9 Steps For
THE PERFECT SHOWER ROUTINE
The perfect
SHOWER ROUTINE
- Water that’s too hot – your skin prefers cool or lukewarm water to retain its natural oils
- Shower gels containing alcohol – alcohol dries out the skin and also strips it of its natural oils
- Washing your face in the shower – shower water is usually too hot for your face and will cause more harm than good, so washing your face with cool water at the sink is much better for it
- Spending too long in the shower – the longer you spend in the shower, the more you dry your skin out
To get the most out of every shower, here at NIVEA we’ve put together the perfect shower routine to pamper and care for your skin:
- Before stepping into the shower, adjust the temperature so that it’s lukewarm.
- Brush your hair to loosen knots and reduce the amount of hair likely to clog the drain.
- Exfoliate your skin to remove dead skin cells.
- Shampoo thoroughly, making sure to massage your roots – this helps you reach all the hairs and also feels great on your scalp.
- Rinse thoroughly until your hair feels ‘squeaky’ clean.
- Apply conditioner to the ends of your hair, avoiding the roots – applying conditioner to your roots, although pampering and moisturising, will cause your hair to become greasy faster, meaning you’ll have to wash it more often, which is not good for your hair.
While the conditioner is soaking into your hair, apply a moisturising shower gel all over your body, such as the NIVEA Oil Infused Lotus Shower Cream.
If necessary, apply shaving foam or shower gel to the areas of your body you want to shave – the warm water softens the hair, making it easier to shave and helping to prevent shaving rash.
- Rinse with cold water to help tighten your pores.
Water temperature and
SKIN HEALTH
Hot Water:
Although there’s nothing better than a hot shower to relax or to wake up to on a cold morning, it could actually be damaging for your skin health. As a general rule, if your skin stings in the shower or starts to turn red, your shower is too hot and it will be harming your skin. This is because using hot water strips your skin of its natural oils and dries it out. The same is true for keeping your hair healthy – having a shower that is too hot will also strip your hair of its natural oils, leaving it drier and more vulnerable to damage. Skin conditions such as eczema can also become inflamed and worsen if your shower water is too hot.
Cold Water:
There are many benefits to showering with cold water, and you should try to include cold water in your skin
- Pores become tighter, making skin feel firmer and limiting the amount of dirt that can get into your pores.
- Improves your skin’s ability to respond to injury.
- Helps your skin retain its natural oils without drying out.