Some people see showers as a necessary (and lovely) ritual that all decent human beings do daily…

While others believe it’s a chore to avoid until the last possible minute and then do as quickly as humanly possible.

If you’re in this category and have ever wondered how often you actually need to clean your body, the answer is: not as often as most Americans probably think.

Two dermatologists tell BuzzFeed Life that most Americans shower way more than is necessary.

According to Dr. Joshua Zeichner, assistant professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, how frequently we shower and what we perceive as body odor is “really more of a cultural phenomenon.” Boston dermatologist Dr. Ranella Hirsch echoes this sentiment. “We overbathe in this country and that’s really important to realize,” she says. “A lot of the reason we do it is because of societal…