10 Shower Mistakes MOST Men Make
Think you know how to shower?
Yeah… so did I.
Then I found out I was making a LOT of mistakes.
I’m willing to bet YOU are making some of these ten mistakes.
If you care about looking good, feeling good, and smelling good… you’ll want to read on and find out what they are.
Mistake #1: Overly HOT Showers
I love a hot shower – but you’ve got to understand that if you take a hot shower, you are 1) irritating your skin, and 2) stripping away the essential oils that are there to protect your skin and hair.
Cold showers can wake you up, boost your mood, improve your circulation, and train your willpower. A 1999 study out of Germany even found that the slight stress on your nervous system from plunging into a cold shower improves your resilience to stress.
But if you don’t want to go the whole way, try just a warm shower rather than a steaming hot one.
Or try a James Bond shower (starting hot and gradually turning it down to cold – the way Bond showered in the books.)
Mistake #2: Showering Too Often
I know what some of you guys are thinking – ‘Antonio, is this a problem? Cleanliness is next to godliness!’
Okay – but there’s such a thing as too much cleanliness. If you’re showering four times a day, unless there’s some medical or life reason why you need to – you are too clean.
For most of us showering once a day is perfectly fine.
Your skin needs a LITTLE natural oil left on it unless you want to look like an old crocodile. And unless you’re dripping with sweat, you only need a hair wash every 2-3 days.
Mistake #3: Showering Too Long
Time is money… don’t waste it in the shower.
If you’re spending 30 minutes to an hour in the shower – come on, think of all that water you’re wasting. It’s not doing anything good for your skin either.
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the water, but if you’re showering for longer than 10 minutes, you’ll use less water by taking a bath.
Or try a hot tub, a sauna, or a swim in the pool instead. Saunas are great for your skin – they boost your circulation and clear your pores, meaning you’ll have a healthy glow and fewer spots. Swimming pools are not so great for your skin because of the chlorine – but at least you’ll save water and get some exercise.
Mistake #4: Overly Harsh Shampoo
I get it – you want clean hair. You want to get rid of that product buildup. But understand that when you’re stripping away the product, you’re also stripping away the oils from your hair.
You could also be irritating your skin. A lot of shampoo has harsh chemical ingredients that can hurt your scalp. And a flakey, spotty head that you can’t stop scratching is not a good look.
To avoid this mistake, look for a bottle of shampoo that has all natural ingredients.
Make sure the ingredients are listed on the website where you can read them – if not, they probably have something to hide. You want:
No artificial fragrances
No sulfates
No parabens
Mistake #5: Aggressive Washing
Are you way too aggressive when you’re washing your skin? I know you like to take that washcloth or that loofah and scrub your face completely clean.
But if you look at yourself in the mirror afterward and you’re read – it’s irritating your skin. You are removing layers of skin.
Don’t do that – it can lead to breakouts and all kinds of issues. It’s okay to use a loofah, but you don’t need to be that rough.
Mistake #6: Putting Bacteria All Over Yourself
Closely tied to that last one – if you don’t use a fresh washcloth or you’re storing your loofah right there in the shower…
When something has been sitting there for a day damp and warm, that’s a breeding ground for bacteria.
Aside from just being nasty, if you have any trouble with acne, you’re going to make it worse. Also, adding bacteria to your body is not going to make you smell better. So be careful with reusing washcloths.
Mistake #7: Not Using Conditioner
You need to use conditioner in your hair. It’s not just for long hair.
If your hair is anywhere over an inch and you’ve used shampoo, the shampoo strips away all of the oils. The conditioner puts it back.
Using a conditioner makes a difference. It goes in there and remineralizes the hair. Try it – you don’t need to use too much.
Mistake #8: Too Much Shampoo Or Conditioner
We’re almost all guilty of this one – using way too much shampoo or conditioner.
All you need is a small amount – about the size of an almond.
I know some of you guys are saying, ‘But Antonio, I like to fill up my entire hand’ – no. Overusing shampoo is just a waste. It doesn’t get your hair any cleaner.
almond_size_shampoo
Mistake #9: Leaving Your Razor In The Shower
There’s nothing wrong with shaving in the shower – but recall what I said about leaving things in a warm moist place. Bacteria builds up, especially on those nicks and breaks in the razor if it’s a disposable one.
What do you get if you shave with a bacteria-laden razor? An infection on your face.
Just take a minute and put your razor in the bathroom cupboard when you’re done using it.
Leaving it on the bathroom sink is not an acceptable substitute… a lot of bacteria go flying into the air when you flush the toilet. So yeah – put your toothbrush in the cupboard too.
Mistake #10: Not Rinsing Properly
This mistake can lead to irritation because the shampoo is left on your hair and parts of your body, especially in the cracks and the crevices.
Get rid of all the shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, or as soon as your skin gets moist it’s going to suds back up and keep clean.
It’s going to strip away those oils. That can lead to irritation in the armpits, and in other areas, I won’t mention. So make sure to rinse properly.
How many of those mistakes were you making? I know I’ve made a few. To sum up what we’ve learned:
Don’t make your shower too hot.
Don’t shower too long or too often.
Use an all-natural shampoo with no harsh chemicals.
Don’t scrub your skin aggressively
Don’t leave your washcloth, loofah, or razor growing bacteria in the shower
You only need an almond-sized blob of shampoo or conditioner…
but you DO need conditioner.
Rinse your hair and body properly.