# Why do people shower/bathe so frequently when deodorant exists? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 15, 2016, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shower-bathe-so-frequently-when-deodorant-exists/743207 "2016-01-15T07:48:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Volxen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d26b3c/32.png) [@Volxen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Volxen)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shower-bathe-so-frequently-when-deodorant-exists/743207/1 "2016-01-15T07:48:31Z")
Why do people feel the need to wash/clean/shower/bathe daily (or even every other day) when deodorant already serves the purpose of eliminating body odor? ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shower-bathe-so-frequently-when-deodorant-exists/743207/2 "2016-01-15T08:05:40Z")
I couldn’t think of a funny answer, so being serious: 1. You’ve half answered your own question: for reasons other than body odor. Off the top of my head: To remove visible dirt, dry skin, eye crud, remove less visible dirt (e.g. if I don’t shower, my white shirt collar will get stained quicker), hygiene reasons (e.g. after sex), comfort (I don’t like being sweaty regardless of whether I smell or not). 2. Deodorant is typically just applied to one or two areas, e.g. armpits, and also can’t work miracles. If I didn’t shower at least daily then I guarantee you my armpits will start to smell by the end of the day, if not other parts of the body (yes I know only the groin and armpits typically host the bacteria that smell bad, but that doesn’t mean the rest of your body is immune to picking up odors). Also I do intense exercise almost every day…putting on deodorant every other day would definitely not cut it for me. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shower-bathe-so-frequently-when-deodorant-exists/743207/3 "2016-01-15T08:20:40Z")
Join date: Jan 2016. Makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shower-bathe-so-frequently-when-deodorant-exists/743207/4 "2016-01-15T08:30:22Z")
Because it doesn’t work. My underarms do not truly stink if I don’t take a shower for a few days. Instead, they start to smell a lot like the crotch of a high-dollar escort on a date with a big tipper and that is not an image that I want to project especially in a professional capacity. That isn’t the issue. The real problem is that my hair becomes a greasy, oily mess in just a few days and my skin starts to feel itchy if I don’t shower for much longer than that. I have heard some neo-hippies say that you just have to get over the cleanliness ‘hump’ and everything will start to normalize when you get used to your new level of filthiness. They are also the ones that call shampoo simply ‘poo’ so that should be all you need to know. My only response to that is ‘Go straight back to the hell-fires of 1969 and stay there!’. I have no idea why somebody would want to experiment with basic bathing or showering to see how little you can do it and still survive. It doesn’t work well at all. My hair starts to turn into a matted, greasy mess and my skin feels like a homeless person in desperate need of a dermatologist or a veterinarian. Any white person with dreadlocks should be questioned, quarantined and have all of their hacky-sacks confiscated before they are taken to a self-serve car wash for cleaning. I don’t even wear deodorant on a regular basis but I do take daily showers. That recipe seems to work a lot better than the opposite recipe unless you are a French sailor from the 19th century. ---
**Author:** ![Volxen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d26b3c/32.png) [@Volxen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Volxen)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shower-bathe-so-frequently-when-deodorant-exists/743207/5 "2016-01-15T08:43:18Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Because it doesn’t work. My underarms do not truly stink if I don’t take a shower for a few days. Instead, they start to smell a lot like the crotch of a high-dollar escort on a date with a big tipper and that is not an image that I want to project especially in a professional capacity. > > That isn’t the issue. The real problem is that my hair becomes a greasy, oily mess in just a few days and my skin starts to feel itchy if I don’t shower for much longer than that. I have heard some neo-hippies say that you just have to get over the cleanliness ‘hump’ and everything will start to normalize when you get used to your new level of filthiness. They are also the ones that call shampoo simply ‘poo’ so that should be all you need to know. > > My only response to that is ‘Go straight back to the hell-fires of 1969 and stay there!’. I have no idea why somebody would want to experiment with basic bathing or showering to see how little you can do it and still survive. It doesn’t work well at all. My hair starts to turn into a matted, greasy mess and my skin feels like a homeless person in desperate need of a dermatologist or a veterinarian. Any white person with dreadlocks should be questioned, quarantined and have all of their hacky-sacks confiscated before they are taken to a self-serve car wash for cleaning. > > I don’t even wear deodorant on a regular basis but I do take daily showers. That recipe seems to work a lot better than the opposite recipe unless you are a French sailor from the 19th century. I’m not actually advocating no showering altogether, just doing it less frequently. I, for example, only shower/bathe/clean/wash myself once a week, but I apply deodorant several times throughout the day (about every 3-4 hours) and change my clothes regularly. It’s much faster than showering, saves on water, and it’s also better for your skin. If nothing else, showering too frequently is bad for your skin. I have even heard multiple dermatologists say that you should not shower more frequently than every other day, if that. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shower-bathe-so-frequently-when-deodorant-exists/743207/6 "2016-01-15T10:00:49Z")
> [@Volxen](#): > > I’m not actually advocating no showering altogether, just doing it less frequently. I, for example, only shower/bathe/clean/wash myself once a week, but I apply deodorant several times throughout the day (about every 3-4 hours) and change my clothes regularly. It’s much faster than showering, saves on water, and it’s also better for your skin. If nothing else, showering too frequently is bad for your skin. I have even heard multiple dermatologists say that you should not shower more frequently than every other day, if that. Please consider that it is possible that you are not pleasant to be around. Strong deodorant smell (every 3-4 hours? Really?) is not particularly nice and often you can also smell what the deodorant is “masking”. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shower-bathe-so-frequently-when-deodorant-exists/743207/7 "2016-01-15T10:11:42Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > Please consider that it is possible that you are not pleasant to be around. What if he lives somewhere remote, with not many people around? Like under a bridge, or something? ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shower-bathe-so-frequently-when-deodorant-exists/743207/8 "2016-01-15T10:17:56Z")
That’s okay if you’re not allergic to all deodorants, you live in a dry (low humidity) climate, you aren’t going to be in close proximity with anyone who may not like a heady mixture of sweat and/or deodorant cologne, and you don’t have horrible hair which refuses to do anything you want until it’s beaten into submission with shampoo and conditioner. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shower-bathe-so-frequently-when-deodorant-exists/743207/9 "2016-01-15T11:19:59Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Because it doesn’t work. My underarms do not truly stink if I don’t take a shower for a few days. Instead, they start to smell a lot like the crotch of a high-dollar escort on a date with a big tipper and that is not an image that I want to project especially in a professional capacity. > > That isn’t the issue. The real problem is that my hair becomes a greasy, oily mess in just a few days and my skin starts to feel itchy if I don’t shower for much longer than that. I have heard some neo-hippies say that you just have to get over the cleanliness ‘hump’ and everything will start to normalize when you get used to your new level of filthiness. They are also the ones that call shampoo simply ‘poo’ so that should be all you need to know. > > My only response to that is ‘Go straight back to the hell-fires of 1969 and stay there!’. I have no idea why somebody would want to experiment with basic bathing or showering to see how little you can do it and still survive. It doesn’t work well at all. My hair starts to turn into a matted, greasy mess and my skin feels like a homeless person in desperate need of a dermatologist or a veterinarian. Any white person with dreadlocks should be questioned, quarantined and have all of their hacky-sacks confiscated before they are taken to a self-serve car wash for cleaning. > > I don’t even wear deodorant on a regular basis but I do take daily showers. That recipe seems to work a lot better than the opposite recipe unless you are a French sailor from the 19th century. All of this. Plus, I run 5k in the tropical heat almost every day. I can feel the salt-crustiness on my skin as my sweat dries when I come in after a run. It feels virtuous — for about 5 minutes. Then I want to get rid of it. ---
**Author:** ![Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ac8455/32.png) [@Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Your_Great_Darsh_Face)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shower-bathe-so-frequently-when-deodorant-exists/743207/10 "2016-01-15T11:37:01Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > What if he lives somewhere remote, with not many people around? Like under a bridge, or something? He’s probably OK then. The occasional billy goat won’t mind the smell. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shower-bathe-so-frequently-when-deodorant-exists/743207/11 "2016-01-15T11:45:56Z")
Pretty sure my GF appreciates me bathing every day. Especially when spur of the moment sex happens. I reckon the sex would be a bit unsavory should it happen on one of those in between days. (Yech) ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shower-bathe-so-frequently-when-deodorant-exists/743207/12 "2016-01-15T12:22:03Z")
> [@Volxen](#): > > I’m not actually advocating no showering altogether, just doing it less frequently. I, for example, only shower/bathe/clean/wash myself once a week, but I apply deodorant several times throughout the day (about every 3-4 hours) and change my clothes regularly. It’s much faster than showering, saves on water, and it’s also better for your skin. If nothing else, showering too frequently is bad for your skin. I have even heard multiple dermatologists say that you should not shower more frequently than every other day, if that. Well in the OP you were asking a question, why do people bathe regularly. Whether your idea is a good one is a separate point because most people won’t be aware of it as an option. But considering the merits of your idea…no, I don’t think it will work well for most people. For people who exercise frequently, or have messy jobs, or a lot of sex, it’s just not an option. Furthermore, even if slapping on another coat of deodorant were sufficient to eliminate all odor (which I don’t believe is true), there are many more reasons for bathing, I listed just a few of them. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shower-bathe-so-frequently-when-deodorant-exists/743207/13 "2016-01-15T12:31:50Z")
As well as all the good reasons listed by others, I shower each day because I really enjoy showering. It’s lovely to stand under a stream of warm fresh water and have 3 - 5 minutes of “me” time. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shower-bathe-so-frequently-when-deodorant-exists/743207/14 "2016-01-15T13:09:49Z")
> [@Volxen](#): > > Why do people feel the need to wash/clean/shower/bathe daily (or even every other day) when deodorant already serves the purpose of eliminating body odor? They don’t, generally. Lots of cultures don’t bath every day. It sort of proves the rule, though - people from such cultures _do_ have body odor. The system only works if everyone smells relatively the same. A foreign friend of mine was spoken to by HR at his job about how he smelled, leading to the following after-work exchange: “Hey, how’s it going?” “You shower **every day**?!” Err, yeah." “_Everyone_ does?!” “…pretty much.” ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shower-bathe-so-frequently-when-deodorant-exists/743207/15 "2016-01-15T13:20:24Z")
Deodorants do not eliminate body order. The mask it with replacement objectionable odors, and cover it up with gooey materials that are even worse than body odor, if not washed off regularly. If you bathe with common unscented soap a few times a week and never use any chemical deodorants, you will never need to worry about how you smell. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shower-bathe-so-frequently-when-deodorant-exists/743207/16 "2016-01-15T13:38:57Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Join date: Jan 2016. Makes sense. > [@Rigamarole](#): > > What if he lives somewhere remote, with not many people around? Like under a bridge, or something? > [@Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](#): > > He’s probably OK then. The occasional billy goat won’t mind the smell. Enough with the trolling accusations. They aren’t allowed in this forum, so knock it off. ---
**Author:** ![Krouget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b38774/32.png) [@Krouget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krouget)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shower-bathe-so-frequently-when-deodorant-exists/743207/17 "2016-01-15T13:45:35Z")
> [@Volxen](#): > > I, for example, only shower/bathe/clean/wash myself once a week[…] If nothing else, showering too frequently is bad for your skin. How much nicer or more healthy would you say your skin is, than the typical person who showers daily? > [@](#): > > Why do people feel the need to wash/clean/shower/bathe daily (or even every other day) when deodorant already serves the purpose of eliminating body odor? Warm showers are more relaxing than applying deodorant. I don’t have many vices and I moisturize afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shower-bathe-so-frequently-when-deodorant-exists/743207/18 "2016-01-15T14:04:53Z")
It’s all a plot by the Big Soap corporations to generate more profits! (Only slightly joking - the modern American conception of household ‘cleanliness’ was invented by advertisers trying to sell chlorine bleach on the individual retail level when production outstripped industrial demand.) ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shower-bathe-so-frequently-when-deodorant-exists/743207/19 "2016-01-15T14:26:09Z")
One of the reasons is hair. I have long thin curly hair (2 feet at least) so the easiest and best way to comb and style is to have it wet. I could certainly just stick my head in the water, and I do that sometimes on the weekends, but I’m half naked anyway so I may as well finish. Plus I have been showering in the morning since I was approximately…ten years old. I am now 40. The habit is pretty ingrained. I am not a morning person, so I find the act of showering really wakes me up. Gets rid of crusty eyeballs and all that. What I _don’t_ do is wash every day. Or rather, I wash armpits-crotch-butt daily and the rest, only when I need to. I wash my hair every other day, and I use the most delicate of soaps for my body. Lastly I live and work in the Western world and as such it is a cultural imperative to shower at least 5-6 times a week. Admittedly on the weekends I often skip a day, but then again, it’s nice to talk a hot shower in the cold or cold shower in the heat. Many reasons, you see. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shower-bathe-so-frequently-when-deodorant-exists/743207/20 "2016-01-15T14:37:31Z")
I don’t think I’ve ever agreed with Shagnasty on anything ever. But I concur with every single word he wrote. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-shower-bathe-so-frequently-when-deodorant-exists/743207.md?page=2)