How Often Do You Shower? Influencer B. Simone’s Confession Erupts Internet

Influencer B. Simone has admitted that she sometimes skips a shower between Monday and Thursday, prompting fierce backlash on social media.

While recording her podcast “The Know For Sure Pod” last week, the actress and comedian with 6 million Instagram followers said definitively, “I don’t shower every day.”

In a clip circulating on Twitter, B. Simone’s co-host Megan Brooks asked, “If you take a shower on Monday, when’s the next time you’re taking a shower?”

“At least by Thursday morning,” replied B. Simone. She then amended her answer to Wednesday, but said, “A Thursday probably has happened…if we’re super busy, I’d rather sleep than shower.”

B. Simone’s showering schedule quickly went viral, pushing her name into Twitter’s trending topics on Thursday. A rash of internet commentators said they were appalled, while memes about her hygiene erupted across social media.

One user posted an image of a bath filled with brownish-yellow liquid, tweeting, “B Simone Bath like”.

Another user shared a video that showed a crowd attempting to pull a man off a floor. “Today is Thursday, so it’s time for B. Simone’s weekly bath,” they tweeted.

In another meme, a Twitter user posted a video of a cat sniffing a baby, then scampering away to throw up. “When I found out why B Simone was trending,” they captioned the clip.

B. Simone made fun of the controversy by filming herself taking a shower on Thursday. “I’m in the shower, damn,” she said in the Instagram video. “Y’all want me to be in the shower so bad. It’s like, okay, I’m in the shower. Everything’s fresh.”

About two in three Americans shower once a day or more, a YouGov America poll found. For many daily bathers, the ritual has more to do with habit and social norms than health—many people choose to shower daily to combat body odor, to help them wake up or to complete a morning routine that may include working out.

Cleaning habits are also heavily influenced by marketing, according to Harvard Health Publishing. For example, shampoo bottles often include directions that say “lather, rinse, repeat.” There’s no evidence that washing your hair twice in each shower is good for your hair, but it is good for selling shampoo, they said.

There are downsides to showering every day, though. Frequent washing and scrubbing, especially in hot water, can disrupt the balance of “good bacteria” and other microorganisms present in normal, healthy skin, says Harvard Health Publishing.

As a result, the skin may become dry, irritated and more vulnerable to infections and allergic reactions. Our immune systems also require a certain amount of exposure to microorganisms and dirt in order to create protective antibodies and “immune memory.”

Nonetheless, the internet tends to take a keen interest in the showering habits of celebrities. Last year, actors Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher drew intense criticism after Kunis admitted to not bathing every day, while Kutcher said he only ever washed his “soles and holes.” The couple also said they only washed their children “if you can see the dirt on them.”

Newsweek reached out to B. Simone for comment.