Shower Routine Steps For Healthier and Glowing skin.
Your overall healthy skin goals very much depend on the way you carry out your shower routine. It's really a few tweaks and tricks you need in your shower routine to make all the difference. Things like flaky, dry, and ashy skin, hyperpigmentation, body odor, increased eczema, uneven skin tone, dull-looking skin, breakouts, ingrown hair bumps, and discoloration can all be a result of a couple steps missing or wrongly executed in your shower routine. "Have no fear, Esse Epistles is here!" (yes you read that right, the cape, and everything, just move on lol). We take a dive into the tips and tricks everyone out there's probably not letting you in on, but I'm your go-to gal.
What's The Need For A Shower Routine/Regimen?
When the words routine or regimen follow anything, I'm pretty sure your first thought is "time consumption" and I'll be completely frank on this one, the need to increase your shower time by a couple of minutes will definitely rise. But take it from me, having to incorporate those extra minutes will be completely worth it in a little while, it's been tried and tested, I can guarantee you.
Having a properly composed shower routine is important because it helps you execute healthy shower habits that not only give you the best out of your shower but also guarantee you healthier skin.
Shower Routine Steps For Healthier and Glowing Skin.
I'll be breaking these steps down into two categories, your Daily routine —the routine you use on a day-to-day basis, and your Weekly routine — the routine you use only two to three times a week. The facts are you need to practice both the daily and weekly regimen for desired results.
DAILY ROUTINE.
For this routine, you will have to follow and keep consistency every single day, it could get hard to catch the discipline and commitment needed for this in the beginning, but I can guarantee you that once you latch onto this routine there definitely is no going back. Because there are a few more steps included in this routine, you might need to compromise and make the sacrifice of adding a few more minutes to your bath or shower time, the sacrifice goes a long way trust me.
PRE-SHOWER.
Daily Face mask- I'll start by saying this very step isn't mandatory but there are many face masks designed to be used on a daily basis, and if you are interested in using these sorts of face masks this is probably the best time to go on ahead and use it, as the first step in your pre-shower routine. Again, this might mean adding a lot more time to your regular bath time, but if you really want the results that's a sacrifice worth making.
Cleanse your face- Using your regular facial cleanser, you want to go on ahead and wash your face very thoroughly away from the shower or bath, preferably a sink. I recommend following the 60-second rule and double-cleansing (which could imply using two different cleansers, though honestly using one also works well enough). Make sure you are using the right cleanser for your skin type and skin needs. For more information on this visit Skin Care Is Health Care.
Oral Hygiene-Simple and straightforward, floss before you go on and grab your toothbrush, and after a good floss, thoroughly brush your teeth, preferably in circular motions, remembering not to forget to scrub your tongue. Finish this off with a good mouthwash to rinse or gargle.
DURING SHOWER.
First Wash- Yes I said 'first', implying there is a second round of scrubbing and washing down. Here's why, the first round of your shower's sole purpose is to do heavy-duty work. This is light exfoliation, with much emphasis on the word light. This is the regular and gentle exfoliation your skin needs to get the dirt, dust, and sweat that accumulates, clumps and settles on the surface of your skin every day out. The use of either exfoliating gloves or a good loofah along with your bar soap or body wash is of course obvious. The benefits of using these specific tools are that it helps reduce the duller and less youthful appearance that comes as a result of all that accumulation of dirt, sweat, and dead skin cells on the top layer of your skin. Loofahs and exfoliating gloves scrub this layer off gently without disrupting the young and healthy skin cells underneath, reducing and eventually getting rid of hyperpigmentation and dry flaky skin. Disclaimer: If you have extremely and chronically sensitive skin this is not the way to go to get rid of these skin issues, using exfoliating gloves or loofahs every day could cause you more harm than good and that's the last thing you need. Please seek dermatological assistance if you have to deal with overly sensitive skin. Use this scrub session to the fullest getting to all the nooks and crannies, behind your ears, in between your toes and fingers, behind your neck, behind your knees, your ankles, inner elbows, buttocks, under arms, and in between the thighs. I know it may sound intense but not paying attention to the parts of your body that succumb to folding, friction, and exposure to the sun is risky and will lead to discoloration, uneven skin tone, mustiness, and body odor, trust me that's not a risk worth taking.
Second Wash- This time around, all the intense work is done, and we are about to get a lot more gentle, this is my personal favorite part of shower time because it has with it a sense of relaxation. After your first rinse, we go into our second round of scrubbing with the use of our wash cloth which is a lot softer and gentle, alongside a sweet-scented and relaxing body wash or body conditioner. This serves to make sure all the dirt and dead skin that's been scrubbed off is being taken off completely and also revives the moisture that could have gotten lost during the first wash, hence the emphasis on using a body wash or conditioner the second time around. Selective bar soaps can have detergent-like tendencies and strip your skin of its moisture which can cause flakiness and dry skin, so even though they do an amazing job cleansing the skin of stubborn layers of dirt and dead skin cells, they can cause damage if not catered to. So of course it could be a stretch to have to use both a bar of soap and a liquid body wash or conditioner, so I'd suggest you use a liquid body wash or conditioner for both steps all throughout your shower time. But I will be honest with you I'm currently (as of writing this) using both, Dove bar soap and the Lux Soft Skin with French Rose And Almond Oil Body wash and I can attest to the amazing results.
Intimate Hygiene- Okay, so when it comes to this one, because I'm female facts point towards me being more acquainted with feminine hygiene than masculine hygiene (if that's what it's called, excuse me for not having any knowledge on this), so this point is definitely going to be 100% female bias. This step purposely comes after both washes because, if you're a well-informed female, you know that our downstairs area is her happiest when she's at certain PH levels ranging between 3.8 and 5.0, which is moderately acidic. So because we do not want our PH balance off, getting into our feminine hygiene after using the different soaps prior, gives us a chance to try and keep the PH balance steady because soaps have a PH balance ranging from 9-10 which is at the polar end of the PH scale running from acidic to alkaline, and that's not what we need. Medical professionals recommend the use of water and light scented or unscented soaps instead, there are a selected few feminine washes that have been given clearance, but that's more research you could go on ahead and personally do here. There's still a heated debate on whether feminine washes should be used or not, seeing as many of them claim to have PH balancing properties, and even though the recommendations given are to use water which has a PH balance of 7 and mild soaps which like mentioned before are still likely to be alkaline. My recommendation is to do enough research and see your gynecologist on a regular, but whether the sun comes out or not, feminine hygiene is a must however you do it.
Foot Scrub- I know I went all in with the previous three points but thank goodness this very point is as plain as it comes. Scrubbing, exfoliating, and washing your feet regularly can help prevent irritation, which can contribute to calluses and cracks. It can also help protect you against fungal infections such as toenail fungus and athlete’s foot. That makes washing your feet daily an absolute must. The use of a pumice stone or exfoliating brush will make all the difference.
POST SHOWER.
Moisturize- Right after you get out of the shower you do not want to get out all dried up. Yes, you read that right, soaking wet is fine too. The point of not drying yourself down immediately after the shower is to retain the moisture that is still on your body with the products you're going to use to moisturize. What you want to do is air dry your body. When your skin is close to getting dry and is in that damp-ish state, that's when you want to begin applying your body with moisturizers. I recommend using a body oil first and then following up with your body lotions or body butters. I'm convinced using your body oil works better in retaining that moisture you need and working hand in hand with your body lotion to give you moisturized and glowing skin to last you the entire day. You want to remember to finish your facial skincare routine when you're done moisturizing your body.
Deodorant And Perfume/Body Mists.- Owning a deodorant is just important as owning a bar of soap. If we could wash away our sweatiness for good I'm pretty sure we would, but the world doesn't work that way, we need deodorant to keep the mustiness at bay. Go on ahead and wear your deodorant, body mists, and perfumes most preferably after you have your clothes on for fear of staining them.
WEEKLY ROUTINE.
This routine in particular will only need to be done two to three times a week, a minimum of at least once a week.
PRE-SHOWER.
Cleanse face.-Similar to the Daily routine, you want to go on ahead and wash your face first with your cleanser. This is very important as it prepares your skin for the next step which is:
Face scrub.- To prevent hyperpigmentation and discoloration exfoliating your face with a good scrub weekly is to be prioritized.
Face Mask.- A good weekly face mask is nothing short of a must, this could range from your common clay, and charcoal masks right down to your peel of masks. Disclaimer: I would advise you to be cautious with sheet masks because most of them are used for moisturizing purposes and are to be used at the end of your routine, but unless otherwise, sheet masks will suffice as well. Remember to rinse off after the appropriate time.
Oral Hygiene.- Just the same as before, floss before you go on and grab your toothbrush, after a good floss, thoroughly brush your teeth preferably in circular motions, remembering not to forget your tongue. finishing this off with a good mouthwash to rinse or gargle, however you prefer to use your mouthwash.
DURING SHOWER.
Disclaimer: The 'During Shower' steps can be a lot more time-consuming and is best suited for free days during the week.
First Wash.- This goes exactly the same as it would in the daily routine.
Body Scrub.- This part in particular is when you want to go in with your body scrub. Any product that's made for this purpose will do well, making sure it is a good and reliable product too. Body scrubs can also be homemade so there really is no need to purchase if affordability becomes a bit of an issue. Homemade body scrubs can be made from sugar, oats, coffee, and more. This step is vital for overall and more intense exfoliation, body scrubs remove dead skin cells, and so provide several benefits: They allow your skin to absorb moisturizer better. By getting rid of dead skin cell buildup, any moisturizer applied afterward will soak into the skin more thoroughly. They unclog pores and prevent ingrown hairs, which is very important for the very next step.
Shaving.- You always want to shave only after exfoliation. This makes it easier for you to escape ingrown hairs. Exfoliating pushes dirt and dead skin out of the way, which allows the razor to glide more smoothly over the skin. Additionally, exfoliating before shaving lifts the hairs, making for a painless shave. At this point in our routine, we have already gotten past the exfoliating stage and so shaving comes easy. This is entirely dependent on each individual, especially when it comes to where exactly to shave but the technique still works the same. If you are one to opt for waxing, the principle doesn't change, exfoliation is key.
Second Wash.-Again this part goes just the same as it does in the Daily Routine. With the exact same steps to come after, these being Intimate Hygiene and Foot Scrub.
POST SHOWER.
Moisturize.-This point in your weekly routine is also the same as before, except more attention is paid with regards to where you moisturize. Because you want to make sure you are moisturizing the areas of your body you exfoliated well, thoroughly paying even close attention to areas you might have shaved.
Deodorant And Perfume/Body Mists.- Yet again nothing far from the same steps you'll take in your daily fragrance and deo routine, though I will beg you to take caution with spraying alcohol-based (which is almost all) fragrances directly to your skin, especially because after a series of exfoliating, your skin could be a little more sensitive than usual and spraying directly onto your skin can cause a burning sensation or irritation (speaking from experience). Though this is no cause for alarm, it's as expected.
TIPS TO CARRY WITH YOU!
I know we enjoy steaming hot showers but taking warmer showers as opposed to really hot ones will improve the overall health of your skin. Hot water temps strip away your skin's natural oils and can cause drier, and flakier skin. This is especially troubling if you have dermatological issues or are dealing with eczema or dry skin in winter. I know you'd rather not hear it but Lukewarm water is the way to go. Pro Tip: If lukewarm water feels uncomfortable, start your shower with hot water. Gradually work your way down the temperature scale (from hotter to cooler).
Like your toothbrush, replacing your loofahs and exfoliating gloves often is essential. Once you hang your loofah up to dry in the shower area, it’s still technically collecting moisture or steam residue from your time spent using it. Dead skin cells lingering in a moist place are a recipe for dangerous bacteria to grow and multiply. So consider switching them out after a month to three months.
Use body washes infused with soothing ingredients and scents or essential oils like rose, lavender, green tea, sea salt, etc. This makes the entire shower more relaxing.
Don't be in a hurry to dry yourself down after the shower. You need that moisture.
Use Deodorant after you put your clothes on, to prevent staining your clothes.
Exfoliate your lips weekly as well. And use chap sticks or lib balm after your facial skin care routine.
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