A shower is a shower is a shower, right? As long as you use soap and rinse off, surely you must be doing it right. Well, studies show that that is not quite the truth.
In fact, did you know that there are many mistakes that just about all of us make when we shower? Showering isn’t exactly a science, but it turns out that there’s more to it than just soap and water. Here are ten mistakes that most of us make every day when we take a shower. You’ll be surprised just how much you’ve been doing it wrong.
#10 – The water temperature is way too hot
Especially when it’s cold outside, one of the most relaxing parts of your day might be when you hop in the shower for a steaming hot shower session. Yes, it feels great, but unfortunately, it isn’t the best thing for your body. Hot showers rob your skin of natural oils, just like hot water is great for rinsing off an oily pan. Furthermore, it causes your skin to become itchy, flaky, and rashed, especially if you have skin concerns such as eczema. Your hair will frizz, too. A hot shower every now and then won’t hurt, but try to stick to lukewarm or cold showers on the regular.
#9 – Washing your hair daily
Do you wash your hair every time you hop in the shower? If so, that’s not the best thing for your hair. Shampooing your hair everyday robs it of its natural oils, leaving it dry, frizzy, and less than ideal. Try instead to wash your hair once or twice each week. You’ll see a big difference.
#8 – Using your nails to scrub your scalp
Especially if you have a dry scalp already, using your fingernails to scrub your scalp may do more harm than good. Yes, it feels absolutely amazing every now and then, but it can cause further flaking and dryness. Instead, just use your fingertips to lather the shampoo.
#7 – Staying in the shower too long
For many of us, the shower is our place of peace, relaxation, and practicing for the big karaoke night. While there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a nice shower, staying in there for too long can cause your skin to dry out. As a general rule of thumb, strive to keep your shower time under ten minutes tops.
#6 – Scrubbing too hard
Try not to scrub your skin so hard. It may logically feel like scrubbing your skin harder will help to rid of bacteria and filth, but the truth is that this only removes the natural protective barrier your skin has. When this happens, your skin is actually bound to collect more dirt and bacteria.
#5 – Not rinsing well enough
On the other hand, it’s important to make sure that you rinse off well enough after soaping and shampooing. If you get out of the shower with soap and shampoo still on you, it can lead to irritated skin and clogged pores, which leads to acne and other skin problems.
#4 – Not moisturizing right after a shower
Rather than waiting until your skin is dry throughout the day, it’s much better and beneficial to moisturize almost immediately after you hop out of the shower. The longer you wait to moisturize, the more moisture your skin loses to the air, making it dry and rough. When you moisturize while you’re still a little wet, you work to keep some moisture in instead.
#3 – Soaping your entire body
It may feel dirty to even think about not using soap on some parts of your body. However, soap is built to dissolve oil and dirt so that the water can wash it off. Since some parts of your body––such as your limbs––don’t have much oil to give up, this can actually leave these areas dry and scaly. As a general rule, try using soap only on odor-causing parts of the body, such as your feet, armpits, groin, buttocks, and face.
#2 – Using soap with too much fragrance
Antibacterial or deodorant soap sounds reasonable. After all, the whole idea of showering is to rid the body of odor and bacteria, right? Well, it turns out these kinds of soap are overkill. Due to their high content of fragrances, alcohol, and other harmful ingredients, they can actually strip your skin of moisture, causing excessive dryness and flakiness. When your skin is dry, it ends up being more susceptible to bacteria and dirt buildup, which defeats the purpose of these soaps anyway. Instead, opt for mild and fragrance-free soaps that use essential oils and natural ingredients instead.
#1 – Using your towel too roughly
Especially if you have dry or problematic skin, scrubbing your body too hard with your towel can result in worse conditions. Instead, try to pat your skin dry gently––it’s okay if some water drops are left behind. Also, don’t scrub your hair dry with a towel because the roughness of it can cause damage and breakage. Instead, wrap it with a microfiber towel or even a shirt instead.
