Historically, it’s probably been more common to say that you are going to “jump” in the shower rather than “camp out” or “set up shop” there. But that may not be the case with the “Everything Shower.” This type of shower can last longer than most Hollywood feature films—typically two to four hours—and can make you wonder whether you need to make an Outlook calendar entry to block out time to do it. After all, such an entry can circumvent your having to repeat, “I can’t make any meetings this morning because I am showering.” If you are wondering why a shower might take such a Titanic length of time, the “Everything” is the operative word here. It’s where you do everything—clean, condition, shave, exfoliate, moisturize, talk to, etc.—to every part of your body over the course of one lengthy “shower.” The big question, though, is whether the “Everything Shower” is everything that it’s being touted to be.
You can find lots of chatter and claims about such showers now on TikTok by searching for the hashtag #Showertok. This hashtag has already garnered over six billion views, which means quite a few people have been sharing their showering habits with strangers. A number of these people have been describing how they will use an “Everything Shower” to do an extensive head-to-toe care routine that involves various masks, shavers, exfoliating scrubs, balms, oils, moisturizers, and other beauty and hygiene products. Now, not every single minute is necessarily spent in the actual shower stall or tub with running water or while soaking in water. That could lead to some massive water bills—among other issues. Rather, an “Everything Shower” is more about spending two-to-four hours in the bathroom or similar setting taking care of everything on your body, one part after another. It can be a bit like a spa experience in your own home or apartment.
Here’s a screenshot of a video post from @schugar15 that goes through some of her “Everything Shower” steps:
In some case, it looks like TikTokers have set up Sephora or Ulta annexes in their bathrooms. The only thing that is seemingly missing is the cash register. Many of these TikTokers have been claiming that a weekly “Everything Shower” is about self-care and can be a way to improve well-being and overall productivity.
A number of the shower settings being featured on TikTok aren’t exactly the bathrooms-being-shared-with-six-other-housemates type of settings. Instead, they are the that-bathroom-looks-like-it-is-featured-in-a-catalog type of settings. The shower stalls and tubs in some cases look like you could hold a garden party in them and are equipped—or perhaps festooned—with designer everything such bath racks, scented candles, floral arrangements, fresh eucalyptus, other accessories, and self-care products. This may not quite resonate when the closest thing to a tub that you have in your apartment is a bucket. It also might be problematic if your apartment-mates end up telling you, “Dude, stop hanging eucalyptus everywhere.”
There’s certainly nothing wrong with trying to increase your self-care and improve your showering experience in general. The shower can be a good time and place to take care everything that needs to be taken care of on your body because that’s when you are seeing all of your body up close. That’s why doctors will often recommend doing doing breast and testicular self-exams while in the shower. It eliminates the extra step of having to take off your clothes and trying to remember where those body parts might be located. Plus, the shower is a good place for some alone time, away from other distractions where you can concentrate on you and what you are thinking, wanting, or needing. That’s one of the reasons why good ideas may come to you while you are in the shower. So, for example, why not shave different parts of your body while in the shower, as long as you don’t end up somehow electrocuting yourself?
At the same time, a shower doesn’t have to feel like a carwash. You can do things to improve its ambience and infuse your personality. If hanging eucalyptus, fettuccini or whatever on your shower head will make you feel better as long there aren’t any safety issues, go for it. Just make sure you aren’t neglecting other rooms and parts of your life in the process. “That person has no job and a living room filled with rats, but the bathroom is amazing” is not something you should strive for in most cases.
A key question is whether it is practical or even wise to spend so long doing all of this at least once a week. First of all, there’s the question of how much actual time you are spending in water or steam from water. Even though warm or even hot baths or showers can feel good in the short run, they can wash away a lot of the natural protective oils from your skin and hair and end up drying your hair and skin way too much. The longer you spend in a bath or shower the more likely this is going to happen. Using self-care products to try to then replenish these oils may not work as well and of course could lock you in a cycle of perpetually buying such products. So with any beauty and hygiene routine, you’ve got to be mindful of how long the water is running on or over you.
Moreover, whenever you are on social media, you’ve got to wonder how many of the trends are being pushed by people and companies wanting to sell you stuff. Remember social media isn’t just occupied by people who are thinking, “Oh this seemed to work for me. I am going to be a good citizen and spread the word out of the kindness of my heart.” Anytime someone tells you to buy some kind of product, you’ve got to ask yourself whether you really need that product. For example, do you really need some kind of skin oil when not spending so long in a tub might alleviate the need for that skin oil?
Finally, four hours spent in a “shower” means four hours that can’t be spent elsewhere, assuming that your shower or entire bathroom isn’t on wheels. So, a big question is from a self-care standpoint, would that four hours be better spent walking in nature, connecting with friends in person, journaling, doing some type of hobby, getting additional sleep, learning a new skill or whatever else can help you rest, reflect and improve yourself? The answer probably differs from person to person. When people push a specific self-care regimen, it can be in the absence of everything else you have going on in your life. Taking an “Everything Shower” may or may not fit into your life given everything that you want to do.
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