How To Use Shower Gel For Men (With And Without A Loofah)

There’re tons of soaps, body washes, and other products out there you can use in the shower to get yourself clean every day. But ever wonder how to use shower gel? Does it work better with or without a loofah? You might even be wondering what the hell shower gel even is? If so, here’s the lowdown.

What Is Shower Gel?

Shower gel is a liquid cleanser you use in the bath to clean your body. It’s not heavy on fragrance, is a lot thicker in its texture and, because it’s not super moisturizing like some body washes, it’s best for guys whose skin is naturally oily. I like to think of shower gel as the Dennis Rodman of men’s grooming products––it can be harsh, abrasive, and it’s definitely not the smoothest, but it will get the job done.

How To Use Shower Gel With Loofah

It’s super easy to get the most out of your shower gel when using a loofah–those spongy balls you find hanging in the soap aisle. But loofahs are great because they’re made specifically for shower gels and body washes. And here’s my favorite part: they produce great lather.

So, here’s how to use shower gel with a loofah.

• Get the shower water running at a temperature you’ll feel comfortable with.
  
• Once you step in the shower be sure to stand under the water for a couple seconds to get your entire body wet. This’ll help the shower gel to lather even more when you start scrubbing. Be sure to wet your loofah, too.
  
• Squeeze three to four drops of shower gel onto the loofah and squish it together in the palm of your hands so the shower gel begins to lather.
  
• Once you’ve got the desired amount of suds you like, you can start scrubbing your body. I always say scrub in circular motions but be sure not to scrub too hard, especially if you’re using an exfoliating shower gel. For the fellas with KP or other skin conditions, remember to be gentle.
  
•  Rinse off thoroughly.

How To Use Shower Gel Without Loofah

If you don’t have a loofah handy, as much as I hate it, a regular washcloth will get the job done. Washcloths aren’t my favorite thing to use in the shower but sometimes you just have to bite the bullet. You’ll need a few extra squirts of shower gel and some extra patience if you want to get a good lather going when using a washcloth.

Be sure to wet it, have it open in your palm and squirt your shower gel into the center. Then you’ll want to dab it under the water and wring it in the palm of your hand, so it starts lathering and you get the amount of suds you want. If you’re not getting the amount of lather you want, you’ll need to drop a few more squirts onto your washcloth.

From there you can follow the instructions as if you’re using a loofah.

How To Use Shower Gel with Hands

Using shower gel with your hands is a little tricky. Step under the water to make sure your entire body is wet.  Make sure the palms of your hands are wet, too. Squirt two helpings of shower gel into the palm of your hand and then rub them together to create a good lather. Once you’ve got the desired suds, run your hands all over to clean yourself.

Make sure to rinse off thoroughly.

Can We Use Shower Gel Daily?

Yes! Shower gel can be used as part of your daily shower routine. I prefer it to bar soap because it’s easier to use and isn’t as harsh, but there are drawbacks, too. If you have dry skin or other skin conditions, I’d recommend using a body wash instead. Shower gels aren’t made to moisturize your skin, they dry it out more. They are really geared to getting you clean, not conditioning your skin.  

And they’re also a lot harsher on the skin than body washes, too.

But if you’re one of the fellas with combination or oily skin, I’d recommend using an exfoliating shower gel. It’ll help to dry out any excessive skin oil you have.

If you have KP, body acne or other skin conditions, I’d much prefer you go with one of the best glycolic acid body washes for men this year. It’ll do a much better job to treat your skin and keep it healthy.

Can I Use Shower Gel On My Face?

I wouldn’t recommend using shower gel on your face. Of course, once or twice won’t kill you, but because shower gel has harsher chemicals than an actual face wash or even body wash, it can damage your skin. Especially if you’re using it over a long period of time.

I also wouldn’t recommend using shower gel on your face because not only is it harsher, but they don’t moisturize. And that’s a problem.

Remember: Moisturizing your skin is key to keeping it healthy.

Is Shower Gel And Body Wash The Same?

You might be thinking that there’s no difference between shower gel and body wash, but you’d be mistaken. Yes, they’re both liquids used to clean your body, but they have different effects on your skin and its health.

Body washes are much more moisturizing. They are pH balanced more than shower gels, too. We even gave you a list of the best pH Balanced body washes for men this year and told you how vital keeping your skin pH balanced is to its health.

Shower gels have a higher pH. What that means is that they dry your skin out even more. And because of the chemicals in shower gels, using it every day over a long period of time can cause skin conditions to worsen.

Those are the key differences. Shower gel and body wash may look the same, and you may think they do the same thing, but they aren’t.

And they don’t.