01
I love a hot shower – but you've got to understand that if you take a hot shower you are: 1. Irritating your skin. 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.
02
I know what some of you guys are thinking – “Antonio, is this really 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 actually need to – you are too clean. The truth is, showering once a day is perfectly fine for most of us.
03
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 water. If you're showering for longer than 10 minutes though you'll use less water by taking a bath instead.
04
I get it – you want clean hair. 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 shampoos have harsh chemical ingredients that can cause irritation to your scalp. And a flakey, spotty head that you can't stop scratching is not a good look.
05
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 hard. If so, I'm sorry to say you don't know how to shower properly. If you look at yourself in the mirror afterward and you're red – it's irritating your skin. You are removing layers of skin.
06
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.
07
You need to use conditioner on 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.So, how to shower properly? Use a natural moisturizing conditioner.
08
Speaking of too much, we're almost all guilty of this one – using way more shampoo or conditioner than we need. Part of knowing how to shower properly is being able to judge the right amount and avoid being wasteful.
09
There is no single correct way to shave your face so there's nothing wrong with shaving in the shower. That's not what this is about. Remember what I said about leaving things in a warm moist place though. 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?
10
This mistake can lead to irritation because the shampoo is actually left on your hair and on parts of your body, especially in cracks and 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 cleaning. It's going to strip away those oils. That can lead to irritation.