Baths or Showers: Which is Better?

Some enjoy a quiet, candlelit soak in the bath while others prefer a quick and easy shower. Each serves the same purpose, but they both have pros and cons that could potentially sway your opinion towards one or the other. Regardless of which one you may regularly prefer, there are great health benefits that certainly go beyond cleanliness.

Health Benefits

Skin: Have you ever enjoyed a nice long bath but afterward noticed how dry your skin felt? A hot bath may be relaxing after a long day but the hot water can lead to dried out skin that feels itchy and flaky. Someone who has sensitive skin or is affected by various skin conditions may have a harsher reaction as soaking in hot water alone may not be the most beneficial for troubled skin. A bath, however, offers the opportunity to soak in something other than just water such as, bath bombs, oatmeal blends, Epsom salts and much more; all of which can potentially rejuvenate and refresh the skin. Many of these soaking elements can range from moisturizing the skin to removing toxins from your body. In either case, it is always best to protect your skin by fully moisturizing after any length of time in the tub.

Body and Mind: Baths can bring a sense of relaxation to our bodies and offer quick recovery to sore and achy muscles. The cozy, all around warmth of a bath reduces stress by forcing us to slow down and relax. Showers have similar effects as they too can promote relaxation and ease anxiety by massaging our muscles with the pressure from a hot waterfall. Hot shower steam can also act as a decongestant when you have an unrelenting cold. Conversely, cool showers have quite a few benefits as well. They bring alertness in the morning, help promote weight loss and boost our immune systems.

Convenience

When you wake up later than intended and you quickly need to get clean before heading off to work, you are most likely going to choose a shower. In fact, the average shower length in the U.S. is about 8 minutes long while simply filling up the average tub can take over 7 minutes alone. When you have the time and you want to be wrapped up in a tub full of warm, relaxing water then a bath may well be worth the extra time it takes. One caveat of a bath may lie in the need to shampoo and condition your hair. You won’t really be able to thoroughly rinse your hair out in a tub, so some find that they need to end a soak with a quick rinse from the shower head. In fact, regardless if you’re doing your hair or not it’s best to have a quick rinse anyway to remove soap residue that could potentially cause skin irritation.

Water

How much water are you using? Well, this depends on how long of a shower you like taking. But if your deciding factor is based on water consumption then a shower is the better way to go. A ten-minute shower uses about 25 gallons of water, in other words, a standard showerhead pumps out about 2.5 gallons of water per minute. A bathtub holds approximately double the amount of a ten-minute shower as tubs can range from 40 to over 100 gallons of water…which is a lot of water for one soak. So, if preserving water is important to you, you’ll want to stick primarily with showers.

Baths are a luxurious way to wind down, relax and rejuvenate your body. Your happy place may just be in a cozy tub with Spotify playing your favorite tunes, but they do take a little extra time and can be a little harsher on your skin if you aren’t careful. Showers, while also relaxing, can be a bit more convenient, especially when you are feeling rushed. They also provide more control over any water conservation efforts.

Both options offer our bodies a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. If you run into any trouble with your shower head losing pressure, or your hot water running out too quickly, give The Plumbing Joint a call as we would be happy to help evaluate the problem and make any necessary repairs.