The Ultimate Shower Guide For Men: How To Use Bar Soap

Your daily shower is a vital part of your routine, but how effective is your shower really?. Sure, it may seem like a mundane, uninteresting part of your day. You wake up, stumble into the shower, half-asleep, and rub some soapy stuff on your hair, face, and body and then dry off. But are you getting the most out of how you clean up each day? Are you making the most of your bar soap? What the hell is a loofah? All important questions. At Dr. Squatch we believe you deserve a better shower, and we’re here to help. That’s why we’re going to dive into how to get the most out of your shower and bar soap routine with our Ultimate Shower Guide For Men.

As we mentioned in our Ultimate Guide To Bar Soap, the right bar soap routine can be a game-changer. But, it’s important to keep a few things in mind for championship shower success.

Start With The Right Water Temperature

The right shower starts with a proper temperature. Many men make the mistake of showering in water that’s too hot and it can be really harsh on your skin, stripping it of all-important moisture. This is especially true in the colder months when the air is extra dry. So keep the water warm, but not too hot. The right temperature will also help you get that rich, intoxicating lather you want from your soap. There’s also something to be said for a cold water rinse, so don’t overlook this eye-opener.

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How To Use Bar Soap The Right Way

First, start by giving your body a few minutes under the warm water to soften your skin and loosen up any dirt and oil. Maybe sing a song or two (Celine Dion? Hey, we don’t judge.) and just relax. Now that your skin is primed and ready, it’s soap time. You want to start at the top and work your way down your body to ensure a total cleansing and rinse. The less residue left after you clean yourself with your bar, the better.

Like Biggie vs Tupac or Pepsi vs Coke, it’s time to discuss a hotly debated subject. Should you rub the bar soap directly over your skin? Or should you create a lather in your hands and then apply? Does it matter? Ultimately there’s not too much of a difference but it can depend on what type of soap you are using. We recommend working the soap into a nice, thick lather in your hands and applying it all over your body. The next tip is key, take your time. Massage the lather all over for 30-60 seconds making sure you don’t’ scrub so hard you irritate your skin. Once you’ve covered your entire body top down, making sure you don’t skip your feet (athlete’s foot is no bueno, amigo), give yourself a thorough rinse.

Should Men Use Exfoliating Bar Soap?

Maybe you think it’s a bit high-falutin’. But the truth is, exfoliating is a vital step in maintaining clean, healthy skin. Regular use of an exfoliating bar soap will help scrub off excess dead skin, grime, and oil that’s been building up on that hide of yours to reveal fresh, new skin. While it’s not something you need to do every time you shower, it’s important to do it regularly. When you’re using a soap with exfoliating ingredients it’s more important to rub the bar over your skin to get more of those exfoliators onto your body. The ingredients in your exfoliating soap are important too. Make sure you’re using natural exfoliating soap to ensure you’re not scrubbing with chemicals or additives that can be overly harsh on your skin.

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Should Men Use A Loofah?

While those mitts of yours are plenty capable of working up a rich lather and scrubbing properly, many men choose to use a loofah. As we mentioned above, exfoliating is important and that spongy, alien-looking mesh thing exfoliates the grime and dead skin cells off your body as you wash. In order to take full advantage of the loofah, you want to work up a rich lather in your hands, apply it to your body and then put that loofah to work. Like Drake crooning a ballad, don’t forget to be gentle and take your time.

One thing to keep in mind when opting for a loofah is that it needs to be cleaned regularly and replaced every few months to make sure it stays germ and bacteria-free. You don’t want to be scrubbing yourself down with something that’s dirtier than you already are, trust us.

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How To Extend The Life Of Your Bar Soap

Now that you’ve got your bar soap shower routine dialed in, it’s important to consider how to best keep your bricc in great shape and ready for many showers to come. As we mentioned in our guide 3 Tips To Extend The Life Of Your Soap, the key to long soap life is moisture management. 

Like Bill Belichick oversees his Patriot’s roster with an iron fist, you want to be extremely diligent in keeping your soap dry when you’re not showering. Because natural cold-pressed soaps don’t contain all the harsh preservatives and chemicals that many other soaps do, they require extra care. Just like a coaster for your cocktail, a soap saver is an ideal shower teammate because it’s going to keep your bricc out of the way and help it dry out completely, which is going to make it last longer.

As you can see, maximizing your shower time takes a little bit of thought and some patience. But, you’re worthy of shower greatness, and we’re here to help you step out of the shower and into your day with confidence.