Maintaining your personal hygiene is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Following these seven tips will help you feel your best and perform in your sports.
- Take a shower every day: Remember to start each day with clean skin. Use soap and focus on your armpits and feet. Showering is also a must after any sweaty activity.
- Wash that oil right out of your hair: Hair isn't always easy to manage. Overactive sweat glands can increase the amount of oil in your hair. Shampooing at least every other day can keep this under control.
- Keep skin clear: For proper skin care, use a mild acne cleanser or soap twice a day and follow up with an over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide cream. Don’t touch your face — it spreads bacteria, and picking can leave scars.
- Shave safely: If you decide to shave, use shaving cream and a razor. To shave correctly, wet the skin and hair, apply shaving cream, and then lightly drag the razor across skin.
- Stop the sweat: Changing clothes, underwear, bras, and socks daily is essential. Also, don't leave the house without deodorant or antiperspirant. (Deodorant covers up the smell, while antiperspirant stops perspiration.) Maybe even stash an extra stick in your backpack!
- Brush, floss, rinse, repeat: Make sure you understand that skimping on oral care can cause gingivitis, cavities, and bad breath. Brush correctly, and follow up with floss and mouthwash — both morning and night.
- Trim and tidy fingernails: Trim fingernails and toenails straight across to prevent ingrown nails. Then slightly round at the top with a nail clipper and/or an emery board.