While many people consider their daily shower as necessary as eating a meal, it seems that a growing number of individuals are bathing far less often, according to The New York Times. But does skipping a shower every few days help or harm your skin?

Dr. Richard Gallo, chief of the dermatology division at the University of California, San Diego, told the news source that showering too much can strip your skin of essential lipids and oils, resulting in dry skin. It can also eliminate beneficial bacteria.

“Good bacteria are educating your own skin cells to make your own antibiotics [and] they produce their own antibiotics that kills off bad bacteria,” he added.

However, those who shower less may be wondering how to maintain lustrous locks without a daily lather. A product such as Clean Original Dry Shampoo can revitalize stringy strands without water.

And it seems that many other people have discovered the benefits of this item. The publication reports that sales of dry shampoo have more than doubled from 2007 to 2009, according to the NPD Group, a market research firm.