Double washing in the shower

[followyourarrow]

I've recently run across things on social media that say we need to be double washing in the shower, an antibacterial soap, then a regular soap.  They also suggest double washing with shampoo.  I've never heard of this! Am I showering all wrong?  What they're suggesting is that you will stay smelling fresh longer by doubling up, especially with an antibacterial soap, at least that's how I'm interpreting it. I double cleanse my face, using an oil or a balm then a cleanser.

[starburst604]

I don't know why Gen Z feels the need to rewrite all the rules of life. I don't like to overdo antibacterial stuff so I just use regular soap and wash once. I shower daily and I don't smell. Maybe this is helpful for people who struggle more with body odor. As far as hair, I do shampoo twice at the advice of my hair stylist. She says the second wash really gets all of the grime out and since I only wash my hair once a week I figure it makes sense for me to really get out all the dry shampoo, hair product etc.

[wanderingback]

No, that’s dumb and unnecessary.

[sproctopus]

I would say this "trend" is largely driven by influencer over-consumption.

[cville]

Good lord people are silly. These are likely the same folks who 3 years ago were like "I don't wash my legs because the soap runs over them."

While this extreme is "better," it's equally nonsensical.

[UMaineTeach]

Didn’t shampoo bottles used to say “rinse and repeat”? I haven’t seen that recently.

I don’t wash twice, that seems unnecessary. Once in a while I might have to go in for extra soap or shampoo depending on what I was doing before the shower, but not as a regular routine.

I also don’t love the idea of antibacterial soap for the shower, for reasons I have not actually researched. It would make more sense to wash with the regular soap and then the antibacterial. It’s not like the regular soap has some sort of probiotic that will restore any good bacteria that was washed away with the antibacterial.

[wanderingback]

Aug 16, 2024 8:46:43 GMT -5 UMaineTeach said:

Didn’t shampoo bottles used to say “rinse and repeat”? I haven’t seen that recently.

.

That sounds like a marketing scam to get you to use more shampoo so you have to buy more.

[lavenderblue]

I don't use anything antibacterial if I can avoid it. I don't want to make any contribution to making antibiotics even less effective. Everything I've read said that we need germs. I don't know how true it is, but it makes sense to me.

[Leeham Rimes]

I don’t think you need to double wash your body but I do need to wash my hair twice if I’ve been using products and there is build up. We also have hard water so that doesn’t help at all.

As far as antibacterial, I was told by a doctor that regular soap and water is fine. I remember something about too much anti microbial stuff can create new, resistant, strains but I don’t know if that’s medically backed or just something i heard.

[mrsukyankee]

I double wash once every few weeks to help with build up of product as I use a LOT with my curly hair. I don't do it every wash.

[jlt19]

I do the double shampoo thing because of something a hairdresser once told me. Like the first one gets the product out and the second actually cleans.

I use a bar shampoo and I can tell that the first “round” doesn’t lather, but the second does. So it makes me think there’s something to it?

I do a kind of double cleanse on my face if I wear makeup, in that I’ll use micellar water to remove it, and then face cleanser.

But just the one body cleanse.

[shauni27]

I asked my hairdresser about double shampooing because I saw an influencer talking about it and my hairdresser said "if you use tons and tons and tons of products every day on your hair, then yes, shampoo twice a couple days a week." but otherwise she said it was just stupid.

[eb777888]

Nah, I'm not doing that. I already apply enough stuff to my body. And I smell great! lol

[NewGirlNic]

I double wash my hair every few washes. Once with a clarifying shampoo and then with my regular shampoo. 

I double cleanse my face every night. Oil based cleanser to get all the SPF and makeup (if I'm wearing it) off followed by a foaming gel cleanser. 

I don't double wash my body regularly. Unless I've been painting or gardening and I'm actually dirty. I might wash certain areas twice... like if there's paint on my arm, dirt on my knees or something. 

[starburst604]

Aug 16, 2024 8:58:38 GMT -5 jlt19 said:

I do the double shampoo thing because of something a hairdresser once told me. Like the first one gets the product out and the second actually cleans.

I use a bar shampoo and I can’t tell that the first “round” doesn’t lather, but the second does. So it makes me think there’s something to it?

I do a kind of double cleanse on my face if I wear makeup, in that I’ll use micellar water to remove it, and then face cleanser.

But just the one body cleanse.

I've noticed the same! I don't use bar shampoo but I realize now that the first round barely lathers and the second wash I only need half as much shampoo because the lather goes crazy. Again, I wash once a week so I'm not wringing my hands about shampoo overuse. I still use way less than a daily shampooer. 

[cereal K]

Double washing my body including antibacterial soap? I’m not going into surgery, so I’ll stick with one pass of Dove, thanks.

I do double wash my hard, though, since I only wash 2x a week. Once with a clarifying shampoo, then again with a bar shampoo.

[AAM2012]

Seems like a waste of water, product and time!

[pixy0stix]

This would wreck my skin. I'd just be a walking pile of skin flakes.

[glw]

I double wash my hair occasionally because I use a ton of styling products on my curly hair and I only wash every 4 days. Otherwise I don't see the point other than to sell more shampoo.
I try to avoid anything antibacterial unless absolutely necessary.

[dreamcrisp1]

Double shampoo - yes. I think everyone should do it and I always do. You see a major difference in first wash vs second wash.

If you wear SPF, you should always double cleanse your face.

Double wash body? No. Never heard of that one and clearly I’m a fan of doubles.

[Leeham Rimes]

Aug 16, 2024 8:58:38 GMT -5 jlt19 said:

I do the double shampoo thing because of something a hairdresser once told me. Like the first one gets the product out and the second actually cleans.

I use a bar shampoo and I can’t tell that the first “round” doesn’t lather, but the second does. So it makes me think there’s something to it?
.

.

That’s how I can tell my hair needs a double wash. When the first one doesn’t lather, that’s breaking though all the building up, or something. My stylist explains it better.

[SusanBAnthony]

One time my daughter was havi g a procedure and the prep instructions were to shower 3x with antibacterial wash. I dove deep into a rabbit hole of peer reviewed studies and meta analyses and decided it was not backed by science. And they really juat wantyou to normal shower and not be gross.

I can see how certain people with specific issues it might make sense. Like a friends kid with really bad excema gave him bleach rinses after a bath. But for peets sake that is the exception.

[mpc]

Growing up my mom always shampooed my hair twice. I quit doing it myself at some point along the way out of laziness. The few times I have done it in recent years I've noticed the second time lathering up way more than the first.

[eb777888]

I mean, if I'm hiking in the heat and I'm on day three of my hair washing routine, then sure I'll double wash. I think most of us can feel when we need to do it and it's rare for me. I have dry hair and get a regular a glaze and gloss. It's really not necessary for many of us and I don't want to waste my shampoo.

Now, something that I love is a scalp scrub. I do one before my last wash before I get my gloss/glaze. Maybe that's what double wash does for some people?

[donutsmakemegonuts]

Aug 16, 2024 8:41:57 GMT -5 sproctopus said:

I would say this "trend" is largely driven by influencer over-consumption.

Absolutely this.  

[donutsmakemegonuts]

Aug 16, 2024 8:44:48 GMT -5 cville said:

Good lord people are silly. These are likely the same folks who 3 years ago were like "I don't wash my legs because the soap runs over them."

While this extreme is "better," it's equally nonsensical.

This reminds me of the time my SIL declared that she hates showering and would rather take a bath because "I don't want dirty water running down my body in the shower."  Um, Miss Ma'am, you are literally soaking in human soup when you are bathing lol.  She is not the brightest.

[gottadobe]

If I don't get adequate suds the first hair wash, I will wash again.
I am not washing my body twice.
I do double cleanse my face.

[sometimesrunner]

I will double-wash my hair once in a blue moon if I use a lot of products, but by far my usual routine is single washing everything.

[sdlaura]

I sometimes double wash my hair, but only because I only wash it every 5-7 days so it can get really gross I feel like double washing skin would just dry it out/remove any good bacteria and natural oils.

[mofongo]

I have never double washed my body, it never even crossed my mind! I do double wash my hair, like pps said, I’m a weekly washer, so more product buildup. I def feel a difference.