There are two kinds of showers. There’s the shower—your run-of-the-mill 5-minute bathroom appointment to get clean, and then there’s the everything shower. The everything shower is a shower with an agenda. It has a purpose. It is a top-to-bottom approach to get you clean and soft, or clean and smooth, or clean and not feeling like your underarms sprung a leak on your way to the train. It’s a spa session in your bathroom, minus the general sense of tranquility. As Natalie, a stranger on the internet wrote last month, “you don’t know anything about women until you learn about the ‘everything shower.’”
Of course, you need the right goods for this kind of endeavor. And it all starts with figuring out what kind of outcome you want to achieve. Are you dry all over? Are you looking for skin that’s a bit smoother? What about just a really deep clean? Fear not. There’s an everything shower just for you.
The everything shower to fight dryness
Before your toes touch that shower floor, massage in a scalp oil first. You could rub in Ceremonia’s lightweight one with your fingertips, or, pair it with their circular massager to make the job even easier. Wash it all out with a shampoo that doesn’t turn hair to hay (try Iles shampoo), and then let Bread’s mask settle in. In the meantime, wash your body with Glossier’s Body Hero Oil Wash. Don’t be fooled when you rinse your body and hair—you are no longer dry, but you must keep it that way! Lock in the feeling with a lotion sandwich of Dr. Jart’s Ceramidin Lotion first, and Burt’s Bees Healing Ointment (which is as smooth as whipped honey) on top.
The everything shower for maximum smoothness
You’ve got 10 minutes to do this—we believe in you. Wash your face and then layer on Paula’s Choice’s 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel. In the 10 minutes it takes for that to marinate, grab Glossier’s Exfoliating Bar and go to town on your body, paying special attention to your elbows, knees, and feet. While you’re still in the shower and your skin’s damp, rub in some body lotion and spritz on a smidge of body oil—don’t go overboard with this. You’ll be as slick as a seal and ready to rinse off your face peel. Follow with your favorite facial moisturizer, and of course, SPF.
The everything shower for a super clean
Do you know how gross scalps are? They’re kind of like that dryer vent you’re supposed to clean once a month but never do…By the time you get around to it, it’s buildup city. Clear the gunk with a pre-treatment of Bread’s Scalp Serum. While that’s getting to work, pivot to your pores with a clay mask (Innissfree makes a good one that doesn’t get uncomfortably dry). Wash out the scalp serum with the aforementioned Iles shampoo, and then follow up with your conditioner of choice. After you’ve rinsed, cover yourself in Body Hero Daily Perfecting Cream for an all-over layer of moisture. Your skin will feel soft, but the best part is its neroli, baby-fresh scent. If the actual shower doesn’t make you feel clean, the scent sure will.
Photo via ITG