Personal hygiene is all about how you care for your body and keep it clean. Good hygiene helps prevent you from getting sick and spreading germs, and also ensures you feel good about your scent and appearance. It’s important in maintaining good physical and mental health, and also helps on a social level. Your daily hygiene routine should focus on areas of the body including your mouth, hands, armpits, hair and scalp, as well as your feminine area. Hygiene is a super important part of a good self-care routine, so here are 9 daily hygiene routine tips every girl should know.
9 Daily Hygiene Routine Tips Every Girl Should Know
1. How Often to Brush Your Teeth
The American Dental Association recommends you brush your teeth at least twice per day (morning and night) for a full 2 minutes. It’s also important that you floss once a day. Ideally, you’ll be brushing your teeth right when you wake up and before you eat breakfast. It’s important to brush your teeth (and tongue) when you wake up to fight bacteria that’s accumulated in your mouth overnight. It will also help protect against acids in your breakfast. You should also brush your teeth after you drink dark beverages like black tea or coffee as they can stain your teeth.
2. Feminine Hygiene
When you’re showering, wash the outside of your vagina only. It’s self-cleaning, but the vulva is not, and it needs to be washed like any other skin on the body. Try using a pH balanced feminine wash made specifically for your intimate area. Otherwise, make sure to use a mild, fragrance-free soap so you don’t irritate the area. When you’re going to the bathroom, the most important thing is wiping your backside and vagina separately, and if you’re just peeing, always wipe from front to back. And make sure to always go pee after sexual intercourse to reduce the risk of a UTI.
3. Nutrition and Hygiene
Did you know nutrition and hygiene go hand in hand? A poor diet can increase the risk of dental decay, bad breath, and poor gastrointestinal issues. Increase your intake of whole foods, lean proteins, complex carbs, and fibres and limit your consumption of processed, refined, high-sugar foods. Hydration and proper nutrition are also important for feminine hygiene. Drinking an adequate amount of water keeps your vaginal tissues hydrated, and a balanced diet full of fruits, vegetables, and probiotics promotes overall vaginal health by supporting the growth of good bacteria.
4. Shower After Sweating
It’s super important to shower after a workout (or any sweaty activity). Otherwise, dead skin cells, bacteria, sweat, and dirt accumulate on the skin, which can cause serious problems. While body odour is probably the most obvious issue, poor hygiene can intensify skin conditions like acne, eczema or psoriasis, cause skin infections, and increase your risk of yeast infections. It can also lead to irritable, inflamed, itchy skin. Make sure to wash well after you sweat, with extra attention to your underarms, feminine area, and feet.
5. Create a Shower Routine
Showering regularly is key to good hygiene. The amount of showers you take in a week depends on your activity level- there’s no one size fits all. Use a moisturizing body wash, and start at the top of your body so the soap can work its way down. Shaving should happen at the end of a shower so the hairs are softened but not too swollen from too much heat and steam. And be sure to regularly switch out your razor blades. Ditch the loofah and use your hands instead, or you can use a new washcloth every time you shower. Loofahs are breeding grounds for bacteria as people tend not to wash them and hold onto them beyond when they should.
6. Hand and Nail Hygiene
Your hands can easily spread germs throughout your body through your mouth, nose, eyes, or ears. Wash your hands after you use the bathroom, when you handle food and before you eat, after your handle garbage, when you sneeze or cough, any time you touch an animal, or after coming in from outside (you likely touched door handles, buttons, etc. while you were out). When it comes to your nails, trim them regularly and brush under them with a nail brush to get rid of build up, dirt, and germs. This will help prevent spreading germs to your body. You should also avoid biting your nails.
7. Hair and Scalp Care
Scalp and hair hygiene should not be underestimated. If you’re experiencing itchiness, irritation, or unpleasant scents coming from your scalp, you may not be washing your hair enough. While washing your hair everyday isn’t necessary (shampooing too frequently strips the hair of natural oils), aim to wash your hair three to four times a week, especially if you’re active, and always after a sweat sesh. Use a shampoo and conditioner specifically for your hair type, and make sure to massage the shampoo into your scalp for 1-2 minutes to make sure all the dirt and other residues are removed. You should also be using a scalp scrub to exfoliate the skin on your head and remove excess skin cells and oils.
8. Menstrual Hygiene
When you’re on your period, you have extra hygiene to keep in mind. Change your menstrual products regularly, always washing your hands before and after using them. Change pads every few hours and tampons every 4-8 hours. If you use a menstrual cup, clean it everyday after use and sanitize it in boiling water after your period is over. Most reusable period underwear is machine-washable or you can hand wash it. Follow the product instructions on the best way to clean them.
9. Wear Deodorant Daily
Deodorant masks the odour that comes with sweating, and if you’re not wearing it, chances are you’re a bit smelly. Deodorant is great for hygiene and odour control, allowing you to smell your best throughout the day. They increase skin acidity, which odour-causing bacteria don’t like. Many deodorants are effective for 24 hours, so you should only need to apply it once during the day, however, if you shower later on in the day or go into any type of water, you should re-apply it after.
It’s always good to get a refresher on daily hygiene tips. Make sure you’re doing these 9 things for excellent hygiene!
This post contains affiliate links.
Did you enjoy this post on a proper daily hygiene routine? We’d love it if you shared it on Pinterest!
Looking for more healthy lifestyle tips? Make sure to follow our Health Board on Pinterest!
