If you're grimy or sweaty, it's absolutely essential that you bathe yourself, or else you'll run the risk of all sorts of dermatological conditions.
It is considered absolutely essential to wait for at least 20 minutes after your workout before you hit the shower. After a grinding session of workout, the first thing you feel like doing is getting out of your sweaty gym gear and rush for a cold, soothing shower.
“If you are someone who engages daily in sweat-inducing activities, you will likely need to shower every day,” she says. People who exercise regularly should shower regularly, or at the very least freshen up post-workout until they can bathe.
In general, showering every other day or every few days is enough for most people. Keep in mind that showering twice a day or frequently taking hot or long showers can strip your skin of important oils. This can lead to dry, itchy skin.
While there is no ideal frequency, experts suggest that showering several times per week is plenty for most people (unless you are grimy, sweaty, or have other reasons to shower more often).
Keep wipes in your bag
Although antibacterial wipes aren't a replacement for a shower, they can definitely help to remove any sweat, dirt and bacteria if you won't have time to shower for a few hours. Depending on how much you sweat, you can also buy specialised athletic body wipes designed for this exact purpose!
Some skin conditions may require you to shower more or less often than the average person. For instance, someone with very oily skin, body acne, or hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) may want to shower every day (or sometimes even twice a day) to keep their skin clean or avoid body odor.
“If you're a heavy sweater, then a good rinse is great to remove the excess sweat,” says Lopez. “Too much sweat can give the hair a dry appearance.” That said, if your hair isn't drenched in sweat (think: you did pilates, yoga or lifted weights), then it's totally OK to forgo washing your hair.
If you let sweat dry in your hair after your workout, it can damage your hair. The reason for this is because when sweat dries on your scalp, it leaves a residue that can clog your hair follicles with damaging bacteria. There's also the issue of the large amount of salt that's in sweat.
“While it isn't recommended to wash your hair every day after a workout to avoid frizz and dryness, it is important to maintain hygiene as unwashed hair can be a source of bacteria and fungi,” says Dr Deshmukh. She also suggests using a separate towel or tissues to dab the sweat off your scalp.
Expert take: “For those who are sweating a lot, it may be easier for the scalp to become dirtier than normal,” says Dear, adding, “And with this comes the chance that the hair follicles become clogged, which is never good.” Use a proper shampoo and conditioner two to three times per week for high-intensity exercises.
Many doctors say a daily shower is fine for most people. (More than that could start to cause skin problems.) But for many people, two to three times a week is enough and may be even better to maintain good health.
In the United States, most people bathe daily but, in other countries, many people bathe only 2-3 times per week or less. Many times it can come down to habit and ritual, as daily showers can help people feel more awake, avoid body odor, relax tight muscles or simply because that's what they've been taught to do.
Body odour [can be] caused by sweat and bacteria when left too long without showering. A medical myth is that sweat smells, however sweat doesn't actually smell, it's odourless.
As for after the workout? Either wash off your non-comedogenic makeup, or rinse with water if you have a fresh face. “You just need a quick rinse, as the sweat cleans your pores and skin,” Marmur says.
So, if you are actively engaging in exercise or stuck in the heat resist the urge to wipe! However, if you have hyperhidrosis, bromhidrosis, or easily irritated skin then make sure to keep your skin clean and fresh after you are done with a workout and during normal daily life.
ODOR AFTER A SHOWER IS DUE TO LINGERING BACTERIA
In addition to bacteria, oftentimes there is deodorant residue and other impurities that are trapped in the underarm pores and within the hair if you have armpit hair.
The immune system can be enhanced by morning showers, which will stimulate the body to produce new white blood cells. These cells are then used to help fight off illness. Our biological clock represents the reasoning for this process only occurring to a significant extent during morning showers.
Extreme tiredness and cognitive effects, such as brain fog and negative thinking, can pose a personal hygiene challenge. People with depression commonly experience executive dysfunction, a mental processing issue. It can manifest in difficulty in starting and finishing a task, such as showering.
Most dermatologists say that your shower should last between five and 10 minutes to cleanse and hydrate your skin, but no longer than 15 minutes to avoid drying it out. You can still benefit from the shower length you prefer, whether long and luxurious, quick and efficient or somewhere in the middle.
The oldest accountable daily ritual of bathing can be traced to the ancient Indians. They used elaborate practices for personal hygiene with three daily baths and washing. These are recorded in the works called grihya sutras which date back to 500 BCE and are in practice today in some communities.
Water will only help rinse the hair's surface of dust and debris, but will not do much else and especially won't 'wash' your hair.” However, if you have curly hair, that's not always the case.
"You can use dry shampoo to lengthen the time in between washes, to absorb sweat after workouts or to just refresh hair for a 'fresh-styled look' without the hassle of getting hair wet and blow drying it."