Here's why you shouldn't wait until morning to shower

Marie-Claire Dorking
Updated
Turns out we've been showering at the wrong time of day. (Getty Images)
Have we been showering at the wrong time of day? (Getty Images) (Getty)

If you begin each day by hopping into the shower, you might be surprised to learn that you could be choosing the wrong time of day to lather up.

Previous findings by Swedish beauty and wellbeing brand FOREO in partnership with YouGov, found that 61% of Brits opt to shower in the morning, while further studies reveal less than one in four of us opt to shower at night.

Of course, an early morning shower to get you feeling fresh for the day makes total sense, but there are actually some pretty important reasons why you may need to switch your lather time from post to pre-bed.

Not only does a hot shower at the end of the day feel good, showering at night also ensures that you are clean when getting into bed.

"If you are waiting until the morning to shower, sweat builds up throughout the night, creating the perfect environment for harmful bacteria to grow," explains an expert from MattressNextDay.

Research suggests that E. Coli could live in mattresses, with the bacteria being able to survive for months on surfaces. The older the mattress, the higher the risk and E. Coli can cause diarrhoea, food poisoning, and even illnesses such as pneumonia.

"If you work in an office, your skin collects huge amounts of bacteria and airborne pollutants, that stay on your skin until washed off," the expert continues. "So, if you shower in the morning, you are likely transferring this grime onto your bed while you sleep."

Turns out the best time to shower is in the evening before bed. (Getty Images)
Turns out the best time to shower is in the evening before bed. (Getty Images) (Getty Images)

As if sleeping with 10 million dust mites wasn’t enough of a reason to switch up your shower habits, showering at night is also proven to improve sleep quality.

"The change in temperature from a hot shower to a cool room can lower your body’s temperature - and since your body temperature naturally drops when you fall asleep, this aid in temperature change allows your body to receive signals that it’s ready for sleep much quicker," the expert explains.

To aid sleep even more, consider using a lavender-scented shower gel to get in the mood to sleep. Lavender has soothing chemical components, which can reduce agitation and restlessness, helping you to sleep.

According to dermatologist Dr Simon Zokai, it’s also far better for your skin to shower before you go to bed.

Having consulted Dr Zokai, a team from FOREO concluded that an evening shower has advantages for skin health, as it helps remove the build-up of dirt, germs and pollution that accumulates on our skin during the day.

If you wait until the next morning to wash, the contaminants will remain on your body while you sleep, giving them more time to seep into the pores.

And this can potentially have some pretty nasty consequences for our skin including blotches, imperfections, marks and long-term skin damage.

Turns out showering at night is better for our skin. (Getty Images)
Showering at night is better for our skin. (Getty Images) (Getty)

Turns out it isn't just when we shower we're getting wrong, but what we do when we're drying ourselves off.

Whether you shower morning or night, towel placement is important, too.

It can be tempting to leave your towel on your bed post-shower, or sit on the bed in your wet towel, however, such a habit can cause dust mites and other bacteria to thrive in this environment.

"One bacteria that can especially thrive is Staphylococcus aureus," the MattressNextDay expert warns.

"Whilst particularly prominent on pillowcases, it can be found anywhere on your bed. Over a third of the world’s population carries this bacteria, but if caught in your bloodstream it can be life-threatening - which is why it’s important to minimise any habits which cause the spread."

To avoid any towel contamination it is important to ensure you hang your towel in the bathroom and wash each towel every three or four uses. Doing so can help eliminate bacteria, dirt, dead skin cells, and allergens.

Dr Hamdan Abdullah Hamed, board-certified dermatologist and co-founder of Power Your Curls, previously told Yahoo Life UK: “Towels tend to accumulate moisture, creating an environment conducive to bacterial and fungal growth. Bacteria like staphylococcus aureus can lead to skin infections, while fungi like Candida yeast can cause issues like athlete’s foot or yeast infections.

“Additionally, dirty towels may contain allergens that can trigger allergic reactions or skin irritations in sensitive individuals.”

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