Showering daily is bad for you. But what happens if you don’t shower for an entire month?
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TVTranscript
00:00 (Sounds of a car driving by)
00:04 (Screams)
00:05 (Explosion)
00:07 (Sniff)
00:07 (Thud)
00:08 Every morning,
00:11 or every night,
00:13 before going out,
00:16 definitely after the big game.
00:19 For most people, showering is routine.
00:21 But for some, it's religion.
00:25 "When are you getting out?"
00:26 "I'm not! I'll see you later, buddy!"
00:29 But if lots of showering makes you feel divine,
00:32 your body might be the real miracle worker.
00:36 This is WHAT IF,
00:38 and here's what would happen
00:40 if you didn't shower for a month.
00:43 The average human spends more than a year
00:45 of their life in the shower.
00:47 And according to most dermatologists,
00:49 that's way too much.
00:51 But how else are you supposed to keep looking
00:53 and smelling your best?
00:55 While it's no secret that scrubbing removes dirt,
00:58 sweat, and harmful bacteria,
01:00 it also strips away natural fats and lipids
01:03 that hydrate your skin.
01:05 The more you shower,
01:06 the less time your body has
01:08 to replenish this healthy layer of moisturizing bacteria.
01:12 So if you stop showering,
01:14 will your body just clean itself?
01:16 Umm...
01:17 It would be healthier, for you,
01:19 but not for everyone else.
01:22 Once you give up showering,
01:23 you'll start to see the difference
01:24 in as little as three days.
01:26 (Screams)
01:26 Your skin will be noticeably drier,
01:28 and your hair greasier.
01:30 One of the first signs of "progress"
01:33 will be that your hair will stay in place
01:35 when combed back.
01:36 No product needed.
01:37 After going five days without showering,
01:39 you should probably start warning people
01:41 before you enter a room.
01:43 Then again, they'll smell you coming.
01:46 If you're doing this challenge without deodorant,
01:48 then put the savings towards a t-shirt budget.
01:52 Sweat stains will be so bad
01:53 that your shirts will be one-wear-and-throw-out,
01:56 items.
01:57 After ten days,
01:58 you can throw out your comb, too.
02:00 Your hair will be so greasy and matted
02:02 that you won't be able to run a brush through it.
02:05 Your scalp will be so itchy
02:07 that any relief would be welcome.
02:09 But at the same time,
02:10 any contact with your head will no doubt show
02:13 how bad your dandruff problem is.
02:16 By day 20,
02:17 it's hard to believe you're human.
02:19 Friends and family no longer acknowledge your existence,
02:22 and you can barely stand your own smell,
02:24 let alone your appearance.
02:26 Days and nights of scratching your dry, itchy skin
02:29 will be obvious from the festering sores on your body.
02:32 And if you thought you were past getting acne,
02:35 congratulations, you're 13 again.
02:38 You're ready to give up,
02:39 but just wait a little longer.
02:41 By the end of the month,
02:42 after only rinsing with water,
02:44 the layer of healthy bacteria that your body produces
02:47 will be completely restored.
02:49 The acne goes away on its own,
02:50 and your skin will probably start looking better
02:53 than it did when you were showering.
02:56 But will it have been worth it?
02:57 Probably not.
02:58 You still smell terrible.
03:01 While sweat doesn't actually emit any odor,
03:03 it does produce fatty acids and protein
03:05 that your skin bacteria feed on.
03:08 And it's their metabolic process
03:09 that gives off that nasty smell.
03:12 So yeah, keep using soap.
03:15 Keep showering.
03:16 But maybe dial back on how often you do it.
03:19 Why dedicate a year of your life to standing in the shower,
03:22 when you can free up some of that time
03:24 to watch more What If.
03:26 (upbeat music)
03:28 (upbeat music)
03:31 (upbeat music)