We assure you that it’s perfectly common to be guilty of at least one of the following shower mistakes. This is because they’re mostly basic habits which we don’t typically think much of. However, despite the fact that showering is supposed to help you rejuvenate and cleanse your body, if you’re not careful of some things it can even backfire on you. More explicitly, on your skin.
That being said, if you’d like to see that every showering session results in a naturally glowing skin, you might need to steer clear of the following mistakes.
5 Shower Mistakes that Damage Your Skin
#1 Your Water Is Too Hot
We all know that there are few things as soothing during the harsh months of winter as a long, hot shower. While it definitely warms you up considerably, there are two factors which take their toll on your skin. Hot water strips your skin of its natural oils, drying it up and sucking out the lipids that help lock moisture in. Length also matters, seeing how the longer you splash that steaming water on your skin, the more likely it is for the damage to kick in.
#2 Your Soap Isn’t Moisturizing
There are certain soaps which may be really effective in stripping off bacteria and germs, but they really lack moisture. You have no reason to be using these soaps (which are much more indicated for washing your hands) in the shower. Therefore, what you should be looking for is soaps that can moisturize your skin instead of drying it out.
#3 You Scrub Aggressively
Many people use loofahs and washcloths, which is fine… until you start scrubbing with them. Loofahs in particular can be really harsh on your skin, grinding away its protective shells and leaving it vulnerable and, well, not particularly healthy. Using a scrubbing lotion with a gentle cotton washcloth is going to be enough. And speaking of loofahs – you might also look into throwing away your old one for a new replacement regularly. This is to avoid the unpleasantness of bacteria build-up.
#4 Your Gels and Washes Have Too Many Bubbles
In other words, you might be using shower gels or other shower products which contain too much lather. The more lather in a product, the more it will strip your skin of its natural oils, contributing to dryness and even itchiness. Look into Dove or Olay products if you want body washes with minimal lather.
#5 You Don’t Rinse Well Enough
It can happen to the best of us. You step out of the shower and you see a lingering patch of soap on your nape or a faint line of shampoo in your hair. Don’t just wipe it off. Step back in and properly rinse the soap off. If you don’t do that, you’re risking skin dryness and irritation.
Wrapping Up
Luckily for us, these shower mistakes should be easy to avoid from now on. If we are to boil down these tips to one major piece of advice, it would be this: stick to moisturizing, natural, and fragrance-free soaps.