What Does Clean Really Mean?

Cleaning is the #1 strategy to combat body odor - not to mention keep your skin in the best shape. Yeah, yeah, you’ve heard that you need to wash regularly forever, but what, exactly, does that mean? It all depends upon the body part:

For the face, get into the habit of washing twice a day: once in the morning after you wake up and once at night before bed. Find a gentle cleanser ideally with no colors or perfumes added, or maybe choose a very simple bar soap that follows the same clean ingredient rules. After lathering, rinse and pat dry. Then follow with a moisturizer - same drill: no colors or perfumes - and pick one that’s formulated for the face. In the morning, moisturize with something that’s got SPF for all day sun protection. In the evening, no SPF necessary. Beware to not overwash your face. Twice a day is plenty, but more than that can irritate or dry out your skin, leading to breakouts.

For the body, use a color-free, perfume free soap, lather it up, and wash everywhere once a day. If you have super sensitive skin (for instance, if you’ve got eczema), you may opt to fully bathe less frequently, but still do a daily armpit/groin/face cleaning. No perfume or cologne on earth will cover up body odor… all it will do is combine with the body odor, creating a smell you do not want to put out into the world. Every so often you can use an exfoliant, like a DIY scrub, to get rid of any dead skin cells. 

When washing your body, start from the top and then work your way down so the soap can fully rise off. Make sure you also scrub down those hard to reach areas like in between your toes, around your ankles, and behind your ears.. And if you’re shaving, do it towards the end of your shower so the skin has enough time to soften (this can make for a smoother shave with less irritation). 

The best time to moisturize is as soon as you get out of the shower – since your pores are still open from the heat and steam, they’ll absorb whatever product you put on the skin best. Depending on your skin type, you can use a light to heavy moisturizer on your face and body. PS it’s important to spread your towel out to dry on something like a towel bar, since a damp towel can grow bacteria (if you notice a funky smell, time to give it a wash or switch it out).