Showering Mistakes That Are Hurting Your Skin And Health

1. You shower every day!

Image source: Reddit

You're probably thinking, of course I shower everyday and you'll be thinking that you're doing the right thing. But, apparently this may not be the case according to some health experts who claim that showering every day can actually weaken the body's protective barrier on the skin.

2. You wash your body before your hair

Image source: Reddit

Often the first thing you want to do when you step into the shower is wash your body because you may feel dirty and you want to get clean, it makes sense. Yet, when we wash our hair last, it means that often some of the hair products can remain on our skin and it may aggravate skin issues such as acne.

3. You're taking very hot showers

Image source: Reddit

We can see the pleasure in a hot and steamy shower, it's basically like your own spa session. But, hot showers may be bad for our skin and it is better to put the shower at a mild temperature so that the heat doesn't damage our skin and remove too much moisture from the surface of the skin, drying it out. Hot showers, as a result of this, may actually make our skin age faster!

4. You scrub with a harsh exfoliator

Image source: Reddit

Exfoliating is a good thing as it removes our dead skin cells and leaves our skin looking and feeling smooth and replenished. Yet, we shouldn't use harsh exfoliators or scrub too hard because all we may do then is end up damaging our skin and weakening our skin's barrier.

5. You use products on intimate areas

Image source: Reddit

Our intimate areas have their own specific PH level. It is also what can be described as 'self cleaning' in the way that it balances and regulates its own bacteria. Disrupting this too much by using products (especially products not specially designed for this area!) can interrupt your natural bacterial balance and may lead to bacterial vaginosis.

6. You don't moisturize straight after

Image source: Reddit

The best time to moisturize is in the moments after we come out of the shower, in order to replenish the moisture in our skin. If you leave it too long after a shower it may not be as effective at all. In fact, you can even add natural oils to the skin before you dry and then dab your body with a towel.

7. You're taking showers that last too long

Image source: Reddit

Once you're in the shower sometimes it's easy to stay in for ages, enjoying the relaxation and the time just to be alone. But, according to some health experts they suggest that the the shorter the shower, the better. Some health advice says that 5 minutes is enough, it's enough time to clean, however, it affects the skin and damages the skin less.

8. You use an old loofah

Image source: Reddit

There's nothing like a loofah for getting the soap to really foam up and covering your body in a satisfying layer of bubbles and soap. But, do you remember the last time you washed it? Loofahs need to be cleaned (and we don't mean in the shower) regularly, otherwise it's carrying bacteria which you are then wiping all over your body! In fact, using our hands may be the best method...

9. You use daily antibacterial soaps

Image source: Reddit

You probably wouldn't imagine that using an anti-bacterial wash could be harming your skin or your health. But according to some health experts, we should not be using these products daily or to regularly as not only does it kill the bad bacteria, but it can also kill the good!

10. You don't wash your towel enough

Image source: Reddit

You've made yourself nice and clean in the shower, so why would you then rub a dirty or old towel all over your body? A dirty towel may be full of bacteria which you are then placing all over your body. We should be changing our towels after a few washes.

11. You wash your hair more than three times a week

Image source: Reddit

You've probably heard that washing your hair every day or too frequently is not good. Not only can it dry out the scalp, leaving it dry and itchy, but it can also actually make your hair oilier quicker as you get into a cycle of over washing it. Washing it too regularly can strip your hair of its natural oils.

12. You never clean your showerhead

Image source: Reddit

Imagine a shower head full of microbes and bacteria...and then imagine your water pouring through it carrying those straight into your body. It's not a good thought, yet it may be the case if you never clean your shower head! You have to clean the things that are meant to clean you.

13. You don't dry out your towel properly

Image source: Reddit

Warm and wet surfaces are a perfect environment for bacteria to grow. If you're dumping your towel on the floor or leaving it crumpled up then it's not going to dry out fast, meaning that it's probably carrying more bacteria. Take your towel and place it straight over a towel rail to dry it out the quickest.

14. You keep your minor cuts covered in the shower

Image source: Reddit

For large wounds it may definitely be the best option to keep them out of the water, but for tiny little scratches and blisters etc. it may be better to take your band aid off before the shower so that it can clean. If you're leaving a wet band aid on your little wound then it may be more likely to get infected!

15. You aren't rinsing properly

Image source: Reddit

When you don't rinse properly you may have remnants of products on your skin. These products may be effective to clean us, but to stay on our skin for a long amount of time may not be good for the sensitive microbiome of the skin, and it may also create spots or acne.

16. You rub yourself dry

Image source: Reddit

According to some skin experts, rubbing our skin down can be too harsh for our skin, and it can remove the natural oils from the skin's surface. A better method may be blotting, which may help to keep moisture in our skin and be softer on the surface of our skin.

17. You don't have any air in your bathroom

Image source: Reddit

Bathrooms can naturally get hot and humid, but it's important to keep a supply of air in their whether this is from a bathroom fan, or a window. Otherwise, the environment may be perfect for mould to start to develop. So dry out your bathroom by opening a window to get some fresh air.

18. You never clean your shower curtain

Image source: Reddit

Shower curtains can often be neglected. But, when you accidentally brush against it whilst you're in the shower you may notice that it's full of grime, slime and even mould. Because the surface is constantly damp, it's important that every so often it has to be disinfected and cleaned!

19. You wash your face in the shower

Image source: Reddit

Washing your face in the shower seems like it's doing two jobs in one go...so why not? But, it's better to rinse your face after the shower because the products such as shampoo are harsh on our face and if there's any residue left it could aggravate our skin and lead to spots.

20. You use strong shower products

Image source: Reddit

When we use strong shower products, you may disrupt the natural microbiome of the skin which is made up of a variety of things such as good bacteria. When you disrupt this it mean that's the skin can lose its natural defence system, and it can interfere with its own natural resistance.

21. Shaving with a blunt or old razor

Image source: Reddit

You forgot to buy a new razor or change your razor head and you're in the shower...too late...I'll use this old blunt one for now. We'll it's much better not to. These razors may lead to infection if they irritate your skin or come into contact with small openings in the skin's surface.

22. You don't clean your bath mat

Image source: Reddit

Your bathmat probably ends up sitting their for a little bit too long if you're like the rest of us. Often, we remember to wash our towels but bathmats manage to slip under the radar. But it could be hiding lots of little nasties inside which we definitely don't want to be wiping onto our feet.

23. You use too much shampoo

Image source: Reddit

Your hair is full of natural oils, but if we wash it too regularly or we put too much shampoo or product on our hair we run the risk of stripping those natural oils right out which can disrupt your hair's natural system and ironically can lead you to needing to wash it more.

24. You forget to wash your feet

Image source: Reddit

Our feet really do a lot for us. So, the least we can do is treat them by giving them a good wash. Sometimes it's easy to forget about them because manoeuvring to pick up your foot in the shower isn't easy. But they are usually in an airtight shoe all day so it's necessary for our health to wash them.

25. You don't wash your hands before washing your body

Image source: Reddit

Why would we wash our hands when we're going in the shower? Well, because those hands will be washing the rest of our body. And so, if our hands aren't clean then they're rubbing more germs over the rest of our body which is definitely NOT what we want to achieve.

26. You leave products such as your shower cap inside the shower

Image source: Reddit

Shower caps are SO useful, but they can also be a bed for potential bacteria if we leave them in the shower constantly so that they're always damp. Think about putting this germ ridden surface over your head. It's always a good idea to remove it from the shower so that it can dry out between uses.

27. You don't dry yourself properly

Image source: Reddit

There are some areas which it's more important to dry. For example, our intimate areas and places such as under the arms or under the feet are places which do not dry as effectively alone. And if an area is constantly damp it may sometimes lead to infections.

28. You don't have a shower non-slip mat

Image source: Reddit

Now this is a must. Did you realize that statistically slipping in the shower can be extremely dangerous? It's not only important to have a non-slip mat outside of the shower for when we step out wet, but also inside the shower in case we slip and fall and seriously hurt ourselves.

29. You use the same towel for your body and your face

Image source: Reddit

When you're drying off you might just dry everything with the same towel, because you're clean, right? But the skin on our face is more sensitive so it's better to use a separate small towel for this, and then we don't transfer any bacteria (we're never fully squeaky clean) from other areas that may lead to spots.

30. You share products i.e. a shower scrubber

Image source: Reddit

Look, you may think 'what's the harm in sharing with my S.O'. But when you really think about it, it's just sharing bacteria. There's no need to share products, if you don't have your own just wash with your hands. And by no means share a razor! That could lead to infections.