Our daily shower seems pretty straight forward, right? But odds are, at least one step in your well-meaning routine unintentionally leaves your skin or hair worse for wear.
For anyone who’s ever gotten that dry, tight feeling, an itchy scalp, irritation or redness after a shower, these five common shower mistakes are likely culprits that unintentionally strip skin of oils and throw the skin’s pH balance out of whack. Fortunately, the fixes are simple! Spending five minutes to optimize your cleaning routine makes can leave your body balanced and refreshed:
- Mistake #1: Overdosing on Shampoo. Ninety-three percent of the country’s adults shampoo almost daily, according to market research firm Mintel. But so much washing strips hair’s natural oils, drying and weakening the strands and irritating the scalp. Dermatologists lathering up just 3 to 4 times per week (or less!) with just a dime sized dollop of soap free shampoo, and only rinsing hair on other days. If you can’t resist washing daily, make sure to choose a pH balanced formula like Sebamed Scalp Activating Shampoo ($15.49 at SebamedUSA.com), as balanced formulations which won’t strip hair of oils.
- Mistake #2: Washing with Soap and Hot Water. They may seem innocent, but traditional soap bars can have a pH of up to 9, leaving skin dry, tight and vulnerable to damage. Ditch the soap and switch to a soap-free cleansing bar or soap-free milky cleanser for both the face and body, like Sebamed Liquid Face and Body Wash ($19.95 at SebamedUSA.com).
- Mistake #3: A Sudsy Shave. Shaving with foam and water alone may protect from cuts, but foam isn’t protective enough to defend against razor burn and redness, especially if you’re using hot water. If skin is dry, try using your hair conditioner as an alternative shaving aid. It hydrates and sinks deep within skin to prevent nicks, cuts and razor burn, but its smooth consistency won’t clog your razor, as long as you rinse.
- Mistake #4: Using Your Regular Body Wash on Intimate Areas. The intimate area’s ideal pH is actually different than the rest of our skin (3.8 as opposed to 5.5) and regular soaps and showers, certain clothing, diet and even sex all affect that balance. Stock your shower with a product like Sebamed Feminine Intimate Wash ($15.49 at SebamedUSA.com) that’s specifically formulated at pH 3.8 to balance the delicate pH down there, making it easy to stay fresh, healthy and happy by protecting against imbalances that trigger infections and odors.
- Mistake #5: Not Moisturizing Immediately After Your Shower. After a hot shower, you have three minutes before your body loses essential moisture. To prevent dry, crackly, irritated skin, store a body lotion in your shower and apply all over while skin is still damp.
I use Sebamed products in my shower every night, and the body lotion afterwards. My skin is responding very well and feels very moisturized and pampered. I love my Sebamed body care products and I trust them to keep my skin healthy.
Disclaimer: I received samples of these products to review and to keep. All opinions are my own.