Like most dudes, there are two places where you do your best thinking: on the toilet and in the shower.
But you’re not here to learn about how to use the bathroom; you’re here because you want to maximize your shower technique to get great-looking hair, smell fantastic, and walk out with perfect-looking skin every morning.
You realize that there’s more to a good wash than just water and soap, and it’s time to learn how to shower properly.
How long should my shower take?
Some dudes love to take long showers, and who can blame them? Something is relaxing, almost meditative about the quiet pitter-patter of water dripping through the showerhead.
One problem: longer showers can dehydrate your skin. And of course, if you take too quick a shower, you’re not going to be able to thoroughly wash, leading to bacteria growth and a righteous smell.
According to the CDC, the recommended amount of time for a shower is between five and 10 minutes.
Also, unless you’re working out, playing a sport, or generally just getting sweaty, most men only need to shower once a day.
Too much showering dries out your skin and potentially removes the oils that keep your hair looking fresh and clean.
Water Temperature
Now that you’ve got your time mapped out, it’s time to take a look at water temperature. Learning how to shower properly requires just the right water heat.
The perfect temperature for your daily shower is lukewarm water. You’re going to want to find that nice spot between too hot and too cold.
Water that’s too hot is going to be uncomfortable and will burn your skin. Let’s not do that.
You’ve probably heard about the benefits of cold showers: reducing muscle soreness, relieving itchy skin, and providing you with a swift kick in the ass if you’re feeling groggy in the morning.
And all of that is true.
But let’s face it, a cold shower sucks. It’s chilly. It’s uncomfortable. It’s purposefully unenjoyable.
That’s why the first step for how to shower properly is to make sure you’ve got your water temperature just right.
Start with the hair.
Water temperature- lukewarm? Check.
Next comes washing your hair. You’re going to want to start from the top down to maximize shower performance and efficiency.
You’re going to want to put a dime-sized amount of shampoo into your hand; that’s more than enough for a good lather through your hair. Ideally, you’ll have enough shampoo to run through every strand of your hair, from root to tip.
If you have longer hair, you might need to use a bit more shampoo.
Massage your scalp as you lather up, making sure to rub the shampoo deep into your hair. If you want to get real fancy, something simple like a reasonably priced hair/shampoo brush could be helpful to get all of those challenging to lather hairs.
Once you’ve gotten your hair nice and soapy, rinse it all out. When you don’t rinse your hair thoroughly, you leave behind a build-up of shampoo and gunk.
Really, it’s that simple.
Don’t forget to condition your hair.
After you’re finished getting all of the shampoos out of your hair, it’s time to condition the heck out of it.
There are many benefits to conditioner, including repairing damaged follicles, moisturizing to keep your hair feeling soft, and maintaining a healthy shine.
Think of conditioner like a Gatorade for your hair: it will replenish all of those missing electrolytes, so you’re ready for the big game.
Like shampoo, you’re going to want to put a dime-sized dollop onto your hand and massage it onto your head.
Except, this time, make sure not to get the conditioner all the way down to the root because it can easily damage your follicles.
Once again, rinse it all out and get ready to move onto the next step.
Clean all those stinky areas.
Here’s where we need to get serious dudes: washing the body.
There are two places where you must clean up: your armpits and genitals. Both areas get sweaty quickly and can become hotbeds for bacteria.
That’s something you’ll obviously want to avoid.
The first thing you need to think about is the kind of soap you use. Depending on which skin type you have, an all-natural bar soap might be the right choice, while for others, a simple handmade body washes works.
If you need some ideas, check out our article on the best bar soaps for men.
Once you’re armed with soap, we’re going to need one more piece of equipment before you’re ready to wash.
Use a Loofah or Washcloth
Rubbing soap on your body might make you look lathered, but all it does is leave dead skin cells all over your body and pube hairs on your soap.
So if you don’t have a shower brush, loofah, or even washcloth in your shower, go out right now and get one.
These are the two tools you need most after good soap, shampoo, and conditioner.
Shave
Shaving is something you can do either before, after, or during. If you’re a dude who suffers from razor burn or irritation, you should, in fact, shave in the shower.
That said, if you’re going to shave in the shower, there are some specific steps you should take. We’ll outline those in a later article.
Post Shower Care
Most dudes post-shower have a quick routine: towel dry off, brush their teeth, maybe throw on some deodorant. And that’s all well and good, but if you want to learn how to shower the right way, then you’re going to need to add a couple of steps.
First off, make sure you pat yourself dry. An aggressive towel rub only will damage your skin, and you don’t want that.
Once you’ve gently towel-dried yourself, the next step is to put on some moisturizer and lotion. Dudefluencer highly recommends Geologie’s products for all of your skincare needs.
Conclusion
And that’s it. Just follow these simple steps, and you’ll be walking out of every shower with livelier-looking hair, softer feeling skin, and smelling like a champion in no time.