What The Hell Is An Everything Shower?! Everything You Need To Know!

Dry brushing should be your first step! This is a fairly simple task to do, but does require a dry brush to complete! I personally have not been dry brushing recently (I need a new one haha) but the point of this task is to help get rid of or "brush away" the dry/dead skin left on your body prior to washing and exfoliating! If your skin tends to get dry/flaky (especially in the winter time) this is a great thing to implement into your routine!

I personally find this the MOST important step in this routine! I've spent years trying so many different soaps and washes, and i STRONGLY believe their very specific types of soaps for very specific things! Personally, I keep a Feminine Wash,  Anti-Bacterial Soap, and Scented Soap.  Feminine Wash  should be unscented, no dyes/colors, and PH safe! Some people don't like to use it at all, and that's okay! Warm water works too! I do NOT recommend things like Summer's Eve, etc., as they're known to throw off PH balance (which I've personally experienced myself!) Something similar to what I've inserted is a great example, which I have personally used myself! For Anti-Bacterial Soap, I personally like using either Dove unscented bar soap, or Dial unscented bar soap! Some people who suffer with very dry skin or eczema who may want something a bit milder, try opting for baby soap! You want a soap that will get you clean, not just make you smell good or moisturize your skin, that's what Scented Soap is for! For that, you can pick whatever you'd like! I personally like to choose my soap based off what perfume I'm using, but you can pick whatever smells good to you! When washing, use your Anti-Bacterial, then Feminine, save the Scented Soap for AFTER the next couple steps, as the scent stays longer on skin that's freshly exfoliated!

For these steps, I've decided to compile them together since they go hand in hand with each other. Exfoliating is the process of removing dead skin from the body, and is usually done to prepare parts of your body for shaving, if you so choose to! As a background, their are multiple ways of exfoliating, I personally use Chemical Exfoliation and Mechanical Exfoliation. Chemical Exfoliation in simple terms is just exfoliating with a solution or product that is formulated to exfoliate, such as a soap, toners, etc. I personally use a facewash that contains Salicylic Acid, which is used to help remove dead skin cells and unclog pores. Although it's made for the face, I also use this on my arms, legs, underarms, etc. (anywhere I'd want to shave ASIDE from feminine areas!) I pair this with a Mechanical Exfoliant, which is an exfoliation tool that is physically held and used without any chemicals, such as an African net sponge (my choice), dry brush, loofa, etc.! 

For shaving, I use two different razors, which I recommend if you plan on shaving not only your arms and legs, but also private areas! The choice to shave is completely up to you, and doesn't have to be done! You can still exfoliate and choose not to shave, but I personally don't recommend shaving without doing some kind of exfoliation first, since it can lead to painful ingrown hairs, clogged hair follicles, etc. Keep one razor for areas like your arms, legs, stomach and back, and another separate razor for private areas, and do not mix the two! This is a great way to prevent ingrown hairs and bacterial infections in sensitive areas! I used to opt for men's razors specifically since they usually contain 5 blade or more, but have recently been using women's razors (which usually have 4 or less blades) and haven't had an issue, just be careful! I will eventually make a post going more in depth with shaving, but this is at least the bare minimum to know! Always use some sort of soap or shaving cream to help the razor glide smoothly!

After both of these steps, I finally rinse my conditioner out, and wash with my scented wash! I prefer to rinse conditioner first, then use my wash, as this helps get rid of any leftover conditioner that may be left on your body after rinsing your hair our, which can cause body acne for some! I don't like the slightly slimy feeling of conditioner left on my body, so I rinse my hair first! Wash with your scented soap, and do your final rinse! Woohoo, we're almost done y'all!!

This is something I only REALLY discovered in my adult years, but i recommend EVERYBODY (especially if you're larger bodied like me) to powder after the shower! It's such a simple task, but I've found it makes a WORLD difference after the shower when it comes to smelling good long term. When I was younger, I didn't understand why I would shower, and after some time I would start to smell, and you might be struggling with that too! As I've learned, moisture = bacteria = odor! So even if you wash well, if you're not keeping areas dry, the moment you start to get active or sweat, or certain parts of your body (like your underarms or stomach if you're larger bodied) start to rub together and cause moisture, you will start to stink! When I'm out the shower and dried with my towel, I first like to wipe with a cotton pad and witch hazel in any area that folds (under arms, under your chest/boobs, under your stomach, back rolls, barbie crack, etc.) as these are usually areas that start to smell first for most. The witch hazel helps kill any bacteria that might start forming, but make sure after using that the area is fully dry! After that, I use a large powder puff and some good ol' baby powder, and dust those same areas I just wiped! Cornstarch is a good alternative too, but I personally like the smell and feel of baby powder. You can get a dusting dish (which i personally have) and a powder puff for easy application, but if not, just applying the powder with your hands works too! This ensures every area that MAY sweat or start building moisture stays dry, helping you stay fresher for longer.

For moisturizing, I take this part very seriously. Mainly because I didn't know how to moisturize properly as a kid/teen so I walked around with ashy knees and elbows CONSTANTLY, and dry skin that was very annoying and irritating to deal with! I use a lotion AND a baby oil, but you can use one or the other if you'd like! I find that lotioning with something deeply moisturizing helps relieve my dry skin (especially in the winter) while using baby oil after helps lock that moisture in, so I stay softer and smoother for longer. You can use whatever lotion and body oil you want, But I personally use the Vaseline Cocoa Radiant lotion, and top it off with Johnson's Baby Oil (I also enjoy the cocoa butter scented baby oil from the same brand!)

    Skincare and Haircare will be another post itself, as they both are LONG and will have tons of information for each of them, but after doing all of those other steps I'd complete my skincare and then my hair care! You can do this routine as often (or not often) as you'd like, and include your own steps and products that work for you! I like to take my time with these types of showers if possible, as I personally find everything showers a form of self care! I don't think everything showers should happen daily (theirs not really any reason to be shaving every day, using hair masks, etc) but you can pick and choose what steps you'd like to include into your own personal daily shower routine, and what steps are exclusively for your everything shower! Please keep in mind all products listed and used, and all steps listed are what work for me personally, some products or steps may not work for you or align with you, so choose what feels right! :3