Body Wash and Shower Gels
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Manufacturers: Less than $15 Manufacturers: More than $15
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How to Choose
Years ago the standard for showering was a plain old bar of soap.  Well, the times are changing and so is the beauty industry. Showering just isn't what it used to be. With the diversity of body wash and shower gels on the market, choosing one can become quite overwhelming. Fear not, for there are only a few major considerations you should take into account when purchasing them. - Know your skin. This means beware of any allergies or sensitivities you might have to a particular brand, ingredient, fragrance, etc. This also means taking note of whether you tend to have dry, oily or acne-prone skin.
- Products that use antibacterial medication or salicylic acid are excellent for fighting breakouts. These body washes can also be helpful to remove excess oil if you have naturally oily skin.
- Moisturizing washes are best if you have dry skin. Look for emollients in the ingredient list and avoid heavy detergents such as sodium laureth sulfate. You may also want to try a product with glycolic acid in it or one with a grainy component since both act as exfoliants.
- Winter is a time that is typically dry and harsh on everyone's skin. Don't forget that winter months are a great time to try out extra moisturizing formulas.
- Hypo-allergenic washes are a must for those with sensitive skin. Also look for products with the least amount of fragrance in them. The gentler, the better. You may even enjoy exploring organic options that shy away from using harsh chemicals and overbearing scents.
- Scent test. If you are in a store shopping, this is usually not hard to do. Pop open a lid on any of the products that you are interested in trying and smell them to see if it is pleasing to you.
- For something calming, fragrances that have a soothing effect include lavender, sandalwood or chamomile. To give yourself a jump start in a morning shower, try something with rosemary or mint.
- Keep in mind who else is using the wash and whether or not they might like or dislike the fragrance. This is usually a concern for families that have many people using the same products.
- If you typically wear cologne or perfume, remember to try and match up the two up as closely as possible so as to not have any scent wars. When in doubt, choose a body wash with little or no fragrance.
- Rotate. Buy a few different types of body wash from different brands with different scents to get an idea of what suits you best for different moods, time of day, and even seasons.
- Scents
- Citrus is a great eye-opener, perfect for the morning.
- Light citrus scents are also great for summer, whereas a spicy or musky smell might be best suited to colder winter months.
- Keep in mind that florals are typically "female" scents, whereas musks are usually more "manly." This is not a strict rule to follow. Obviously when buying for yourself this is a purely personal decision, but it could be a good thing to remember when shopping for someone else.
- Certain scents react differently with your skin's natural oils. Just because John Doe smells great using one body wash, it doesn't meant that it will smell great on you.
- Scrubbing action
- Heavy-duty scrubs and exfoliators are good to use towards the end of winter. They help slough off dead, dry skin and they can also be used to relieve keratosis pilaris, a symptom that certain people develop during the cold, dry winter months.
- If you typically have rough skin around the elbows or knees, a scrub will help smooth them out all year round.
- Natural scrubs are best. On the ingredients list check for a natural ingredient listed as one of the first three and you know that the scrub will be effective and gentle.
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