This is how long you should shower for, according to a dermatologist

You shouldn’t be spending hours in there (Picture: Getty Images)

There’s nothing like a long, hot shower to make you feel brand new.

TikTok’s everything shower had us spending hours in the bathroom, buffing, exfoliating and moisturising, and new research has found that, for 48% of people, showering or bathing takes up the most time in their beauty regime.

But, that same study by Dove has also found that nine in 10 Brits experience dry skin – and 85% are blaming their showers for it.

And, there is a clear link between those lengthy showers and skin irritation.

Dermatologist Emma Amoafo-Mensah explains: ‘Taking a long shower in too-hot water can strip away the skin’s natural oils.

‘Without these, water evaporates more quickly in a process known as Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL) which can lead to feelings of tightness and dryness.

‘Taking long scalding showers or baths and using abrasive scrubs or cleansing products can cause skin to dry out.’

Is it okay not to use soap in the shower?

In a word, no.

When a man went viral for – either jokingly or seriously (it’s worryingly difficult to tell) – telling his partner that he only uses water to wash, we spoke to an expert on the subject.

Dr Ross Perry, a medical director of Cosmedics skin clinics, told us that water alone won’t cut it.

‘Unfortunately, just using water for washing won’t remove dirt, bacteria and germs from our skin,’ he said.

‘That’s because water alone can’t lift off the invisible oil where the germs are hiding, often tucked into tiny creases in the skin.

‘Our hand, faces and bodies have natural oils and germs stick to our oils, meaning that water alone just won’t remove them.’

Londoners in particular complain of dry skin the most, with a quarter agreeing that showering has the biggest impact.

But most of us (bar a few eye-brow raising celebs) shower once a day. So what can we do to protect our skin?

According to Emma, it’s all about limiting your shower time.

‘Many people are spending too long in the shower, the optimal time spent should be less than ten minutes,’ she tells Metro.co.uk.

Moisturiser helps too (Picture: Getty Images)

‘Spending longer than this increases the chances of your skin feeling dry and irritated, especially if the water is too hot and you’re prone to dry skin.’

Emma also says moisturising is important.

‘When skin isn’t properly moisturised, it gets irritated and can start to itch. To stop the irritation, you need to remedy the dryness with a product that can replenish skin’s moisture and lock it in.

‘Products such as Dove’s Advanced Care Body Wash, that, can help to boost and retain moisture levels in the skin post shower.’

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