Doctors have warned that showering at certain times of the day triggers nasty acne breakouts, irritated skin and even a poor night’s sleep.
Showering in the morning, instead of the evening, is a big mistake – as it results in bacteria picked up over the course of the day infesting your bedsheets.
Dr Aragona Giuseppe, medical advisor at Prescription Doctor, said while a morning shower ‘awakens the senses’ there were specific benefits to showering in the evening.
‘During the day, your body and your hair can collect airborne allergens and irritants, dirt and grime, especially in the summer months from pollen, chemicals and sweat,’ he told Glamour UK.
‘So if you go to bed without showering, these will then transfer to your bed and sheets and may not only promote dirty bedding and nighttime allergies but could also cause itchy, irritated and dry skin as well as facial skin issues such as acne due to dirty sheets and pillow cases from day time oil and dirt.’
He’s not the only medic to advocate for showering in the evening.
Dr Jason Singh, a primary care physician in Virginia, detailed in a TikTok how evening showers reign supreme by improving sleep quality, washing away pollutants, and hydrating dry skin.
He explained that a warm shower triggers the release of melatonin, a hormone that tells the body it’s time to sleep.
Showering at night removes bacteria and debris from the skin
Additionally, in the hours before bedtime, the body naturally cools down, which promotes sleep. Taking a warm shower and then drying off mimics that process.
‘As you towel off, your body cools down to the appropriate temperature,’ Dr Singh said. ‘These two things, when combined, transition into better sleep.’
His claim is backed up by a 2019 meta-analysis of 17 studies which found that taking an evening shower between 40°C (104°F) and 42.5°C led to better sleep quality.
Dr Singh also said those with dry skin or conditions like acne and eczema could also benefit from getting clean in the evening.
These conditions deplete the skin of natural moisture. Showering can help replenish that moisture, and those effects last longer at night because that is when skin cells repair themselves.
‘If you’re prone to dry skin or sensitive skin, then showering at night is a better way to help hydrate your skin,’ Dr Singh said.
However, he did add morning showers still had a place in eliminating grime and promoting better hygiene.
Surveys have suggested Britain is split down the middle when it comes to opting to shower in the morning or evening.
One survey, conducted by YouGov in 2019, found only half of us shower every day, with one in four only opting for one every two days.
On the other end of the spectrum, nearly one in 20 Britons reported only shower once a week, and one in 100 once per month.
