Is it better to shower at night or in the morning?

For some, a morning shower and a cup of coffee go hand in hand. They can’t imagine starting the day any other way. For others, a warm wash before bed is the only way to end the night and ensure a restful sleep. Deciding when to shower is usually a matter of finding what works best for your lifestyle, but it’s worth considering: Are there advantages to showering in the morning or in the evening?

I talked to several doctors and they all agreed on this: the most important thing is for a person to shower regularly, either when they wake up, before their head hits the pillow, or somewhere in between. That said, there are reasons why a morning shower is better for some people, while a night shower is preferable for others.

Why you should shower at night

You have dry skin

Dr. Eric Tepper, a board-certified family medicine physician in Sacramento, California, advises that people with dry skin should consider showering before bed. “The permeability of the skin is higher in the evening, so the skin can absorb the moisturizer more effectively at night,” he explains.

Evening showers are also optimal at the cellular level, says Dr. Natasha Bhuyan, a family physician in Phoenix. “Cells turn over the most at night, so it makes sense to shower in the evening and then moisturize to reap the full benefits of cell regeneration,” she says.

You get dirty a lot during the day

People who sweat a lot or work in jobs that involve high levels of dirt—think garbage collectors, construction workers—should opt for a shower at the end of the day for “better skin health,” says Dr. Asim Nazir Cheema, a board-certified internist and cardiologist based in Ontario, Canada. “Showers at night remove pollutants, allergens and sweat accumulated during the day from the skin.” Without nightly cleansing, “I spend eight hours pressed against your bed.”

You have trouble falling asleep

None of those people who die within minutes of getting into bed? Bathing in warm water can help as it triggers a cooling process in your body. “Taking a shower at night will lower your body temperature, which is actually a signal for your body to fall asleep more easily. Studies show that warming your body with a bath one to two hours before bed has improved sleep quality and helped people fall asleep about 10 minutes faster,” explains Cheema.

Why you should shower in the morning

You need help getting up

Is the snooze button your friend? Do you have to set multiple alarms just to get it to go off on time? Starting your day with a splash can be just the thing you need to give your body a boost. “Morning showers can wake you up and help those who feel sluggish in the morning,” says Dr. Michael Chichak, a general practitioner in Ohio. Why? The sensation of air on wet skin really invigorates you. Cheema explains, “When you step out of a shower into cooler air or use cold water at the end of your shower, the rapid drop in skin temperature sends a message to your brain and causes a response in the sympathetic nervous system. It’s a thermosensory shock that stimulates alertness.”

You have oily skin

If you have naturally oily skin, it makes more sense to wash in the morning. “If someone with oily or acne-prone skin skips a morning cleanse, all of the body’s excess sebum mixes with sweat, dead skin cells, and whatever was left behind the night before,” explains Cheema. This can lead to clogged pores, resulting in whiteheads, blackheads, and other types of breakouts. He recommends a quick morning rinse or gentle cleanse to remove that built-up sebum before makeup, sunscreen, and environmental pollutants are layered on top.

You start your day with a workout

Similarly, if you exercise in the morning, you’ll want to wash off your sweat before starting your day. “The importance of removing sweat and bacteria from the skin immediately after a workout cannot be overstated,” Cheema points out. “Washing immediately will help prevent skin conditions such as inflammation of the hair follicle and acne caused by heat, pressure and friction from physical activity.”

Plus, from a purely practical standpoint, a morning shower means you’re not taking post-workout sweat—and the associated foul odor—to work, errands, and whatever else the day brings.

The bottom line

So, once and for all, what is the best time of day to shower? “There is no universal best time to shower,” says Chichak. “What exists is a better time to shower, based on your needs or goals.” Whenever you decide to shower, remember that consistency is key. “Your body’s circadian rhythms will adjust to whatever schedule you choose,” says Cheema.

The shower essentials our editors love

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After extensive testing, senior beauty writer Marie Lodi named this pick under $15 the best body wash on a budget. She says it’s “a simple but solid body wash that’s free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates and dyes, but still gets the job done.”

It comes in six flavors, but Lodi is a fan of coconut and vanilla. “It smells nice, but it’s still pretty light compared to most body washes, which is appealing to people who are sensitive to scents,” she says.

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The front gate

Unless blow-drying is your thing, you’ll need something plush waiting for you when you step out of the shower.

When it comes to the best bath towel, Senior Home Writer Kristin Granero put 18 top picks to the test, dunking them in buckets of water to assess absorbency and running them through countless wash cycles to measure durability. She ranked Frontgate’s Resort bath towels #1.

“It’s a big, soft, yet breathable towel that comes in a multitude of colors,” she says. “It was among the softest towels I’ve ever felt…and retained almost all of its softness and color throughout the wash process.”

$40 at Frontgate

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Most professionals recommend applying lotion after bathing, but this step is especially important if you wash before bed because it helps “avoid losing excess moisture while you sleep,” advises Dr. Corinne Erickson, a board-certified dermatologist in Atlanta.

Yahoo Senior Beauty Editor Jennifer Romolini recommends this simple but effective drugstore find. “This giant tub of silky cream is the most impressive product I’ve found for quickly hydrating dry skin,” she writes. “It’s non-greasy, unscented and packed with high-quality, skin-nourishing ingredients like vitamin B5. It’s light and cool to the touch and also manages to really sink in and soften the dry skin on my arms and legs without leaving a trace of residue.”

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Nothing takes the fun out of showering like looking at soap scum and soap scum. If you want your tiles to shine, invest in this power washer that Yahoo Senior Deals writer Britt Ross gives high marks to. “After just a few seconds of sanding, the orange putty stains [in my shower] disappeared before my eyes,” she reveals. “A cleaning tool that gets the job done faster and give my arms a break Um, yes, please! This is a gadget that is part of your arsenal.”

Ross isn’t the only fan of this small but powerful gadget. Nearly 18,000 Amazon buyers have given it a five-star rating.

“This is amazing – whoever thought of this should get a Nobel Prize because it’s so good,” said one enthusiast.

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Of course, if you want a more thorough wash in the shower, Granero reviewed this handy aid, then noted that her bathroom has “never been cleaner.”

It comes with a variety of brush tips to scrub just about any type of surface and an extendable handle that helps you get into those hard-to-reach nooks and crannies (and saves your back!). “I was done with the entire bathroom in less than 30 minutes without ever having to pick up a stool, climb on a counter, maneuver under a cabinet shelf, or bend down on my knees,” Granero said. You can read her full review here.

Related: Thousands of Yahoo readers can’t get enough of this shower frame

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