You can’t spend all day in the shower like The Bachelor Colton Underwood, but you can still make the most of that time.
Showers are sacred. I don’t care if you shower in the morning, at night, at the gym, at a truck stop—a shower is probably one of the only times you take a break out of your day for a little #selfcare. You don’t even have to be obsessed with grooming to know the value a good shower. When new Bachelor Colton Underwood recently said in an interview he spent an entire day showering so the crew could film thirst-trap footage to spread throughout the series, it got me thinking.
A day-long shower sounds great, but in my world (and I’d bet yours too), it’s a luxury to have more than five minutes to freshen up. Plus, given that the average American shower uses 17.2 gallons of water, it’s our duty to our mother earth to not dawdle. That’s why it’s important to make the most out of your shower time in every way you can. It’s actually possible, and some say preferable, to do about 90% of your grooming routine in the shower. Great news for those of us who chronically oversleep (me), don’t have the patience to take a bath (me), and truly do want to save some water for other people (me, again). Think I’m wrong? Here’s how you can do it.
1. Put On a Mask While the Water Warms Up
Before you turn on the shower, slather your face in a detoxing mask. They often contain clay or charcoal, which will help draw out impurities and dirt as it dries and gives you a much deeper clean than your average face wash. You can even take it down to your neck if you’re prone to razor burn or body acne. This will cleanse and exfoliate your skin, which makes shaving easier and less irritating (like sanding a piece of furniture before you paint it). Look for masks that also have hydrating ingredients, like Jojoba Oil, so it doesn’t leave your skin tight after you wash it off with warm water.
2. Ditch the 2-in-1 and use a Co-Wash
Consolidating your hair washing routine is important in this scenario, but 5-in-1 products aren’t the best answer. Most of them go heavy on the washing and lighter on the conditioning, so they can leave your hair clean but dry. Instead, use a Co-Wash(also called a conditioning wash), which flips that ratio. It looks and feels more like a conditioner, but cleans your hair without stripping your hair of natural oils. Some co-washes can be a little heavy, so if you have thin or straight hair, look for bottles that don’t use words like “decadent” or “deep”. Leave it on for a little bit longer than you would a regular shampoo.https://ad.a-ads.com/1466155?size=728×90
3. Use the Steam to Shave
We all know to shave after a shower, because the steam softens our facial hair and the moisture helps decrease irritation. But shaving in the shower is even better for that exact reason. As Laura Maciejczyk, Senior Barber at Truman’s Gentlemen’s Groomers in New York City, has told us before, “Shaving in the shower will be the best you’ll get outside the barber shop.” The constant barrage of steam keeps pores open and hair follicles lulled into a softness that makes them easier to cut. The pre-shave lotion you apply will sink in faster and protect your skin better. Plus, it’s easier to wash off shaving cream than bending over a sink, if you ask me. Just make sure you get a fog-free shave mirror before you try it, unless you want your shower to turn into that scene from Psycho.https://ad.a-ads.com/1466155?size=728×90
4. Use a Body Wash (and Loofah)
If you’re going to be using a body wash, your hands just won’t cut it. You need to use a loofah, also known as a “spongey mesh ball thing.” The mesh material exfoliates the dead cells on your body as you wash, which not only helps clear the way to a better clean, but leaves your skin feeling softer and healthier. A washcloth will do the same thing, but the bonus with a loofah is that you don’t have to remember to throw it in the washing machine. Just make sure you get a new one very few months.
5. Brush Your Teeth
The idea of brushing your teeth in the shower is surprisingly polarizing: either you’re very into it or you’re very against it. Proponents say it saves time and water and opponents say a moist environment leads to more bacteria growth on your brush. The American Dental Association is completely fine with you brushing in the shower as long as you still do it twice a day, for a full two minutes, and you don’t leave your brush in the shower all the time (seems like there is truth to that bacteria claim). Either way, if you really do want to do your full grooming routine in the shower, you can, and that routine should always include brushing your teeth.
6. Polish Your Feet
Another polarizing issue? Washing below your knees in the shower. Some of us do it, some of us don’t. I will say that even though I don’t always scrub my feet in the shower, my life changed when I got a pumice stone. Like most other places on your body, the hot water from a shower softens the hard, rough skin on your feet. Using one of these stones to gently sand away calluses and dry patches will keep your feet looking great, even if you’ve never sat in a pedicure chair.
7. Use an In-Shower Lotion
I’m not sure if you’re a lotion guy, but I’m not. One of the reasons I can’t seem to make the leap is because I always forget once I’m out of the shower. But especially in cold months, dry skin can be painful. The skin on our hands can crack, our elbows and knees can become rough, and dry skin all over our bodies can itch and flake. The best way to stay comfortable and keep your skin healthy is to moisturize all over your body. I like an in-shower lotion or oil, which is specifically formulated to be used on wet skin and lock in more moisture. Use this as the last step in your Optimized Shower Routine right before you turn the water off.
8. Finish with Your Face
Ok, technically you don’t use this in the shower, but in the interest of time-saving I’ll allow it. Once your done with your improved all-inclusive shower, the last thing you want to do is slather on more stuff. Pads like this are a full-skincare routine in one: antioxidant serum, anti-aging cream, moisturizer, whatever else you want. Swipe one over your face once you’ve dried off and you barely need to do anything else to your face.
