From the optimum temperature to great products: how to have the perfect shower

It’s not unusual to ask someone who’s just visited a hotel or B&B: “How was the shower?” Well, it’s not unusual for me because I love a shower but know from sad experience that their quality can vary wildly. From a drenching rainfall to a trickle from a leaky tap, I won’t be alone in having run the gamut. Yet given how essential they are to our daily lives, surely we all deserve a decent one. So what makes a shower great?

Let’s start with this question: “How long is the optimum shower?” I remember my father used to stand under scalding hot water for what seemed like forever and would then have to lie down for a while to recover. This is clearly not the way to do it. It turns out that most Brits spend between five and 10 minutes in the shower, with an average of about seven to eight minutes.

Of course, this can be affected by the quality of the shower itself, the temperature of the water and things such as how long your hair is. Anyone needing to wash and condition an impressive mane will certainly take longer than those of us who are follically challenged.

When it comes to temperature, it’s very much down to personal preference. Whereas my father might have enjoyed a lava hot shower, it’s not actually very good for you. Any hotter than 41C and you run the risk of feeling lightheaded afterwards, and experiencing dry or itchy skin, according to Mira Showers, whose new digital shower, Platinum, lets you choose your ideal temperature to the degree.

According to most dermatologists, the perfect temperature is between 37C and 41C, but that’s not to say we can’t explore the extremes. On a hot day, or if you’re in need of a swift wake-up call, a cold shower can work wonders. As well as making you more alert, it can soothe skin irritation and is often favoured by gym goers for the way it helps reduce muscle soreness after a workout.

As we become more climate conscious, saving water is increasingly vital. Shower systems that feature standard shower heads use about 11 litres of water a minute, so the average eight-minute shower will use about 88 litres of water. Realistically, you need a decent flow for the perfect shower, as you’ll certainly feel short-changed if you’re trying to wash under a weak sprinkle. To help you monitor your carbon footprint, Mira Platinum has an eco mode pre-set and a smart app that allows you to keep tabs on the amount of water you’re using.

Once you’ve got the temperature and water flow right, it’s time to turn your attention to shampoo, soaps, gels and creams. There’s an overwhelming choice of products out there, from the practical to the luxurious, so you’ll definitely find one that’s right for you. (After my partner ran out of shower gel, I once caught him spraying limescale remover on to a sponge to clean himself with. Please never try this at home!)

Related: Are cold showers really worth it? Discover the science behind the brrr …

And while treating yourself to some quality products can elevate your shower experience, be careful not to over-shower, as you can strip your skin of essential oils. We all have flora on our skin, a collection of organisms that live on us symbiotically. Much like friendly bacteria in the gut, these organisms and essential oils keep our skin healthy.

“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 [resulting in dry skin],” says dermatologist Edidiong Kaminska. “We all have normal bacteria and organisms that live on our skin (normal flora), and these protect our skin from injury.”

So there we have it: showers, we have to have them, so we might as well make them fabulous. My final thoughts are, get a nice smelling pH-balanced wash that makes your shower feel like a treat – life is too short not to enjoy something you have to do most days. Buy shampoos and conditioners that work best for your hair – find the combination that works best for you. Oh, and … always moisturise afterwards. Quite frankly, what’s the point of putting this much thought into showering if we’re not going to lock in those lovely, all-important natural oils?

Inspired to upgrade your shower set-up? Head to Mira Showers to learn all about its new Platinum digital shower and how to get one installed through its shower replacement service