Showering may be a personal activity, but that doesn’t mean that it falls into the category of complete relativity. There is a right way to shower, and the good news is that it’s not difficult. In fact, if you thought about it long enough, you could probably have landed on this without my help, except for the squeegeeing.
What doesn’t fit in the step-by-step instructions is that showering should be your time. Keep the speakers and phones out of the bathroom, and give yourself a few minutes alone with your thoughts, focusing on the steps in the process. Do it for just a few days and you’ll find your repetitive routine can become a rewarding ritual.
Step 1: Take it easy with the hot water. Somewhere along the way, lots of us got convinced that you weren’t completely clean unless you had scalded off your top layer of skin. In reality, very hot water can dry out your skin and leave sensitive skin irritated after your shower. So, keep the temperature below boiling point.
Step 2: Clean your hair first. It’s about more than cleaning from the top down. If you’ve been sweating, your body has also been releasing DHT (dihydrotestosterone), the chemical that can cause male pattern baldness and thinning. Get that stuff rinsed out of your hair first and spend the rest of your shower feeling a bit more relaxed. We recommend our
2-in-1 Shampoo Body Wash for getting a deep clean without drying out your hair.
Step 3: Conditioner happens next. Traditional wisdom says you most likely wash your hair too often (3-4 times per week at the most is what most stylists recommend), but since you’re probably not going to even consider slowing down with the shampoo, make sure you’re counterbalancing the process by restoring the moisture to your hair with a good conditioner.
Step 4: Be nice to your face. While it may be tempting to just use your bar soap or body wash all over – face included – go with an actual face wash. The skin on your face is thinner and more sensitive than the rest of your body, and a gentler formula will keep your skin happier and more balanced. In the long run, that means fewer blemishes. In the even longer run, fewer fine lines and wrinkles.
Step 5: Lather up, Navy style. Whether you’re a washcloth man, a loofah guy or a straight-up “bar-to-body” cowboy, you’re going to clean yourself better if you focus on the scrubbing rather than paying attention to where the showerhead is rinsing. So before applying your cleanser of choice, turn off the water for a bit. Whether it's a
bar or a
body wash gently scrub down your whole body before turning the water back on and rinsing off. If you’re worried about the soap drying on your skin, you’re taking
way too long.
Step 6: Rinse cold. Nope, it won’t close your pores (total myth), and the evidence is not even 100% that the exposure to cold will boost your testosterone. But turning the water back on as cold as possible will leave you feeling refreshed, and if you recently finished working out, it can help you stop sweating. Plus, it’s a great mental exercise. Can you keep your breath slow and steady while under a stream of icy-cold water for a couple of minutes? If so, the rest of the day can’t be so bad.
Step 7: Become a human squeegee. Before you exit, cup your hands into a human squeegee and slide them hard and fast down your arms and legs. Repeat the process with flat palms across your torso. If this is new to you, you’ll be amazed by how much water you’ll have swiped off before grabbing the towel, and there’s no other way to simultaneously feel like a manly savage while also keeping your bath mat nice and dry as a gentleman would.
Step 8: Pat dry. Rubbing even a nice fluffy towel against your skin can cause unnecessary skin irritation. So even if it feels a little silly, be a little gentler with that towel and dab yourself dry. Your skin will thank you.
Step 9. Hydrate. If you’ll be spending your day in a climate-controlled space, odds are that the air is going to be on the dry side. And, dry air makes for dry skin. Protect your skin with a
fast-absorbing, lightweight, moisturizing oil for your body.
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