Sometimes a quick rinse-off will cut it. Other times, like when you get home from a three-day camping trip or you’ve just spent a swampy August night barhopping in Manhattan, you want a shower routine that makes you feel extra clean. Maybe you’re just one of those people who loves to feel clean and fresh all day long, every day. I get it. I’m that person, too. That being said, while you might feel extra sanitized with a scalding hot shower and a soap that leaves your skin squeaking, you’re probably not doing your body any favors.
First of all, your body already has natural functions in place to keep you feeling clean, like healthy bacteria that fight infections and keep things balanced. Secondly, hot water and harsh chemicals in your shower products can totally throw off your body’s oil production and cleansing functions, which actually leave you feeling less clean in a matter of hours. The best option? Find natural solutions with natural ingredients that help to balance and nourish skin and hair, instead of stripping it. That way, you’ll feel clean right out of the shower, clean two hours later, and clean at the end of the day.
1. Get Under Those Pores With Carbonated Clay Mud
Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask , $11, Amazon
A weekly shower session with this Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubble clay mask is an awesome way to get crystal clear pores and super smooth skin. Clay mud and other natural ingredients bubble up on your face to get deep into the skin, removing oil and impurities, and even people with sensitive skin have no issues. One reviewer says, “My face feels so smooth and with my giant pores and excess sebum I was totally impressed.”
2. Cleanse Away Scalp Build-Up With Apple Cider Vinegar
Vinegar Nutritive Rinse Cleanser, $36, Amazon
Vinegar is a really great way to leave your hair feeling squeaky clean without upsetting your scalp’s natural balance. This Vinegar Nutritive rinse cleanser removes all excess oils and build-up from hair products while simultaneously nourishing and strengthening your hair. It’s made with great, natural ingredients (including apple cider vinegar), and some reviewers say that their hair has never felt softer and cleaner.
3. Condition Hair With Beer For Shine And Moisture
Duffy's Brew Premium Craft Beer Conditioner, $20, Amazon
If conventional conditioners often leave you feeling a bit too greasy, but your hair could use the moisture, beer is an awesome alternative. Duffy's Brew Premium craft beer conditioner uses real craft beer, which is rich in amino acids, vitamins, and proteins — all of which coat and protect the hair while rinsing clean and leaving you with tons of shine.
4. Add Essential Bacteria Back Onto Your Skin
Andalou Naturals Apricot Probiotic Cleansing Milk, $10, Amazon
While loads of facial soaps promise a “deep clean,” most of them are removing essential beneficial bacteria on the service of your skin that actually help with breakouts and self-cleaning. Andalou Naturals Apricot Probiotic Cleansing Milk adds the helpful bacteria back onto the surface of the skin, all while removing makeup, impurities, and oil build-up. It’s made with natural, mostly organic ingredients that leave your skin feeling fresh, but healthy.
5. Feel Extra Clean With An All-Natural Soap Bar
Dr. Bronner’s Lavender Bar Soap, $13, Amazon
Dr. Bronner’s is one of the absolute best all-natural soaps out there, and the reviews on this Dr. Bronner’s Lavender Bar Soap are insanely positive. Instead of synthetic additives and chemicals that leave you with that tight-but-somehow-still-sticky feeling, this one uses natural oils and extracts that effectively moisturize and cleanse simultaneously. It also leaves behind the fresh scent of lavender, and ironically enough, when I borrowed this from a friend on a camping trip, I’d never felt cleaner.
6. Give Your Face An Instant Circulation Boost
Supracor SpaCells Exfoliating Sponges, $31, Amazon
People are totally flipping over these Supracor facial sponges. They’re made from a flexible form of honeycomb that’s great for the face because it cleanses, removes dead skin, promotes circulation, and prompts cellular renewal. That being said, it’s also gentle enough for those who are sensitive, and people say they’ve entirely given up on their motorized exfoliators in lieu of these.
7. Exfoliate And Nourish With Pink Sea Salt
Himalayan Salt Pink Body Wash Scrub, $13, Amazon
While a lot of scrubs can feel overly oily and greasy, this Himalayan Salt Pink body wash scrub is made with Himalayan sea salt (which cleanses and purifies) and natural oils that soak easily into skin without any residue. It also smells incredible, leaves you feeling all-over soft, and can be used anywhere on the body where you need a little rejuvenating boost.
8. Get Rid Of All That Skin Build-Up
Dermasuri Deep Exfoliating Mitt Body Scrub, $20, Amazon
If your biggest barrier to feeling clean is flaking skin, this Dermasuri deep exfoliating mitt body scrub makes a great addition to anyone’s shower routine, and people are obsessing over it. It’s made from a special fabric that latches onto dead skin cells in order to buff them away, which leaves you practically glowing. It’s been called “the best exfoliator in the world” by one reviewer, and it’s also great for clogged pores, ingrown hairs, and bumpy skin.
9. Shave With Something That Won’t Leave A Residue
A Wild Soap Bar Black Willow Bark Shaving Soap, $10, Amazon
While I really like the feeling of freshly-shaved legs, I cannot stand the sticky residue feeling I get from most synthetic shaving creams. A Wild Soap Bar's black willow bark shaving soap uses purifying ingredients like activated charcoal to offer a slick, moisturized slave, but it rinses clean afterwards. It also soothes post-shave irritation, and people absolutely love the light and earthy smell.
10. Finish Off Your Shower With Rose Water
Mario Badescu Facial Spray, $7, Amazon
A few spritzes of rose water after a shower work wonders, as far as locking in moisture and leaving skin feeling fresh and clean. Mario Badescu's facial spray has natural rose water extract, as well as other ingredients like aloe, that help to cleanse and moisturize at the same time. It’ll also leave you with a refreshing scent that lingers on your skin all day long.
Images: Wilkernet/Pixabay; Amazon (10)
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