enjoy smelling like citrus and spice. Whatever you’re into, it’s clear that the science surrounding showering is way more complicated than the clean/dirty stories we’re usually fed – so if you do happen to miss the occasional shower, don’t feel too bad.

h/t IFL Science

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