Turn your shower into a luxury spa
If you’re officially over the “soak for an hour in the bath with a glass of merlot” bit, or you don’t happen to have a tub in your microscopic Manhattan apartment, you’re in luck.
From easy-install fixtures that infuse water with targeted mood-changers to rustic-chic scrubbing mitts and “steamers” that surround you with scent, there’s never been a better time to upgrade your shower to spa-level standards.
According to Pinterest’s 2023 Predicts report, searches for terms like “shower routine aesthetic” and “home spa bathroom” are skyrocketing on the platform, driving a blizzard of pinned pics of massive waterfall heads, Ibiza-worthy LED light panels, eucalyptus branches and handcrafted essential-oil mist recipes.
And then there’s the burgeoning “everything shower” trend, in which multitaskers aim to check off a laundry list of time-consuming grooming chores — scalp scrubs, hair masks, shaving, exfoliating flaky skin, etc. — in one lengthy weekly sesh, preferably while blasting their spaces with aromatherapy diffusers and a favorite podcast.
Stephanie Ewing, author of “The Shower Habit: 10 Steps To Increase Energy, Boost Confidence and Achieve Your Goals Without Waking Up Earlier,” is a fan of making your morning rush of H20 the springboard for a more productive day.
This is achieved, she says, through “habit-stacking” during shower time, which can include anything from chanting affirmations and practicing mindful breathing to a few gentle yoga poses.
Ewing encourages ending your shower with a cold rinse, working your way up to three full minutes at a frosty 65 degrees. Why the self-inflicted cryotherapy?
“It wakes you up, energizes you and proves to yourself that you are a badass shower-ninja who can accomplish anything,” Ewing explains. “I was always trying to join the ‘5AM Club’ and failing miserably. After some research, I found a morning routine that feels like self-care and gives me the solid foundation I need to kick butt every day.”
Not quite ready to take over the world? Use your evening shower to take the edge off.
Case in point: the “Sleep” and “Relax” Shower Infusion Pods from new wellness brand Sprig. Developed by bathroom-fixture giant Kohler (which also operates five Kohler spas in the US and Scotland), Sprig offers a range of refillable aromatherapy pods — developed in conjunction with Firmenich perfumers Etienne Bouckaert and Loic Bisceglie — along with sleek devices to dispense them.
“We like to group our scents into three categories,” says Stephanie Krickeberg, associate marketing director for Sprig. “‘Breathe’ and ‘Recharge’ are our most invigorating and revitalizing scents, and we see those two used frequently in the morning. ‘Focus’ and ‘Shield’ were designed to inspire alertness and a can-do attitude throughout the day. ‘Sleep’ and ‘Relax’ were formulated to encourage the mind to wind down while the day melts away.”
The idea is to maximize our daily me-time, by adding wellness to a task we’re already performing. “Far more Americans shower than bathe,” notes Krickeberg. “This is really all about relaxation and stress relief over cleaning.”
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