Should I Be Taking an ‘Everything’ Shower?

There’s the type of shower you take every day to wash your body. Then there’s the type of shower you take every once in a while to scrub and hydrate from head to toe. No, they aren’t the same thing, and yes, you should probably be doing both. Meet the everything shower, the self-care ritual you were probably already doing, but didn’t realize was a “thing” until it popped up on your “For You” page. Folks all over social media are sharing the details of these multistep rituals, showing off the techniques and products they use to get it done. It’s entirely personal and different for each person.

During an everything shower, you’re doing, well, everything. It's hygiene, grooming, and body care all wrapped up into one very long shower session, so you’re going to need more than a bar of soap and a washcloth to get it done. An everything shower takes far longer than your regular 10- to 15-minute wash-off, and you end it almost feeling like a brand-new person. Everyone’s version of an everything shower is different, depending on your needs, but one thing remains the same: There are a lot of steps. Pop on a podcast or the new Sabrina Carpenter album to keep you company. 

The process for an everything shower starts even before you get wet. Some people begin by dry brushing their bodies to exfoliate their skin in preparation. Others (curly and coily girls, stand up) begin with a pre-shampoo treatment to moisturize their hair, or another type of hair treatment that requires dry strands. Some color-depositing conditioners deliver a more intense color if you use them on dry hair first, making them a perfect prep step for an everything shower.

The hardest work begins once you actually get into the shower. Maybe you start with a scalp-specific treatment and end with a deep conditioner for your strands. While you wait for it to seep into your hair, you can use a body scrub to further exfoliate your skin. Hair removal can also be part of the process. You can even multitask by doing this step — whether you're shaving, trimming, or using a depilatory cream — while products sit on your hair.

It’s important to always moisturize after any shower, but you can really go all out after an everything shower. Make sure the skin on your body and face is adequately hydrated postshower. Finish with a rich, creamy moisturizer, and if you’re really extra, top it off with an oil and wait for it to sink in. 

How often you decide to take an everything shower is up to you. We’re big fans of the Sunday session. But whenever you do, treat it as a form of self-care. You deserve it.