How To Smell Good All Day, According To ShowerTok Hygiene Influencers

Move over, makeup mavens. With 4.5 billion views under #ShowerTok, TikTok users are finding an appreciation for a new (and surprisingly helpful) trendsetter: the hygienic influencer. Through sharing their extensive body care routines on TikTok and dishing tips on how to smell good all day, this cleanly crew of hygienic content creators have amassed a cult following that takes note of their every sudsy move.

In the age of the elevated shower routine — or the “everything shower,” as TikTok calls it — this previously uneventful, yet necessary, task has become the most lavish part of the day, says Alexis Kaya Williams, licensed cosmetologist, content creator, and hygienic connoisseur. The reason? ShowerTok, says Williams. “ShowerTok is like the Yelp of hygiene,” Williams tells Bustle. “Being able to binge watch videos from creators who give reviews and ratings on products before you go out and buy them is super convenient. It was only a matter of time before elevated shower routines took over.”

According to beauty and wellness content creator Anastazia Dupee, the appeal of this niche corner of the internet stems from its educational value. Rather than using their social media presence to display an unattainable lifestyle, hygienic content creators offer actionable tools for upping your self-care routine, says Dupee. “There are some [hygienic] tips that I learned on TikTok that my mom didn’t teach me,” Dupee tells Bustle. “[Hygiene content creators] allow their followers to learn new [rituals] that can help them become better versions of themselves.” In this way, hygienic influencers have become the big sisters of the internet, says Nia Kajumulo, a hygiene content creator who has amassed over 300,000 followers on TikTok. “[My mission] is in my bio. I’m all about ‘girls helping girls,’” Kajumulo tells Bustle. “I'm trying to be the big sister that I never had.”

From hygiene that starts from within to the “double cleanse” method, below are nine tips for smelling amazing all day long, according to your favorite ShowerTokers. If you want that coveted “OMG, you smell so good!” compliment, then scroll on for their pointers. (Hint: it all starts with a spa-worthy shower routine.)

How To Smell Good All Day

Try The Double Cleansing Method

To kick off a perfect elevated shower routine, Dupee recommends the ShowerTok-approved double cleanse method. Start with a (preferably unscented) mild bar soap and use your favorite shower tool to thoroughly clean your entire body from head to toe.

For the deepest clean, back away from the running water and lather up as much soap as you can before rinsing thoroughly, says Dupee. After washing off any and all remnants from the bar soap, go in with your favorite scented body wash. Dupee adds that this method is imperative for locking in the fragrance of her shower gel, making it a staple in her elevated shower routine.

Ditch Your Loofah

Like baths, loofahs are out in 2023. As an alternative, wellness and lifestyle content creator Brianna Ancheta recommends using a Japanese-style wash cloth to get those hard to reach places. Not only are these cleansing cloths less prone to gathering bacteria than loofahs, but they are also machine washable.

Ancheta’s go-to is the SALUX Japanese Wash Cloth. “It's basically a long nylon cloth that really gets you clean and exfoliated,” Ancheta tells Bustle. “And it's long enough so you can scrub your back.” The wash cloth comes in multiple intensities, ranging from a gentle cloth best suited for sensitive skin to a high-strength cloth perfect for exfoliation. “Trust me, I’ve been using it since the day I was born,” says Ancheta. One look at her viral shower routine content will convince you to take her word for it.

Exfoliate Regularly

Whether you opt for a dry brush, body scrub, or in-shower exfoliation tool, Ashanti Lynn, hygiene and wellness content creator, says that in order to smell yummy all day long, it’s imperative to be working with fresh skin. “Getting that dead skin completely off [creates] the perfect canvas for any fragrance to stick to your body,” Lynn tells Bustle.

Practice “Scent Pairing”

A nonnegotiable step to smelling incredible throughout the day is “scent pairing,” says Kajumulo. “Your body wash, body lotion, perfume, and any other products that you're wearing should be in the same scent family,” Kajumulo tells Bustle. “It’s a game-changer.”

For example, if your go-to perfume has strong gourmand notes, then stick with warm and spicy scents for your other products. If you’re more into florals, stay true to flowery fragrances throughout your body care routine, from shower gel to body lotion to perfume, and even deodorant.

Prep Your Skin For Perfume

An insider tip that continued to be a common thread in my interviews is pre-perfume prep. “Apply an unscented moisturizer where you’re going to apply your fragrance,” says Dupee. To seal the deal, apply the unscented moisturizer again on top of the applied fragrance, she says. According to Dupee, this critical step makes her perfume last all day long.

In addition, be sure to apply perfume on your pulse points. “You want to apply perfume where your body has the most heat,” says Dupee. “This is [on the wrists], the back of the neck, and I like to [spray] the top of my head.”

Try A Perfume Oil

Perfume oils are a great way to add longevity to all of your layered shower products. “I love this Choco Musk Perfume Oil from Amazon,” says Lynn. “Dabbing some of that on your pulse points is going to make you smell good all day long.”

Don’t Sleep On Hair Fragrances

In the quest to keep your body smelling amazing for long periods of time, it’s easy to forget about your tresses. In addition to a good shampoo and conditioning routine, hair fragrances are an easy way to up your hygiene game, says Kajumulo. “Recently, I’ve been putting my Sol De Janeiro hair oil on the ends of my hair and pairing that with the matching hair mist,” says Kajumulo. She finds that adding a subtle fragrance to her strands is what makes heads turn.

Remember That You Are What You Eat

It’s no surprise that in order to feel, look, and smell your best on the outside, it all starts with your health on the inside, says Williams. “Your favorite lotion, body wash, and any other products in your holy grail hygiene collection are just for daily maintenance,” she notes. “The most important tip to smelling good all day is starting within.” Williams recommends eating as many whole foods as possible, drinking tons of water, and taking daily vitamins. Your diet, she says, lays the foundation for how truly delicious you’ll smell.

Invest In An On-The-Go Hygiene Kit

Williams’ top tip for racking up compliments on how good you smell is to keep an emergency hygiene kit. Travel-size products are not only useful for your next girls’ trip, says Williams. They are also perfect for carrying around minis of your favorite products to do touch-ups throughout the day.

What’s in her stash? “My emergency hygiene kit includes things like deodorizing wipes, on the go mouthwash packs, my favorite perfume, and much more,” she says. “I always keep it with me just in case I need to run to the ladies room and do a quick freshen up routine to make sure I smell good for the entire day.”