7 Shower Habits Everyone Should Have for Better Skin

A daily shower does more than just get you clean. It’s a few minutes you get to spend all to yourself, letting your stress and anxiety wash away down the drain.

We all have our own habits when it comes to how and how often we bathe, but some habits are healthier than others. More than just personal hygiene, showering is about cleansing your body (and your skin), so it’s important to do it right.

Here are 7 shower habits everyone should have for better skin.

Keep it on the cooler side.

As wonderful as it may feel after a long and stressful day, a hot shower can strip your skin of its natural oils. Those oils keep your skin nourished and protected, and help maintain hydration, so it’s important to preserve them. Warm water is best for showering – it’s comfortable but won’t dry out your skin.

Use a body scrub 2-3 times per week.

Exfoliation has major benefits not only for the skin on your face but for your body as well. It helps remove dead cells from the skin’s surface, revealing healthy new cells underneath. Exfoliation also stimulates blood flow and promotes collagen production to help smooth and firm your skin. Though it’s great to exfoliate, it’s important not to overdo it – two or three times per week should do.

For a spa-like experience at home, try Yon-Ka Gommage Aux Sucre or Gommage Doux. Gommage Sucre Mandarin is a nourishing sugar scrub infused with the aromatherapy of mandarin and sweet orange. Gently exfoliate while nourishing and moisturizing the skin and enjoy the aromas of proprietary Yon-Ka Quintessence. There is a second Gommage Aux Sucre with the floral aromas of jasmine and tiare flower if you’d prefer a tropical escape. Gommage Doux is a hydrating exfoliating cream scrub that combines the hydrating properties of mango butter with the exfoliating action of bamboo and apricot kernel powder. It is available in two aromas – woody forest notes of cedar and cypress or herbal notes of lavender and everlasting.

Don’t stay in too long.

Along the same vein as keeping the temperature of your shower in check, you should also be mindful of how long you spend in there. A long, luxurious shower feels great but the longer you spend there the more you risk stripping your skin of those necessary oils.

Wash your towels and change your loofah regularly.

Just because you’re lathering it up with soap doesn’t mean it’s completely hygienic. Loofahs are full of nooks and crannies that, while great for holding soap suds, are also the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. In most cases, your loofah never completely dries out which means it can harbor bacteria and fungal organisms that could lead to skin infections.

To properly care for your loofah, rinse it well after each use then shake it out and hang it in a cool place to dry (not the shower). Avoid using your loofah for a few days after shaving and don’t use it on your face or sensitive areas. Clean your loofah once a week by soaking it in a diluted bleach solution and replace it every three to four weeks.

After you’ve taken the time to cleanse yourself thoroughly, the last thing you want to do is use a dirty towel. While it may seem like your towel stays pretty clean, considering you only use it fresh out of the shower, they can harbor bacteria if they stay too wet. Wash your bath towel every three to five uses and hang it up to dry after each shower.

Don’t wash your face with body soap.

The entire point of a shower is to get yourself clean, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you should reach for the all-in-one cleanser. While it may work for some people, those multipurpose cleansers can irritate the skin and strip it of its natural oils. It’s best to use body soap for your body and facial cleanser for your face. Try Nettoyant Crème, a rich cream cleanser and makeup remover ideal for aging, dry, damaged, and sensitive skin. For oily skin types, try a gel cleanser like Gel Nettoyant.

Rinse and rinse again.

After lathering yourself up, it’s time to rinse off. It’s important to remove all traces of soapy residue before stepping out of the shower so it doesn’t linger and dry out your skin. Switch to lukewarm or even cool water for your final rinse to seal conditioner into your hair follicles and to boost blood flow. It can also be quite refreshing to have a cool rinse right before stepping out of the shower.

Moisturize as soon as you get out of the shower.

The first thing most of us do after stepping out of the shower is dry off. While it’s fine to towel off a little bit, the best time to apply moisturizer is while your skin is still damp. Applying moisturizer to wet skin helps lock in the water, keeping your skin hydrated. Smooth on a generous layer of a hydrating moisturizer like Lait Hydratant to soften and repair the skin or go for a firming formula like Phyto 152.

For extra care, consider applying a dry body oil. Huile Detox harnesses the detoxifying power of Chios resin with the nourishing action of sesame and sunflower oils to deliver quick-absorbing moisturization. If you prefer bathing to showering, add a dash of Phyto Bain aromatic bath oil for an at-home spa experience. In addition to promoting relaxation, this bath oil improves circulation while firming and toning the look and feel of skin.

Showering is something most of us do on a daily basis, often enough that it comes second nature to us. While you may not think much about your technique in the shower, maybe it’s time you start. The 7 healthy shower habits above will help you keep clean and keep your skin healthy.