10 beauty tips to optimize your shower time


I don’t know about others but I hated to shower as a kid. My mom would have to scream at me to get me bathing. Every. Single. Day. Of course I grew up and realized that personal hygiene is important if I wanted to expand my social circle and not have people pinch their nose when they speak to me. Slowly, I adjusted to the cruel fact that I need to shower twice a day to keep myself presentable and over these past few years, I took more pains to “perfect” my showering routine so that I can both optimize my time and beauty. So how do I optimize my shower time? Here are my 10 tips:

1. Temperature of the water
Not many of us are fond of bathing in cold water especially if you come from a country with cooler climate. However, hot water is not ideal for bathing for it dries out your skin. So the best is to shower in lukewarm water as it is comfortable, and it helps to remove sebum. You may like to consider ending off your shower with a final cool water rinse to refresh as well as to increase circulation throughout the body. Washing our face in cold water can help to make blood vessels constrict and may even aid to reduce swelling and appearance of undereye dark circles. And as a final rinse for our hair, it can help close the scales of the cuticle, and can help constrict the openings of the sebaceous glands to help moderate sebum production.

2. Keep your shower time short
Well, quick showers essentially save water but it will also help your skin. Depending on where you’re located, the pH level of tap water differs but is usually around 7 while normal skin pH is said to be somewhat acidic and in the range of 4.2. to 5.6. Hence, excessive contact with water can dehydrate the skin and you also like to know that tap water has the tendency to strip away oils that seal in moisture.This is why our skin becomes wrinkly after contact with water for too long. It’s best to keep your shower times under 15 minutes.

3. Shower from top to bottom
Although this is kind of common sense but I know some people wash their hair last during their showers. Shampooing your hair first will ensure you filter the dirt down your body and as you cleanse your body, you get rid of those sebum and oil to emerge really clean.

4. Wash your face after shampooing
Going by the sequence of showering from top to bottom, it make sense to wash your face after shampooing so that you don’t get the dirt from your hair or the ingredients of your shampoo into your cleansed face. Believe me, but I didn’t get this right from the start.

5. Check the water pressure on your face
Most of us shower under a shower head and in this case, it’s best to avoid putting your face directly under the shower head as the water pressure can be detrimental to your skin in the long term. Either you adjust the water pressure to be more gentle or you collect the water in your hands before splashing on your face. Alternatively, wash your face at the sink.

6. Exfoliating and massaging during showering
This is something which I’ve found to be beneficial. Exfoliating is usually a natural extension of cleansing and by incorporating it into your shower, you basically save time. And if you do indulge in some sort of facial massage, try massaging your face while you’re showering and washing your face. It’s fast and easy as your cleanser can provide the necessary lubrication and you don’t need to apply a separate cream or oil. Additionally, this should help those who find that facial massage give them breakouts.

7. Clear your blackheads after a warm shower
Since most of us shower in warm showers, the steam from the water will help to open up pores. So this is a good time to exfoliate away your blackheads or for some of us, gently squeezing the blackheads away.

8. Get rid of dead cuticle skin
For those who do their own manicure or pedicure, shower time is a good time to get rid of those dead cuticle skin and give them a push for the varnishing later. This is because your skin is much softer and you’ll save time from having to soak your fingers or feet.

9. Moisturize immediately after
Our skin becomes drier after showering and so it’s important to moisturize after a shower. Applying moisturizer over damp skin also helps to lock in the moisture.

10. Dry yourself before stepping out of your shower
There are probably a few people who step out of their showers all wet and dry themselves in the room. It’s much better to pat yourself dry with your towel immediately after showering because leaving water to evaporate on your skin will make it drier. And try not to dry completely but leave your skin slightly damp for the moisturizing.

Do you like to shower?
I suppose others also optimize their shower time by shaving their legs or armpits but I don’t do those. And instead of asking you what you do to optimize your shower, I’ll just ask this – do you like to shower? I used to have a dog and I can perfectly understand why she hates shower time. (¬_¬)

Comments

  1. Soos says:

    I prefer to shower rather than take a bath – never seem to have time for that. I have way too many shower gels and washes, as my skin is dry and most soaps dry it further.

    As I don’t wash my hair every day (dry hair, too!) I’ll sometimes wash my face and apply a mask which I’ll rinse off in the shower. I find THAT’s a way to optimize time!

  2. aichaku says:

    interesting! i love my showers/baths. i personally hate the natural human smell. ;P i’ve been reading & thinking of writing abt people who refuse to shower or wash at all. it seems like a new trend to go al natural.

  3. MissQ says:

    I always remove my makeup first before shampooing followed by showering. If I have time, I will apply my green bean powder/yogurt/cleansing gel and leave it on my face during shower before massaging it and rinsing it off. Otherwise, I just cleanse my face normally with a cleansing gel as the final step in the shower routine. ?

  4. xin says:

    used to wash my face right after i brush my teeth before bath. but now i wash my head and finally washing my face ?

  5. fwy says:

    I like to shower in the morning & bath in the evening, alas; I do not have a bathtub at home.

  6. sesame says:

    Ah…it’s good not having to wash your hair daily. I find it a chore because I always have to blow dry afterwards.

    I do the mask too in the shower…once a week.

  7. sesame says:

    I probably love baths better cos that’s an indulgent. But I have to shower even though I don’t like it…not fond of the human smell especially from those who do not wash themselves. ?

  8. sesame says:

    Looks like you have optimized your beauty and shower routine to a pat! ?

  9. sesame says:

    I used to wash my face first before shampooing too…but have changed routine too. ?

  10. sesame says:

    I know what you mean…soak in a bath to unwind after a tiring day would be a great way to de-stress.

  11. EcoBeauty says:

    i like to shower but i can only afford one per day. i make sure it’s a full bath, though, so the freshness will last the entire day. ? i like the human scent—the modern human scent, to be exact. liking natural human scent doesn’t mean i’m pro caveman, lol.

  12. stella says:

    i love hot baths and showers (even if the weather is hot&humid, warm water is really so much more comforting!); takes the stress of the entire day away…unfortunately i don’t have a bath tub, also don’t have that much time to shower, just 20mins or so

  13. ange says:

    saw this video that you shouldn’t push back your cuticles !
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqHeiYDwsfE

  14. Cara says:

    I take showers every other day to save time. I also use my Yes to Cucumbers leave in conditioner (link here if you wanna check it out: http://bit.ly/gJg9cP). I love these tips! So many of my gfs have told me that its best to moisturize right after a shower as well. ?

  15. Cat says:

    but i like to shower FOREVER : )

  16. sesame says:

    That’s good…but don’t take long showers though. ?

  17. sesame says:

    Every other day? I suppose where you’re from the weather is cooler. We have to shower at least twice a day here cos of our hot weather or we’ll smell from a mile. Haha…

  18. sesame says:

    I’ll take a look at that – loading is a bit slow now. I think pushing back cuticles is fine but not trimming it because you need it to protect the nails. Also, not pushing very far back but more like pushing and tidying it up.

  19. sesame says:

    You do? I find hot showers uncomfortable unless the weather is very cold.

  20. sesame says:

    If the human scent is pleasant, it’s fine. ? I do prefer that to fragrance all over the body.

    But human scent with BO…oh geez. ?

  21. N. says:

    I don’t like showers unless I could sit for hours with water running down. Like a bath but with a lot more water being spent which is why I don’t do it. Of course a bath would seem like a great option but I really hate just staying soaked under water. Go figure.

  22. sesame says:

    My guess is a reluctance to leave the warm streaming water?

  23. Silva says:

    I love showers! They’re relaxing for me, I look forward to it all day #k8SjZc9Dxk#k8SjZc9Dxk

  24. sesame says:

    That’s great! I don’t look forward particularly but I like the fresh feeling afterwards. ?

  25. Kiera says:

    I totally agree that shower time should be cut short because too much of it leaves skin dry. It is very important for me to keep my skin moisturized. All my bath bars are moisturizing plus I put on lotion after.

  26. sesame says:

    That’s great. I find many soaps tend to leave my skin a little drying.

  27. Diane says:

    I’m kind of utilitarian in showering ? it’s a must do to keep clean than an indulgence… After reading your tips, I’m glad that I’m doing a few things right ?

    Now, if we talk about a bath…that’s something else! I love it especially with good bath salts. But, unfortunately reserved only for trips (since I don’t have a tub!) ?

  28. sesame says:

    Same here…no tub. So baths are enjoyed during trips and staycations.

  29. Vrinda says:

    hai, thanku for such an informative article ? so aftr washing ur hair, wht do u do, like, do u wrap it up in a towel n den wash d rest of d body with soap or shower gel? coz wht buggs me is that whn i wash my hair first, and let it hanging down, d soap or gel will get into my hair, which i just cleaned with shampoo n conditionr! n i dont like it. thats y i resorted to washing my hair last.. hmmm
    n wht do u suggest? using soaps or shower gels? i personally cant use strong soaps, coz dey dry up my skin quckliy, mild soaps like Dove do d deed for me. n shower gels dont seem to pose much problem, been using one for a month.

  30. sesame says:

    Hmm…no, because I have short hair so it’s easy to deal with. I guess you might need to wrap your hair up if it’s long. I prefer shower gels…find them more moisturizing.

  31. tom says:

    I’m a guy but I have had a lot of problems with dry and irritated skin, especially in the winter. I’ve experimented with different soaps and shampoos and laundry detergents etc and putting moisturizer on after showering and this that and the other. None of that really helped me much. Changing the temperature from blisteringly hot to warm/hot did help a little. What really made all the difference was lowering my shower time from about 12-15 minutes to half that time. After a few days of these shorter showers, with the only skincare just regular lever 2000 soap and an herbal essence shampoo, my skin regained its moisture and lost the irritation. I discovered this on my own when i noticed that some days my skin was better and i realized that it was on the days I was in a rush.

  32. sesame says:

    Oh that’s a good tip! Not showering for too long and also, not often. Glad you worked this out and your skin is better now.

  33. wilfred weihe says:

    I’m definitely guilty of washing my face first. I’ll tend to have a top to bottom mentality when I’m in the shower, but now I will wash my hair first. thanks!

  34. Melanie says:

    When I was a little girl, my dad used to say that ending off a shower with a final cool water rinse keeps you warm through the night. I still don’t believe him. ?

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  36. pictaram says:

    I think I did most of them, except moisturize ? Thank you for sharing the post!

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