A few months ago, Diane had an excellent post about her mundane bathroom details. Well, I find these mundane life details to be fascinating! I just love getting a glimpse into how other people live: what is their routine like? what products do they use? how often are they doing their hair and makeup?
I bookmarked that post, promising to write my own post about my own mundane bathroom details and here we are. Somehow, I have 1,500 words to say about this topic. (I AM SO SORRY.) Please enjoy!
SHOWER
In the shower, I am loyal to Tresemme products. I use their “Silky & Smooth” line because it makes my hair so soft! I use the shampoo on my whole head and then conditioner on the ends. Once a week, I’ll apply my special psoriasis shampoo (clobetasol), which has to sit for 15 minutes before I can wash it out. So I’ll apply it pre-shower (only on the two spots on each side of my scalp where I have flares) and then sit on the couch, playing a game on my phone, until it’s time to get in the shower to wash it out. Then I’ll also use Tresemme shampoo for my whole head.
To wash my body, I use a loofah (which I don’t replace nearly as often as I should) and body wash. I’m not brand loyal to body wash, but it’s typically Caress, Suave, or Softsoap in a delicious scent. And I never use exfoliating body washes, since I also use them in my bubble baths that I take multiple times a week. All those exfoliating beads feel terrible in a bath, lol.
For shaving, I don’t use shaving cream. Instead, I do a wet shave. I will typically shave my legs when I’m taking a bath (so they’re also nice and soft from the bath water!). But I also shave my arms (a weird thing I started doing as a teen when I felt very self-conscious about my hairy arms and all the girls in my youth group were shaving their arms), which I do in the shower.
Once I am out of the shower, I wrap up in a bath sheet, which I highly recommend over a regular-size bath towel. They are bigger and cozier. I wrap my hair up in a microfiber hair towel. And then I do the thing I am not supposed to do: I use a Q-tip to remove the excess water from my ears. Is this the best part of my day? Maybe. Nothing feels as good as rubbing a Q-tip around my ear canal, I swear.
Lastly, I will put on some deodorant! Honestly, I only do this if I will be in public. If I’m going to be at home all day and not seeing anyone, I don’t apply deodorant. Right now, I’m using Secret’s Whole Body Deodorant Spray, which I like.
TEETH
I am not brand loyal to any toothbrush. I just grab whatever catches my eye when it’s time for a new toothbrush. Right now, I’m using Colgate 360 Charcoal Sonic Powered Vibrating Toothbrush. I basically bought it because I thought it looked cool. My toothpaste is Crest 3D White Advanced Teeth Whitening Toothpaste. It’s not making my teeth any whiter, and yet, I keep buying it. And, of course, mouthwash. I use Crest Pro-Health Advanced mouthwash, and I haven’t had a cavity since I’ve been using it! Coincidence, maybe, but maybe not.
For Christmas, I got a water flosser (Waterpik,) and I loved using that thing to floss my teeth every night. And then it lost its charge and I realized I put the charger in a very secret place. So secret that I don’t even know where it is! I have looked everywhere. I need to just suck it up and buy a new charger, but I’m still convinced I will find it somewhere in my apartment.
SKIN
I’ve already gone through my skincare routine on the blog a few times, so I’ll list off my morning and nighttime routines quickly:
- Morning: Cleanser (La Roche Posay), toner (La Roche Posay), niacinamide serum (The Ordinary), vitamin C serum (L’Oreal), and moisturizer (Cerave)
- Nighttime: Cleanser (La Roche Posay), exfoliant (Paula’s Choice), toner (La Roche Posay), niacinamide serum (The Ordinary), hyaluronic acid serum (The Ordinary), moisturizer (Cerave)
I don’t do this routine every day because sometimes I get lazy and sometimes my face feels like it needs a break. When I’m washing my face with cleanser, I use a washcloth to wet my face before applying cleanser, and then again to remove the cleanser. The towels get thrown into my laundry basket after every use. (The washcloths are nothing special; I’ll usually just pick up a pack on a random Homegoods run.) I use reusable cotton rounds to apply my liquid exfoliant and toner. I bought two packs of these pads from Amazon and then another pack from a local zero-waste store.
The only other skin product I use is my pimple patches because I’m in my late 30s now and am still dealing with breakouts. WHEN WILL IT END?! Argh. I like the Mighty Patch pimple patches for simple breakouts, but I also get these pustules (such a gross word) from time to time. For those, I’ve had great luck with ZitSticka Killa Acne Extra Strength patches.
Oh, and I also wear sunscreen! I don’t wear it every day since there are so many days when I’m not out in the sun at all, but if I know I’m going to be outside for more than a few minutes, I’ll apply it. I am not brand loyal here, anything will do (currently: Hawaiian Tropic Weightless Hydration Face Sunscreen).
HAIR
My hair routine is quite simple these days as I usually just brush it out after my shower (which is always in the morning) and then let it air dry. Sometimes, I’ll use the straightener after my hair has dried if I want to look a little more pulled together, but generally, I don’t bother with it. Right now, I’m using The Knot Dr. hairbrush, which I love so much. It is so easy to get out any knots! I don’t use any product in my hair when I let it air dry—it usually dries fairly straight and smooth. (I know I’m lucky!)
If I’m going to actually do my hair, I have a hair dryer (Conair InfinitiPRO), a dryer brush (Conair InfinitiPRO, as well), a straightener (also Conair InfinitiPRO), and a curling wand (Bed Head Rock N Roller Curling Wand). Apparently, I am brand loyal to Conair InfinitiPRO. (Who knew?!) So when I’m doing my hair, I will do one of three things:
- Use the blowdryer to get my hair 50% dry, and then use my dryer brush for the rest of it. This gives my hair the best volume, but it takes longer.
- Use the blow dryer, and then straighten. This will take 15-20 minutes, from wet hair to straightened hair.
- Use the blow dryer, and then curl. This takes about the same time as the dryer brush.
Other hair products are hair elastics (Goody Ouchless, in black), which I use on a daily basis because I hate having my hair down and will obsessively play with it. I use these hairclips to pin back my bangs since I’m going through the arduous process of growing out my bangs. And I have a whole slew of headbands that I use! I can only wear headbands when my hair is down, though, because they’ll slide right off my head if I have my hair pulled back. (My hair is very fine and smooth, so most headbands just can’t grab hold of anything.)
MAKEUP
I used to wear a full face of makeup every day when I worked in a office, but thank God for video call filters now. If I want to look a little more put together, I’ll fill in my eyebrows and do a few swoops of mascara. Maybe some lipstick to finish things off.
If I really want to get dolled up, though, here’s what I use:
- Foundation (Milani Conceal + Perfect)
- Finishing powder (e.l.f. Perfect Finish HD Powder)
- Eyeshadow (I have a bunch of different palettes that I rotate through depending on my mood)
- Eyebrow pencil (NYX Micro Brow Pencil)
- Mascara (Maybelline the Falsies Surreal)
- Bronzer (Revlon Skin Lights)
- Lipstick (my fave for staying power is Maybelline SuperStay, either Matte Ink or Vinyl Ink)
I also keep a package of makeup wipes (Neutrogena Makeup Remover Wipes) on hand for those days that I do a full face of makeup. Since I do it so rarely, it takes me forever to go through a package so I don’t feel like I’m killing the environment.
OTHER
Okay, we’re finally onto the last category! These are all miscellaneous items that are bathroom products:
- Tampons – I’m brand loyal to Tampax Pearl. I have all of my tampons organized in bins by size and stacked in my bathroom closet.
- Hand soap – I’m partial to Mrs. Meyers and I always try to find a new scent to enjoy.
- Perfume – My mom gave me her bottle of Kate Spade perfume, which is quite full, so I’ll be enjoying that bottle for a very long time. I also keep any perfume samples I get (I love when Sephora gives them as freebies!) because it’s fun to wear something new every now and then.
- Toilet paper – I’m a Charmin girl! Give me the softest toilet paper, please and thank you.
- Flushable wipes – Listen, sometimes you just need something soothing on your bum-bum, you know?
Well, that’s a weird note to end on, but I’ll leave it there. Tell me some of your mundane bathroom details! Do you do your hair and makeup every day? What’s a go-to makeup product for you? Do you also have strong feelings about toilet paper?
YESSSS!!!! You know we want these deets! Tresemme used to make a 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner that was magic and I used it for years. It’s so long ago that I don’t remember exactly what happened, but I think they stopped making it and every other 2 in 1 that I tried was garbage. I also don’t use shaving cream because it means one less product to buy.
My go to is air drying. If I want to do something extra then I’ll curl my hair, but it’s very quick. I had to give up eye makeup a long time ago due to sensitivity, but up until the pandemic I always wore foundation and blush. I would never have believed how quickly I gave that up once the pandemic started.
Toilet paper needs to be soft! Costco’s brand is exactly right for our comfort level.
Now that you mention it, I don’t know how many 2-in-1 products I see these days, at least for women’s products. But maybe there are more than I think but I just don’t use them so I don’t see them.
I love the air-drying method! I’m glad my hair behaves itself so I can let it air dry and it still looks good!
I am here for all the bathroom details! At the moment, I am feeling super jealous of your dry straight and smooth hair! That is such a gift. My hair dries in curls, but not curls that look good. Sigh.
Have you noticed that body wash has gotten ridiculously expensive lately??? I used to be able to buy St. Ives body wash from Target for, like, under $5. But now my favorite isn’t available anymore and everything else is in the $8 range! What is the deal?!
My hair texture has definitely changed because there was a time I could NEVER let my hair air dry. It would dry in weird waves that looked terrible.
I usually buy my body wash in bulk because it’s cheaper that way since I go through body wash like candy, lol. But it is SO expensive! I think I’ve spent $25 on a pack of 4 and it makes my brain hurt.
I’m with Suzanne – if I air dry my hair it is curly but not perfect or nice curls. It’s kinky waves and it is SO frustrating. I cannot tell you how many hours of my life I have wasted dreaming about stick-straight hair.
I tend to buy whatever it on sale with regard to bathroom products except makeup – there have my go-to brands and colours. As my teen girl gets older, I suspect things will get a bit “pickier” in terms of what brands/scents we stock in the house and “whatever is cheapest” might not cut the mustard 🙂
My hair used to be like that! There was a time when I could never even FATHOM air drying my hair. I had a friend who would air dry her hair and it would dry silky smooth, and I was so jealous! I guess my hair’s texture changed or something because now I’m the girl with silky smooth hair after air drying.
You might get some OPINIONS about your bathroom products soon. 😉 Hang in there!
I’m here for the mundane details as well! I can’t believe you can get away with shaving with just water. I have such sensitive skin so need to use shaving cream. I only shave once/week, though! I might shave more often in the summer when I am out with bare legs more often but typically once/week does the trick…
I do my hair and make-up probably 6/7 days? I tend to do it M-F since I might need to go on camera at any point. Then I also tend to do it on Sunday when I go to church so I look a bit more presentable. I try to only wash my hair every other day, maybe every 2 days if I can get away with it. I use dry shampoo in between. I have a Revlon blow brush that I use. I used to exclusively use it but it takes a lot of strength and my hand is still recovering from surgery so I pretty much blow dry it until it is almost completely dry and then use my blow brush to give it a bit more volume/style.
I am a devotee of Charmin!
I am lucky to have very light blonde hairs on my legs so I don’t shave them as often as I *should*. Sometimes it’s not until I can FEEL MY HAIR WAVING when I’m outside that I’m like, “Oops, probably time to shave.” LOL. So maybe once a month?! I’m terrible about shaving my legs.
Those blow-dry brushes are heavy-duty so I would imagine you’ve had to give up that routine until your hand is fully healed. What a bummer!
Oh these posts are always so fascinating. You think your routine is the same as everyone else’s until you read a post like this.
I never do my hair. I want to have perfect glossy hair but the truth is I can’t remember the last time I brushed my hair. Let alone when I blow dried it or made any effort.
I only use one type of tooth paste after I developed an allergy (medical term: geographic tongue) to every other one. Also only one kind of mascara works – the cheapest – because everything else irritates my eyes and they get red, itchy and teary.
Isn’t it fascinating how differently our mundane lives can be?
I’ve never heard of geographic tongue! That’s wild. I’m glad you found a toothpaste that will work for you!
There are a few mascaras that irritate my eyes, so I feel you! At least it’s a cheap mascara that works!
Stephany, this is going to sound weird, but bear with me: I used to wax my arms. I did! I have fair skin and dark hair (or I did, it’s grey/ white now) and I would wax my own arms with those big strips. A few times doing that and now the hair on my arms is very light. Also wowza, having a waxed arm feels so great. So smooth! I shave daily (legs and underarms) but I use Dove body wash instead of shaving cream, it’s much more moisturizing. What else, what else. Yes I do my hair and makeup every day without fail. If for some reason I don’t it’s because I have one foot in the grave. I think the last time I didn’t do my makeup was when I was recovering from surgery. I don’t wash my hair every day but I do shower every day. On days I don’t wash my hair I use a volumizer and curl it, or if it’s the third day in the cycle I will put it in a ballerina bun. If I was to list all my products we’d be here all day so I will just say briefly Maybelline Surreal Falsies mascara and Maybelline Ultimatte lip colour. Oh and I’ve been using Prose hair products, A plus to those. I have no strong feelings about toilet paper but (get ready for TMI) (are you sure you’re ready) (seriously) I get my honeypot sugared every 4-6 weeks or so, and I get what is termed as the French bikini with the back, and the “back” in question is actually my, um, anus? Wow does that look disturbing when I type it. I’M LEAVING IT HERE. NOT DELETING. Just in case anyone else is French-bikini-with-the-back curious. Follow me for more exciting tips!
Nicole, this is why we love you! Thank you for being so TMI that I will never worry about being too TMI. HAHAHA. But I love this so much! And I am so much more well-acquainted with buttholes now that I have cats so it doesn’t phase me!
Also, there is a brand of tampons called Honeypot so now every time I see that brand, I think of you! YOU’RE WELCOME!
I’m laughing at the comments here- it seems like everyone with curly hair wants straight (including my daughter) and I would LOVE to have some curls. I also love Nicole’s comment. There’s some TMI for you!
I am very low-maintenance when it comes to this stuff, but I’m noticing more and more as I age that the “natural” look works less and less. SIGH.
FWIW, I know my daughter shaves her arms- pretty sure it’s a thing now, so you’re right in style.
I wish my hair curled with a cute natural wave, but alas! It’s straight and I’m just going to enjoy it. Plus, curly hair takes SO much more maintenance than straight hair!
Maybe it’s something about being a tween/teen and shaving our arms! Having body hair almost feels embarrassing at that age, lol. I’ve thought about letting it all grow back, but I do really enjoy the smooth arms!
Trust Nicole to figure out where the line is, and then roller boogie her way past it with barely a backward glance. This is why we love Nicole.
My husband’s cousin (almost 35) and my daughter (29) both shave their arms too.
My turn to TMI – having gone through menopause, I now have very little body hair. I used to shave my legs every day, and my underarms, and my bikini area, and now maybe once every couple of weeks? If I feel like it? Really not needed. Sounds great, but now I have more hair on my face, so it’s a trade off.
I used to wear makeup every day, and it’s only in the last few years when I have started to relax a bit and go without. I mean, my skin doesn’t look nearly as good as it did 10 years ago, and I wore makeup then, and now I don’t, so the world is topsy turvy. I just feel like I want to accept myself as I am instead of feeling like I have to cover up my face to leave the house. Does that make any sense? I still feel my best when I am put together, and I feel most put together when I wear makeup. Wow, I went in circles there.
I TOTALLY know what you are saying! I do feel more put together when I wear makeup, but I also want to be happy with what I look like WITHOUT makeup. Sometimes I go to the grocery store and I just look frightening with sweatpants and messy hair and no makeup. And I guess I just won’t ever have that grocery store meet-cute. 😉 I just can’t be bothered, but I do think I look my best when I’m wearing makeup.
Here’s my TMI for the comment section: I am so bad at remembering the shave my legs. I have very light hair so it’s not really noticeable to anyone but me. It’s only when I’m outside and can feel those leg hairs WAVING IN THE WIND that I realize I should probably shave. HA.
Yes for bath shaving! It’s also just way easier from the bath then standing in the shower.
Ahh the arm shaving. I remember looking around one day in college and the absolute panic at realizing “wait how did I not know everyone was shaving their arms?? i missed the memo from girls everywhere somehow omg omg” As someone with pale skin and dark hair I was mortified at having hair on my arms once I realized! The horror, the trauma…lol
I have soo many Maybelline Vinyl Ink. I rarely remember to shake before using but the staying power is insane and the colors are so pretty!
I have never figured out the gymnastics required to shave my legs while standing up in a slippery shower!
I think I had the same panic! And that was when I started shaving my arms, lol.
I need more Maybelline colors! I love their staying power.
I love this and all your details! I”m so glad you didn’t find my mundane bathroom post boring. It’s so interesting what people developi a strong attachment to and what items they’ll just use whatever is convenient.
I never really learned to use make-up so I don’t tend to use make up these days because I don’t feel confident that I’ll do it correctly. Where do people learn to put on make-up??? Once in a while, for opening night I’ll put some lip colour on, but usually by the time I get to the opening night party, I’m too exhausted and am just going for the food.
I thought your post was fascinating! I love these daily life details, and how differently (or similarly!) we do things. 🙂
Hmm… where did I learn to put on makeup… that’s a good question! Maybe from friends? My mom? I’m not exactly sure!
OMG. I read through your post and then of course through all the comments, and what fun! First of all, like you, I need a stiff breeze to remind me that it’s time to shave the legs, and even then I only go to below the knee most of the time. My good friend K, who is blessed with thin sparse leg hair, and still shaves every day, tells me that my “legs are really hairy” and I’m like, yeah, but I don’t really care. I only wet shave, no cream but sometimes I’ll rub some soap on there first to ease the glide. As for the old honeypot, what exactly is sugaring? Is it waxing with hot sugar? I don’t even want to Google it.
I also have thin straight hair that can dry quickly and smoothly on its own, so I spend no time on that, and usually if I am going to be active, I put it in a braid or bun so that it’s out of the way and then I go about my day.
I could dedicate a lot of time to this subject as I’m particular about the products I use in the bathroom and it’s fun to read and discuss! I made the switch about 10 years ago from toxic shampoos, body washes, etc to cleaner products with less chemicals.
For the shower I use method body wash in a scent I love. It’s a coconut type scent as I’m super sensitive to flowery scents which at times can lead to headaches. I use my kids shower soap from earth mama, which I recently discovered, for shaving legs. For underarms I just use water. I do that every other day. As far as shampoo I finally found a great one that lathers well as many natural ones do not. It has a rosemary scent which is lovely and it leaves my hair decent. I do use a standard leave in conditioner which is a very tiny amount to detangle. My hair is curly but it doesn’t curl all that great unless it’s humid then it’ll curl decently. But I have to use products to get it to curl nicely. I found the best one for my hair type after trial and error
on and off for a long time. It’s Not Your Mothers Curl Talk brand. I bought the cream and gel. The cream works great in my curls (putting it here as it may help others w curly hair). Though I do straighten my hair 85% of the time it’s great to have these products for when I leave it curly. To straighten I use a hairdryer and round brush then smooth it out with a hot ceramic brush by L’ange.
The same goes for toothpaste products – I’ve found natural ones. The current one I’m using is a bit spicy as it has peppermint in it but it’s worked great and I had little build up when I went for a recent cleaning. It’s by Uncle Harry’s if anyone is interested.
I hardly use makeup but do have regular makeup from CVS nothing crazy for when I do put it on the rare occasion. I’m not good about using lotions etc on my face. I know I should but I just can’t manage to do it.
I use a natural deodorant as well which is only when I’m going out and about or it’s super hot in the summer.
All these natural products all come with a higher price tag unfortunately. I wish they weren’t but I use them carefully and sparingly as I can.