In books, movies, songs, and music videos, we see people laughing, crying, singing, dancing, and making important life decisions in the shower. Clearly, showering is romanticised across the world. And why wouldn’t it be?
When you hop into the shower, you acquire a kind of privacy that is usually not available to you throughout the day. In the shower, you spend quality time with your body and mind.
For most people, showering properly is just a part of their daily routine, a way to freshen up after a long day or before bed. But how often do we stop and think about its many health benefits?
With this article, we will remind you of how important showers are for your overall health and well-being. The next time you take a shower, you will probably pause for a moment to remember everything that we’re going to tell you!
Why Showering is Healthy for You
If you’re already a fan of showers, you’ll look forward to reading about their health benefits. If you’re not too keen on showers, we’re sure that the information we are listing out will change your mind! So, let’s dive right into the power of a good shower.
1. Showering keeps your skin and hair clean and healthy
The most obvious health benefit of showering is that it cleans your skin and hair. However, have you really sat down and thought about this? Think of all the gunk your body picks up when you go outside for work. Showering makes sure that you and your home stay free from filth. Without a doubt, hygiene is extremely important when it comes to health and a good shower removes dirt, harmful bacteria, and dead skin cells from your skin and hair.
Decide how often you need to shower based on your geographical location, skin and hair type, and daily activities — don’t go overboard, as you risk skin and hair dryness and water wastage. Don’t shower too infrequently either, as you risk fostering bad BO, exposure to illness-causing microorganisms, and being unclean. Plus, always use shower products that are beneficial for your skin and hair.
2. Showering is a fantastic grounding exercise
Grounding exercises help the mind find stability in times of distress and anxiousness; they help you focus on the present and move away from unwanted and painful thoughts, memories, and beliefs. Many mental health care professionals recommend showering as a grounding exercise — for most, it is easily accessible, quick, and does not require too much effort.
A good shower has the potential to help one snap out of intense and debilitating thoughts and focus instead on the five senses. If you’re having a panic attack, a PTSD episode, or general anxiety, try taking a soothing shower. In fact, use cold water, because cold showers are known to reduce anxiety.
So, a cold shower will help the body release endorphins and lower blood pressure — you will soon feel calm and composed again. You can also focus on how the water flows down your body and how refreshed your skin feels in order to comfort your mind.
3. Hot showers soothe sore muscles and stiff joints
There’s nothing like a nice, hot shower at the end of a tiring day. But are hot showers good for you? Yes! Hot showers can be good for your overall health. Not only do they feel good on a sore body, they actually increase the blood flow to all the muscles and joints — this allows for pain relief and improved mobility.
So, if you want your muscles to feel relaxed and joints to feel flexible, just hop in for a quick hot shower.
4. Cold showers lower cortisol levels and improve circulation
Cold showers may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but many people around the world — especially in the tropics! — swear by them. So, are cold showers good for you? Yes!
Cold showers actually decrease cortisol (stress hormone) levels and improve blood circulation. Now, who wouldn’t enjoy feeling less stressed? Keeping cortisol in check is a good idea because its increased levels can lead to weight gain, high blood pressure, and depression. Plus, as mentioned previously, cold showers can also help in reducing anxiety.
Still not convinced about cold showers? They also reduce swelling, help with muscle soreness, and maintain the natural barriers of skin and hair.
5. Showering can help you sleep better
Several studies have shown that showering at night can help people sleep better. Indeed, taking a shower around 90 minutes before bedtime can help you fall into deep sleep quicker. Plus, you’ll feel clean — your skin, hair, and bedspreads will thank you for this in the long run!
If you live in a cold place, taking a hot shower before bedtime is a good idea since it will change the body’s core temperature; then, when you finally go to bed, your body will have a lower temperature which facilitates sleep. If you live in a warm climate, a cold shower can help you cool down, relax, and get ready for some shuteye.
How Often Should I Shower?
Clearly, showers are great for you and your overall hygiene and well-being. However, some people might still wonder: is showering every day bad for your skin? Is showering every day good for your skin? The answer to these questions depends on your geographical location, skin and hair condition, personal preference, and accessibility to clean water.
Basically, you don’t have to go overboard with your showers — once a day is enough to keep yourself clean and fresh. Additionally, try not to spend more than a few minutes showering — it’s important to take water conservation into account!
If you live in a tropical place, quick daily showers or navy showers are probably a good idea. If you live in a cold place, you might not require full-body showers every day. People with dry skin tend to avoid showering frequently, whilst people with oily skin prefer regular showers. Clearly, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach here. See what works best for you, your skin, your hair, and your goal to save water.
However, always take a quick shower after any tiring activity that leaves you sweaty, smelly, and dirty. It’s also a good idea to shower before going to bed so that you don’t contaminate the place where you spend several important hours of your life. If you are dealing with certain health issues related to skin and hair (such as eczema and dandruff), it’s best to speak to your doctor about how often you need to shower.
Enjoy Your Showers with StoneStream
Undoubtedly, showering is a much-needed activity for one’s overall health and comfort. Thus, it’s important to invest in high-quality shower fixtures that are good not only for you and your bathroom but also for the planet!
StoneStream has a range of fantastic shower heads and shower accessories that guarantee a great shower experience every single time. Our sleek shower heads conserve water whilst increasing the water flow velocity and our germanium stones filter out impurities from running water. You will enjoy your showers even more with the jetting, rainfall, and massage settings on our sleek shower heads.
So, if you’re looking for shower heads that increase water pressure or a shower head that filters water, it really doesn’t get better than StoneStream! Plus, we also have the best shower accessories — from replacement filters to non-slip shower mats, from shower holders to shower screen cleaner squeegees — that will elevate your showering experience and bathroom's appearance!