Everyone has their own shower routine and chances are, you don’t think much about how to do it since you’ve been doing it since you were a kid. But it turns out, there’s a right and wrong way to shower, regardless of your personal preference for what to wash first.
According to dermatologists, there’s an order we should be showering in for maximum cleanliness. Here’s what the skin health experts recommend for the best showering results.
- Step one - Wash your hair. If you typically start with washing your body, it’s time to change your ways. Washing your hair first gives the shampoo and conditioner more time to work their magic and gives you a chance to rinse any that gets on your skin, which is really important for those with sensitive or acne-prone skin. Dermatologist Dr. Hannah Kopelman explains, “Shampoo and conditioner often leave behind a film that can clog pores on your back and chest, especially if you’re acne-prone.”
- Step two - Lather your body with soap - After your hair, it’s time to wash your body. Unless you’ve been really sweaty or dirty, one full scrub will do. “Overwashing can strip your skin’s natural barrier, and I see that a lot in patients with dry, itchy skin,” Kopelman says. She recommends using a gentle cleanser and points out that less is more when it comes to harsh soaps.
- Step three - Then shave - Save this until last so the warm water has a chance to open up the hair follicles and your skin is softer. Dermatologist Dr. Stephanie Taylor says that makes it less likely you’ll get razor burn or irritation, as long as you’re using a sharp razor and shaving cream.
- And don’t take too long in there - Five to 10 minutes is all the time it takes to get clean, any longer and the hot water can strip the skin’s natural oils and potentially make skin conditions like eczema worse.⠀
Source: Parade