After a long and tiring day, nothing looks more appealing than a hot and relaxing shower. It helps in reducing stress and is also good for hygiene. However, did you know that some of your showering habits can actually damage your skin? It might seem unbelievable, but it is true.
According to American Academy of Dermatology, your shower habits can be one of the reasons for skin breakout, redness, itchiness, and dry skin. Perhaps it won’t be wrong to say these habits are actually the mistakes that you must avoid.
You must be wondering- “What exactly are these mistakes?” Scroll down to find out!
- Time Take To Shower
Do you like to take longer showers (more than 15 minutes)? Do you often have a small concert while bathing? If your answer is YES, then you probably need to stop that.
You only need 5 to 10 minutes of the shower to thoroughly cleanse and hydrate your body. Spending more time will only strip away the skin’s natural oil, making it dry. Moreover, if you prefer warm or hot showers, spending more than necessary time can increase eczema symptoms and lead to inflammation.
Nonetheless, under-showering is also not very beneficial as it doesn’t remove the germs and impurities properly. Therefore, you should spend at least 8 minutes bathing. It will ensure that the body is clean, hydrated, and healthy.
- Bathing Often
It might sound a bit absurd, but unless you are sweaty or grimy, you need not bathe often. Bathing results in the removal of natural oil along with bacteria. So, if you bathe quite often, it will make your skin dry and itchy. Moreover, it allows bacteria to enter the body through cracked skin.
Therefore, the AAD (American Academy of Dermatology) recommends people take only one shower a day. Furthermore, considering the issue of water scarcity, fewer showers will help save water.
- Using Wrong Soap
What soap you use for bathing is also a factor that can protect or damage the skin. Most people prefer using antibacterial soaps. As it gives them an assurance that the body is germ and bacteria-free. However, not all bacteria are harmful to the body. Antibacterial soaps can also kill good bacteria, thus allowing the bad bacteria (who are resistant to antibiotics) to enter the body.
Besides that, harsh and heavy scented soaps can also lead to dry and itchy skin. That’s why you should use homemade soap that’ll help gently clean the body. Also, prefer soap that includes natural moisturizers like shea butter or cocoa butter. It will make your skin feel hydrated even after the bath.
- Not Cleaning Loofah Often
Loofahs are great for exfoliation as they help remove the dead skin cells. However, they are also a nidus for germs and yeast. Therefore, you should clean them often. Moreover, no one else should be allowed to use your loofah. Many cases of skin yeast found in the same family are because they use the same loofah.
To clean the loofah, soak it in diluted bleach for at least 5 minutes and rinse. It will also be better if you hang it at a cool place. For better hygiene practice, replace plastic loofah after 2 months and natural loofah after 3 or 4 weeks. It will ensure that loofah is safe to use and will limit yeast infections.
- Uncleaned Showerhead
Bacteria like to grow in small, dark, and damp places, making showerheads a perfect place for them. If your showerhead is not cleaned, it will adversely affect your health. That’s why you should regularly clean it.
How?
Well, it is quite simple. Remove and clean the showerhead in boiling water. It will help kill the bacterias. Aside from this, you should run hot water at least for a few seconds before showering. Don’t forget to drain water as much as possible after bathing.
- Using non-pH cleanser
The body’s natural pH balance is 7.40, and the genital area is between 3.8 and 4.5. When your pH balance is off or unbalanced, it can lead to several health issues such as itching, burning, bacterial vaginosis, or unpleasant odor.
Therefore you need to ensure that the products you are using for cleaning, especially the genital area, help maintain the pH balance. Otherwise, the vaginal microbiome can disrupt the acidic pH level and kill good bacteria.
- Using Same Razor Blade For Too Long
Using the same razor blades for a long time is a big-time NO. It can lead to ingrown hairs, skin irritation, folliculitis, and dull skin. To protect yourself from all these, you should replace the blades after 2 to 3 shaves.
Nonetheless, it is better to opt for waxing than shaving. It’ll reduce the chances of you hurting yourself, remove dead skin, and will provide smooth and soft skin. Moreover, its results last up to weeks, so you don’t have to worry about fast hair growth.
Tip: If you run out of shaving foam or cream, try using a hair conditioner. It’ll give you the same results and will also make your skin softer.
- Forgetting To Moisturize Body
Last but not least, it is essential to moisturize the body after you are done bathing (the right time is within 60 seconds of bathing). It will ensure that the skin stays hydrated, healthy, and soft. On the contrary, the skin can get dry, itchy, and tight.
Besides that, you should also moisturize your body after shaving, exfoliating, and before sleeping. It’ll help in keeping the skin moist locked in. In addition to this, use lotions or creams with natural oils, dimethicone, and hyaluronic acid. Also, make sure to use hand and foot cream so that your hand and feet don’t get dry and start cracking.
Wrapping it up!
If you have any of the habits mentioned above, maybe it is time for you to reevaluate them, especially if you have dry skin. Give preference to soaps and moisturizers made of natural oils and ingredients. It will ensure that your skin is clean and healthy.
