Let’s talk about showers; something most of us do daily without much thought.
For some, it’s just a quick and efficient part of the morning routine and a way to shake off sleep and jumpstart the day.
But for others, it’s more than that; it’s a sanctuary, a moment to let warm water melt away the stress of a long day.
But here’s a question: how long is too long to spend in the shower?
Flora who spends less than 15 minutes in the shower explains that she would rather spend more time sleeping and take less time in the bathroom.
“My previous job was so stressful that I didn’t have enough time to sleep, which is important for a good rest. When I moved to a different company, I made sleep a priority,” Flora says.
“If I'm supposed to be at work by 8am, I will take less time in the shower but spend more time in bed. That is how much I value my sleep and I will still get to work on time.”
However, Flora who has a teen daughter says she has to regulate the time her daughter spends in the shower.
She says her daughter being a student, needs more time to study and not spend 30 minutes in the bathroom.
“Her timetable is very clear. She has to spend only 20 minutes in the shower and if she tries to spend more time apart from what we have agreed, then I have to switch off the hot shower for her to get done and start her studies by 5:30am,” Flora explained.
According to Ann, taking too long in the shower is a waste of water and electricity.
“I wake up at 7am and by 7:15am I leave the house for work. I take only five minutes in the shower because I don’t understand why I should stay long in the shower,” she says amid a hearty laughter.
“If I happen to stay long in the shower, I end up feeling itchy and uncomfortable.”
For Flora and Ann, spending less time in the shower is okay for them.
However, for Ivy, spending less time in the shower does not work for her.
“I spend 40 minutes in the shower. I start by washing my face in the sink then proceed to the bathroom. For those 40 minutes, I use my bathing soap and bathing gloves and after rinsing myself, I now apply a shower gel and rinse myself again. This makes me feel fresh,” Ivy said.
“After my hot shower, I do a cold shower; just rinse myself one more time and I'm done.”
Ivy said her son also spends the same time as her in the bathroom and she doesn’t have an issue with that.
Her story is not so different from that of Abigael who says she spends 30 minutes in the shower.
“I believe spending quality time in the shower is a form of good self-care especially after a long day at work. If I try to spend less minutes, then it feels like something is missing," she explained.
"During my shower time, I have to spend enough time and feel relaxed. After the normal shower (soap and water), I finalise with my shower gel,” Abigael says.
Is shower time for men different from women?
During this conversation, men also shared their views on how much time they think is normal in the shower.
George said he takes five to seven minutes.
“I don’t understand why one should take 30 minutes in the bathroom. What are you cleaning? I wake up at 5:45am and by 6am I'm out of the house,” he said.
On his part, John said he spends 15 minutes in the shower but it all depends. He says one has to consider a few things.
“I spend like 15 minutes in the bathroom but I consider if I have hair or whether I'm clean shaven. This is because cleaning hair also takes time. Ideally, 15 minutes would be enough for me.”
According to Healthline, if your shower time is too short, you might not be getting clean enough.
On the flip side, spending too much time under running water can dry out your skin of its natural oils.
Temperature plays a role too—hot water feels great, but it’s not always your skin’s best friend.
The CDC chimes in with a statistics: the average shower lasts about eight minutes.
And if you’re someone who loves to linger for 15 minutes or more, they suggest it might be time to rethink your shower routine.
Most dermatologists say that your shower should last between five and 10 minutes to cleanse and hydrate your skin.
They advise against taking longer than 15 minutes as this may end up drying out your skin.
According to Healthline, both long and short showers-have side effects.
Side effects of long showers
While a long, hot shower might seem like the best way to pamper your body, over-showering may dehydrate the skin.
“The purpose of showering is to hydrate and cleanse the skin, but warm or hot showering for prolonged periods strips away natural oils of the skin and opens up our pores and allows moisture to escape,” Healthline explains.
“To keep moisture in, applying a body moisturiser after showering to the skin allows the water to stay in the skin and not escape.”
Side effects of shorts showers
According to Healthline, if over-washing has consequences, it’s safe to say that under-showering also poses problems.
In general, under-showering may not thoroughly cleanse the skin.
“We all have normal bacteria and organisms that live on our skin (normal flora), and this protects our skin from injury or insult,” Healthline states.
“If the balance is tilted toward the overgrowth of normal or healthy flora, this may increase the risk of skin infection—not to mention the risk of body odour if you consistently under-wash your skin.”
But there are exceptions. People with very dry skin or eczema might benefit from even shorter showers with lukewarm water.
So, how do you strike the perfect balance? It’s worth considering next time you step under the stream.
