This Is The Best Time Of Day To Take A Shower

We used to think the time we chose to take showers during the day came down to a matter of personal preference. Turns out, science has an opinion on that subject because there are benefits to both showering in the morning and evening... even though evening showers do have an edge over their morning counterparts.

There is a case to be made for taking showers in the morning. Some researchers say this morning routine serves as an external reminder for the brain's clock, telling it that it's time to start the day (via Real Simple). Morning showers also boost your brain and get your creative juices flowing. Associate clinical professor of dermatology Mona Gohara says (via Glamour), "A morning shower allows for time to meditate and regroup before starting a long or hectic day. This mindfulness can decrease inflammation in the skin by keeping levels of a hormone called cortisol capped."

However, showering at another time of the day definitely has more benefits.

Taking showers at night has even more advantages, though. It means you get to go to bed without carrying all the oil, dirt, and pollutants you picked up during the day. Bethanee Schlosser, director of the Women's Skin Health Program for Northwestern Medicine, says taking daytime grime to bed can clog your pores if you don't clean up before you hit the sack (via The Greatist). You could also end up having to deal with acne flare-ups if you go to bed without washing up, because your face produces a greater amount of oil at around 1 a.m. Going to bed clean means your face stays pretty oil-free overnight.

Plus there is the added sleep benefit that comes with a nighttime splash. "Showering or taking a bath prior to bedtime can help improve sleep quality and help you to fall asleep faster," sleep medicine researcher at Rush University Medical Center Elizabeth Culnan says. "The key is in the timing: Showering 1.5 to 2 hours before bed will warm your body and then also allow you to experience a more pronounced dip in body temperature, which promotes sleep."

If you can't do without a morning or evening shower, we don't suggest showering twice a day, as that may be too much for your skin. But if you really need to feel clean both in the morning and at night, you could try taking shorter showers (three to four minutes max!) with a focus on the pits and groin, especially since some experts say showering several times a week is already plenty (via Harvard Health).