Gentlemen, you've been showering WRONG every day.
First of all, I hope you're showering every day.
If not, you should unless you enjoy torturing everyone around you with your “scent.”
Now that you know to shower every day, it's time to know how to hack your shower and improve the way you shower forever.
Today's article will go through 7 shower hacks for men that will change the way you shower forever and optimize your time.
Shower Hacks for Men – Contents
Let's get down to business.
- Utilize a Navy Style Shower
- Use a Shower Mirror to Shave
- Use an Exfoliator
- Moisturize Your Skin Immediately After a Shower
- Rinse Conditioner with Cold Water
- Trim Your Nails After Showering
- Listen to an Audiobook While You Shower
Shower Hack #1: Utilize a Navy Style Shower
Did you wake up late? Maybe you think your water bill is too high? This hack is perfect for you.
A navy style shower is a showering method that minimizes the amount of time you spend in the shower and conserves the most water.
This shower style originated in the United States Navy and was aimed at conserving the supply of freshwater. Often onboard ship, the number of freshwater reserves were scarce, and the ships' ability to filter saltwater would often stop working.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the shower's average length lasts 8 minutes. An 8-minute shower uses, on average, 17.2 gallons (65.11 liters) of water. A navy style shower only uses around 3 gallons (11.36 liters) of water.
That is a huge difference.
The total time of the shower is two minutes. Yes – that's all. All it takes is 3 easy steps:
- Get Wet – jump into the shower, turn on the water, and get your entire body wet.
- Clean Yourself – turn off the water, lather up your entire body with your body soap and shampoo, and conditioner.
- Rinse Yourself – turn the water back on and rinse all of your body completely off.
Navy style showers can also be called a “combat shower,” a “military shower,” a “sea shower,” a “staggered shower,” or a “G.I. bath.”
This hack can be handy for a man in any situation. If you wake up late, take a navy style shower to get ready quicker. If you have kids at home always bothering you, take a navy style shower to get out of their way quicker.
Single or married, this hack is useful for any man and is great for the environment.
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Shower Hack #2: Use a Shower Mirror to Shave
Shower mirrors are a relatively new invention that can you can use as a hack to save time and get the closest shave possible.
I know what you're thinking: the mirror will get foggy. Wrong!
Shower mirrors are fog-free, and there are two main types of these mirrors.
Pre-Treated Shower Mirrors
The most popular style of shower mirror is a pre-treated mirror. These are coated with a chemical mixture (similar to a polymer) covering the mirror's surface, preventing it from having fog.
While a cheap and easy version of a shower mirror, the biggest issue is that these mirrors will wear out and need to be replaced.
Anytime you use your shower, the chemical film begins to wear off. This leads to needing replacement mirrors frequently.
Fixed Water-Heated Shower Mirrors
A Fixed Water-Heated mirror is your second most popular option for a shower mirror and requires a little installation.
To install, you would remove the shower head from the shower wall pipe. After this, you will add a plumbing connector (which is included with most mirrors) and then reconnect the shower head properly. From there, you would connect the mirror to the plumbing connector, and you're done.
When installed properly, a small amount of water from your shower will circulate through a copper coil embedded in the shower mirror. As the water circulates, it warms the mirrors to the same temperature as the shower water, making it impossible for the fog to form. The water completes its circuit by traveling back up through the flexible arm and out into the shower stream.
Either option you choose, you will be able to shave your face when it is the easiest to do so. The steam from your shower will naturally soften the hair on your face and give you the smoothest shave you have ever felt.
Important Razor-Care Precautions
It is important not to keep your razor in the shower. A razor left in the shower is a breeding ground for bacteria. It's especially worse if you are using a disposable razor.
This will lead to infections in your face and more pimples as your pores are open from the hot water, and the steam and bacteria will easily get into them.
Just keep your razor in your bathroom cupboard when you're done using it.
Never use your phone as a mirror in the shower.
First of all, we spend over $1,000 on phones, and you could easily damage it in the shower.
Second of all, big brother could be watching you. Do you really want people to see you like that?
Unless you like the idea of anyone seeing you naked in the shower or destroying that $1,000+ phone, keep your phone away from the inside of your shower.
I'll give you a hack later on how to use your phone to enhance your shower.
Shower Hack #3: Use a Robust Exfoliator
Using an exfoliator might be the most important thing you can do for overall skincare. While some of you may already be exfoliating your face, you should also be exfoliating your entire body.
Exfoliating your body will remove dead skin cells, unclog pores, and prevent acne. This process will also improve the overall skin tone of your body and soften your skin texture.
If you wash your body with your hands, you are dropping the ball and not getting your body as clean as possible.
One of the best tools to use for this is a loofah.
The “sponge-like” loofah is believed by most scientists to have originated in Asia or Africa. The early versions were originally called a “Luffa gourd,” which was grown from the Luffa plant. A Luffa plant is a vine that is part of the cucumber family.
Incredibly, carbon dating revealed that the Luffa gourd was brought to North America over 9000 years ago.
The Luffa plant was one of the first domesticated crops made by early European settlers in the North American colonies.
Today, loofahs can be made from natural or synthetic materials. Natural loofah still comes from the original plant. Natural loofahs will last 4-6 weeks before it will need to be replaced.
The synthetic loofahs are much easier to find, though. Typically, a synthetic loofah will need to be replaced after 3 weeks of use, as it will begin to accumulate bacteria and become worn out.
You can extend the life of a synthetic loofah by cleaning it weekly. To clean it thoroughly, soak it in diluted bleach for 5 minutes and then rinse it thoroughly. If you don't want to use bleach because of its nature, put it in your dishwasher and run it for a cycle.
Another great tool to use is a back scrubber. A back scrubber will help you to reach those hard to reach places on your back.
Much like a loofah, a back scrubber can massage your back, exfoliate the skin and work in your favorite soap or body wash. This doesn't just have to be used on your back. I would recommend having a back scrubber with boar bristles; this will better job exfoliating than the scrubbers that use plastic nodules.
Next Level Body Exfoliation: Sea Salt Body Scrub
If you are thinking about taking your exfoliation game to the next level, start using a natural body scrub to deeply exfoliate and clean your skin once or twice a week.
VITAMAN's Sea Salt Body Scrub is the best body scrub for men money can buy. It really gets in there and deep cleans your pores – and it smells amazing.
It’s got natural, mineral-rich Australian sea salt, which scrubs off that top layer of dead skin and deep cleans your pores to prevent breakouts and free up ingrown hairs.
Not only does it help remove dead skin cells – the process of exfoliation increases circulation. It encourages skin cell regeneration, which tightens your skin, giving it a firmer and younger-looking appearance.
Sea Salt contains 84 trace minerals, including calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, and potassium, which help to absorb toxins in the body – and magnesium is an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent which is effective at getting rid of acne.
On top of this, this scrub is fortified with natural ingredients like Macadamia Nut Oil (contains palmitoleic [pal-meh-toe-lee-ik] acid – great for dry skin), Sweet Almond Oil (great for improving acne), and Cedarwood Bark Oil (gives this scrub an invigorating, fresh aroma).
After using this sea salt scrub once, I guarantee you will feel a difference in your skin.
Shower Hack #4: Moisturize Your Skin Immediately After Showering
Much like shaving during or after a shower, the best time to moisturize your skin is immediately after a shower.
Boston Cosmetic Surgeon Dr. Michael S. Kaminer states that the best time to apply body lotion is directly after showering.
“Your skin has the most moisture when it's wet, and most moisturizers work best when the skin is already hydrated,” said Dr. Michael S. Kaminer on moisturizing your skin.
He also states that water can evaporate off your skin quickly after a shower, which will leave your skin feeling dry.
Dry skin is uncomfortable and can make you look much older by exacerbating wrinkles and fine lines. The best way to avoid this is to apply body lotion after your shower while your skin is still moist.
It is simple: lightly pat yourself with a towel so that your skin remains damp and then apply your moisturizer of choice to your body.
It is important not to use a face moisturize on your body. These are not strong enough to penetrate the skin on your body. It is best to get a moisturizer or lotion specifically designed for the tougher skin on your body.
The Importance of a Natural Moisturizer
It is also important to get a natural body moisturizer made with high-quality ingredients and no synthetic ingredients. Most moisturizers use artificial ingredients and preserving methods so that their product's shelf life is longer.
A general rule of thumb: avoid ingredients you can't pronounce.
The best natural ingredients you should look for in a natural moisturizer are:
- Almond Oil
- Aloe Vera
- Avocado Oil
- Coconut Oil
- Cocoa Butter
- Grape Seed Oil
- Green Tea
- Hemp Seed Oil
- Jojoba Oil
- Olive Oil
- Safflower Oil
- Shea Butter
- Vitamin C
Shower Hack #5: Rinse Conditioner with Cold Water
Using cold water to rinse conditioner allows more of the nutrients to lock into your scalp and hair follicles as your pores will close as soon as the cold water hits them.
Dr. Abraham Armani, a board-certified hair transplant surgeon, states that this trick is based on the anatomy of the hair shaft. He states that the cuticle is the outermost part of the hair and resembles the roof's shingles. These “shingles” will open and close depending on the temperature of the water you use to wash your hair.
The best practice is to get your hair wet with warm water and rinse your shampoo with this warm water. This warm water should be around 100 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius). This will allow the pores and hair follicles to open up but not damage your hair or skin.
After rinsing your shampoo out with warm water, apply your conditioner and leave it in for the specified time. While waiting, change your water from warm to cool and then rinse the conditioner out gently. The cool water should be around 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius).
Again, it is vital to make sure your water is not extremely hot or extremely cold – neither is good for your skin or hair.
This will lock in all of the moisturizing ingredients and give you less frizz in your hair if you have curly hair. Your hair will also lay more smoothly as the cells in your hair will be closed and will give your hair a healthier appearance.
Shower Hack #6: Trim Your Toenails After Showering
Ever struggle to cut your toenails easily? Ever felt embarrassed by your toenails and not want to take your socks off around a woman? This is one of the best shower hacks for you.
Cutting your toenails after showering is an easy way to make trimming toenails painless and easy. Once again, the hot water and steam from your shower will soften your toenails.
This also happens to your fingernails too and while it works for your toenails, it is not the best idea to trim your fingernails after a shower. With the increase in softness of your nails, the likelihood of cracking a nail goes way up.
If you want an easier fingernail trim, then go for it after a shower. Just be very careful and go slowly.
It is important to invest in a quality manicure set. I know what you're thinking: “Guys don't need to file their nails.” Wrong. It is the 21st century, time to let go of old preconceptions.
A quality manicure set will include at least the following: a nail clipper, a nail scissor, a nail file, a cuticle nipper, a cuticle trimmer, a cuticle pusher. It's also important to make sure your manicure tools are made of the highest quality stainless steel.
Once you have your set, gently cut your nails after your shower. Go slowly and cut small pieces off at a time. Just like with haircuts, you can always take more off, but you can't put more back. After trimming, make sure to file them as well.
This is a process, gents. Trust me, though. Everyone will notice the next time they see your feet. If you want to read more about trimming both your fingernails and toenail, click here to check out my guide on exactly how to trim your nails the RIGHT way!
Shower Hack #7: Listen to an Audiobook
Gentlemen, over the course of one year, how long do you think you spend in the shower? Let's say you take one shower a day for around an average of 8 minutes.
After a little simple math, this adds up to 60 hours spent in the shower in one year! That is around 2 1/2 days…
So other than cleaning your body, what are you going to do in the shower?
Listen to audiobooks.
In today's society, it is hard to find time to read. I get it. It is nearly impossible for some to find the time to read with meetings and work and kids and girlfriends and wives and cooking and exercising.
This is the perfect opportunity. Instead of spending your time in the shower mindlessly listening to the new Billie Ellish hit or day-dreaming, use this time to expand your knowledge!
According to Audible, the average length of an audiobook is around 10 hours.
In theory, you could “read” around 6 books in a year without even trying when listening to them during your shower every day.
You could probably listen to even more if you continue to listen to audiobooks during the rest of your morning/evening routine in the bathroom.
When is the last time you have been able to read 6 books without even trying? Get to it – your mind is desperately hungry for knowledge.
Read next: 10 shower mistakes me make – how to shower properly.
Shower Hacks for Men – Summary
So there you have it, gents.
7 shower hacks that you can embrace and use to make better use of your time in the shower.
I know if you use these shower hacks, you will look better and feel better.
Now that you have some brand new shower hacks to embrace, why not embrace some more simple habits that have made my life better?
Click here to check out the 8 SIMPLE Habits That Made My Life Better!
