Skin care

FYI: You're Showering All Wrong

Tired of unruly hair and dry skin? It's time to give your showering routine a facelift

by Erica Smith | COMMENT

PHOTO 9/10

You're Rushing Your Exit How it's hurting: Leaving a soothing shower is painful enough, but drying off as fast as humanly possible to avoid your hallway's wind chill can take you back to square one. Rubbing yourself roughly with a towel further aggravates delicate skin while air drying can lead to chapping. Likewise, rubbing a towel all over your freshly washed strands or throwing your hair up into a towel turban can lead to breakage when your hair is at its most fragile.

The fix: You've made it this far -- it'd be tragic to sabotage your entire shower by getting sloppy once you step out onto the bathroom mat. Use a fluffy towel to lightly pat, not scrub or rub, your body. Then, lock in moisture by applying oils and lotions within five minutes of exiting the shower and before opening the bathroom door to take advantage of the humidity, damp skin and open pores.

As for your hair: "Gently squeeze excess water with a towel and never wring your hair," says Mitgang. "It's fine to wrap it up in a towel if it's only up there for a few minutes. Really, you want to let it breathe and start drying right away to get all that moisture off of your scalp."

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