Few pleasures of life compare to an everything shower. Far more extensive than your everyday bathing routine, an everything shower includes multiple steps for cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturizing your body. Don't worry, your hair gets some special treatment, too. The steps may vary from person to person, but the end result is typically the same: soft, gleaming skin as smooth and glowy as a dolphin's, plus squeaky-clean, shiny hair. After years of curating my everything shower, I've landed on a routine that's, in my opinion, the highest form of self-care.
Each week, after giving a polite warning to my roommates, I head into the shower for nearly an hour and emerge as a totally new person. It's a rare time when I can focus wholly on myself and luxuriate in self-care. While the specific steps in an everything shower are important, I've found that the body scrubs, washes, and masks you use are even more so. As someone who tests beauty products and new launches for a living, my lineup for my everything shower is well-worth experiencing for yourself.
Ahead, I walk you through every step of my everything shower routine, with the products I swear by. Whether you're prepping for date night or needing some extra TLC, this edit will have you looking and feeling like your best self.
Start at the Top
My everything shower always starts with my hair before I move onto my body. While some give their hair a deep cleanse by double shampooing, I prefer to use a scalp scrub. The gentle exfoliants in a scrub work wonders at removing build-up, dry skin, and excess oil, and I've found that they don't strip my cherry cola hair color.
There's nothing like this minty-fresh scrub to awaken your senses. Consider it a breath mint for your scalp that cleanses and soothes to leave the best-ever squeaky-clean feel.
Despite a gritty feel, this scrub is especially gentle on hair, but doesn't skip out on exfoliating. Not only does it leave my scalp on a new level of clean, but my hair feels softer every time I use it. I can't forget to mention its calming spa-like scent, too.
Mask Up
Once my scalp is thoroughly cleansed, I like to give my strands a major dose of hydration with a hair mask. Depending on how my fine, color-treated hair is looking and feeling that day, I'll alternate between my two favorites that boost vibrancy, add shine, restore moisture, and repair bonds.
When my dye job is looking meh, this is the mask I reach for. A little goes a long way at restoring the vibrancy of my color, and the glass-like shine it provides is unreal. I've had people ask me if I just got my hair done when all I've used is this mask—it's that good.
I can't get enough of this mask's yummy citrus scent. It only needs three minutes to work its moisturizing and reparative magic. Once you rinse it off, you'll notice hair that is smoother, stronger, shinier, and easier to manage.
Scrub-a-Dub-Dub
While I let my hair mask sit and do its thing for a few minutes, I get to town on my body care, starting with a body scrub. These scrubs thoroughly slough away dead skin, bumps, and texture, and the result is beautifully soft and bright skin.
I love this body scrub so much that I only use it on special occasions since I'm running low. For starters, its sweet floral scent is incredible, but its skin-softening effect is what keeps me coming back for more. With a blend of chemical and physical exfoliants, this scrub is just what dry, dull skin begs for.
Don't sleep on Dove if you want luxurious, yet affordable body care. This body scrub is one of my all-time favorites for its delicious brown sugar scent and texture. With a formula made up of a quarter moisturizing creams, this creamy scrub nourishes skin while providing gentle exfoliation.
Shave (If You Want)
While I don't shave during every shower, I'm incorporating this step now that shorts season is practically here. Of course, how you approach body hair is a personal choice, but if you prefer shaving as I do, my two must-haves makes the ordeal a hell of a lot more enjoyable.
I swear by this $10 shaving oil for getting the closest, most comfortable shave. Its gel-like formula is packed with moisturizing and protective butters to provide great slip while shaving. I have yet to encounter any razor burn or bumps while using it, and its creamy vanilla scent only adds to the luxurious experience.
I've been using these razors ever since I first started shaving in my middle-school years, and I won't be switching them up any time soon. Five blades and a contoured shape reach every nook and cranny, so my skin is as smooth as a dolphin's.
Wash It All Off
Body wash is an essential step in every shower I take, but especially during my everything showers. After exfoliating and shaving, I need to make sure my body is actually clean, too. My go-tos effectively cleanse without stripping and replenish my skin with hydration.
In my opinion, the Cheirosa 59 line, especially this shower oil, is the crown jewel of all Sol de Janeiro products. I can't get enough of its woody gourmand scent, and this luxurious oil actually leaves my skin softer than ever. You can bet this purple bottle will be a permanent fixture in my shower.
Cyklar changed the game when it released its body washes. Its rich, silky texture is unlike anything I've felt before—the same could be said for its warm and cozy scent, too. It over-delivers on its promise of hydration, as my skin feels ultra-soft long after I step out of the shower.
Moisturize on Still-Wet Skin
Finally, it's time to moisturize and seal in hydration, and no, this step doesn't require you to step out of the shower. I've found hydrating products that work like a charm on wet skin—simply turn off the water, apply one of my favorites below, towel-dry like normal, then you're good to go.
Maybe the most game-changing product of Cyklar's lineup has to be its In-Shower Body Oil Balm. It transforms from a balm to an oil and effortlessly melts into skin to provide instant hydration. Vanilla Verve, a favorite of Hailey Bieber's, smells so delicious that I'm constantly sniffing my arms throughout the day to get another whiff.
Herbivore's body oil has made a major difference in my shower routine. It's on the richer side, so I find that it's best applied on wet skin. It absorbs quickly and leaves my skin gleaming with a healthy-looking glow. I love that its scent is subtle enough that I can easily layer it with other body lotions and butters.
Why Trust Marie Claire
For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.
