Why You Might Want To Think Twice Before Jumping On TikTok's 'Everything Shower' Trend
With people juggling multiple jobs and balancing studies along with full-time careers, there is a significant focus on self-care, especially on social media platforms.
Enter the "everything shower" trend, which has amassed popularity on TikTok. As the name denotes, an everything shower is about indulging in all of the self-care rituals you want before, during, and after your shower. This might include oiling your hair, putting on a pre-shower hair mask, using a dry brush on your skin before the shower, double-shampooing your hair, conditioning, putting on a face mask, exfoliating, shaving, and using body wash in the shower, followed by applying moisturizer or body oil to your skin and tackling your hair with hair serum or leave-in conditioner. Obviously, the trend has several different variations based on what each person enjoys by way of a self-care ritual and some TikTokers even set the mood by lighting scented candles, listening to podcasts, and drinking their favorite beverage while indulging in an everything shower.
Proponents of the trend talk about the mental health and physical benefits of setting aside time during a busy week to pamper yourself this way. And psychotherapist Ali Ross told Healthline that this could definitely be the case. "This ritual encourages us to take our time, be attentive and responsive, and it has the potential to be a deeply self-compassionate, meditative practice. It allows you to slow down, gather yourself, and understand where you're at in your day/week/life." But as with all trends on social media, there are some things to think twice about before jumping on the bandwagon, like drying out your skin or over-use of products.
The everything shower can dry out your skin
If done regularly, the everything shower can dry out your skin. This is especially true for those with sensitive skin or skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis.
How your shower water can affect your body is to blame here. Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Cameron Rokhsar told TODAY that spending more than 15 minutes in the shower can negatively impact your skin. "We know for a fact that hot water dries out your skin ... and extremely hot water is even worse. The longer you stay in the shower, the drier your skin becomes." Also, many of the self-care steps shared on TikTok involve dedicated products or processes directed at your skin or hair; and, according to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Tiffany J. Libby, this can become problematic when done daily (via CNN). "If doing all of these practices (cleansing products, shaving, exfoliating, shampoo, conditioner, hair masks, and scrubs) in an everything shower is being done each day, there will absolutely be more irritation and harm done than good," she shared. Also, health experts don't think that an everything shower is superior to simpler routines when it comes to results.
As for the mental health aspect of an everything shower, it is important to note that this trend is only a quick fix to a particular stressful week. "Developing a routine can be healthy from a physical and psychological perspective, but spending too much time in the shower, using too many products, wasting water or driving up your water bill can have its own consequences," Dr. Brendan Camp, a board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology in New York City, told PureWow.
How to do an everything shower the right way
If you must jump on the TikTok trend, you may as well do it right. Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Lindsey Zubritsky, who goes by the name dermguru on social media, has some tips.
The number one step should include your hair washing routine, shared the skin expert. So start with your shampoo and conditioner. "If you're waiting till the end of your shower to rinse out your conditioner, that conditioner can sit on the skin and clog your pores and lead to back and chest acne," she explained.
If you're into exfoliation, this is what you would do next. Exfoliating before shaving reduces the chances of developing irritation in the form of razor bumps and skin redness. If you're shaving, use shaving gel, added the dermatologist.
Next, you go in and cleanse your body. Now is the time for your favorite moisturizing body wash that will leave your skin feeling nice and clean.
The last step before stepping out of the shower is to cleanse your face. Zubritsky recommends double-cleansing, however, some skincare experts say that this might not be necessary for all skin types. "When you're done, throw your hair in a microfiber towel," shared Zubritsky, adding that the first thing you should do after showering is to apply moisturizer on damp skin. This helps lock in hydration.
Finally, think twice about indulging in an everything shower every day. Once a week or even once a month (depending on your particular skin type) is the recommended amount, per experts.