Ok, so admittedly this sounds like a dumb blog post. But, as I dig deeper into men's skincare and men's grooming, I've come to realize that men don't know how to take care of themselves - certainly not to the extent women do. Simply put, men are not taught how to care for themselves as children like women are. That is, women are taught from a very early age to look pretty, dress well and take care of their hair and skin. Not guys. So, it becomes the responsibility of boyfriends and girlfriends to teach the Neanderthals personal care. In fact, part of the reason that the men's skincare and grooming market is booming NOW is because men are finally understanding the importance of personal care - and their partners are expecting it. Until now, the expectations of men have been significantly less than women when it comes to grooming and skincare.
All that said, do you know how to shower? For most men, one bar of soap or one bottle of body wash does the trick for the whole body. This is, simply, wrong. Your hair has different needs than your skin. And the skin on your face has different needs than the skin on the rest of your body. So, I'm giving you just a couple tips to remember next time you lather.
First, always wash from top to bottom. Thank gravity for this tip. Wash your hair first with shampoo (or not - you don't have to shampoo your hair every day depending on your hair quality and type). When you shower, the warm water opens the pores on your skin. So, if you wash your face or body first, then when you wash your hair, the dirt from your hair is going right into your open pores. Not good and totally inefficient. So, start with your hair.
Second, wash your face. Use a face wash or something specifically designed for the skin on your face. Natural soaps like the Sport Fix Soap or Steel Cut Soap are great because they are gentle on the skin but very effective. And the natural ingredients wash into the water supply and completely breakdown. Beyond soap, don’t forget to exfoliate, especially before shaving. Try Skin Grit for the best natural pre-shave exfoliation. Regardless, please don’t use shampoo or body wash on your face.
Third, wash the rest of your body. Now’s the time to use that bar of soap or that body wash indiscriminately. I won’t tell you how to complete this step, just don’t miss any spots.
Again, I know this sounds silly, but there actually is a process to showering that will result in the best, cleanest you! Happy showering.