Your towel is hanging over the shower rod. There is a slight mist around the bottom edge of the mirror. And you have both your shampoo (open) and deep conditioning treatment (sitting), along with the thought that tonight will be the night to do it all correctly. Saying “an everything shower” makes sense; however, typically, there is at least one piece that you rush past or miss altogether, and as a consequence, your skin still appears shallow, or your lotion does not absorb into your skin as well as expected. Oftentimes, the missing link is exfoliation.

Why Clean Skin Can Still Feel Like Something Is Off

Even after washing completely, you get out of the shower thinking something was wrong. While your skin may be squeaky clean, it is probably not smooth. Additionally, your legs may appear pale and washed out the next morning. Although applying a lotion/moisturizer post-shower can certainly help alleviate some of these issues, it likely does not help nearly as much as you would think.

There are significant differences between cleaning and exfoliating. Soap/body wash removes sweat, oils, and other impurities from your skin that accumulate each day. Exfoliation involves lifting dead layers of dry Skin from the surfaces of elbows, knees, ankle joints, etc. If you do not take care of the latter, then your entire regimen will have to compensate accordingly. Exfoliating gloves can greatly improve upon this process. They create a more thorough cleaning experience than simply using soap, while maintaining an enjoyable experience.

When To Use These Gloves

Many individuals reserve their exfoliating steps toward the end of the shower when the water is growing cooler, and you want to speed things up. At this time, the exfoliating experience is almost always half-hearted. You spend approximately 20 seconds massaging/scrubbing and are done.

It is significantly more effective to use them when your skin has been subjected to several minutes of warm water first. During this time, dry patches become soft and pliable, allowing for ease of manipulation. You don’t need to press down extremely hard…gentle, even pressure using circular motions (especially on drier areas such as heels, knees & upper arms) is best. Ultimately, the key is to establish a consistent motion and not focus solely on aggressive scrubbing.

How Does This Change The Post-Shower Experience

Once you begin reaching for your body oil/lotion vs. dragging it across dry spots, it glides across your skin much more evenly. Your skin will appear brighter, feel smoother, and retain moisture throughout the next day.

Additionally, using exfoliating gloves can aid in those aspects of your routine that tend to be dismissed as secondary. For example, shaving will glide more smoothly, and self-tanning products will adhere to the surface of your skin better. Even fragrances applied directly to the Skin will smell fresher due to being applied to moistened skin rather than dry/uneven Skin. Thus, this step is important. It isn’t excessive; it enhances the remainder of your routine.

Keep It Gentle

Remember, an everything shower should provide feelings of relaxation/care, not exhaustion. You don’t have to exfoliate every time you bathe; once/twice per week is sufficient for many people.

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Do you exfoliate with your everything shower routine? If not, are you planning on adding it? Let me know in the comments!