Hey boys, has it been a “Fortnite” since you have seen the light of day?
When you hear the word “flossing” are you breaking out into a dance and not breaking out the dental floss?
This isn’t a blog about the evils of gaming, but it is about encouraging you to find balance in your life and learn to take good care of yourself. So, put down that controller, take a nice, hot shower and read on about why hygiene matters. That’s right… Put. It. Down.
Your body is a little man factory, just churning up all kinds of change. You are growing hair in new places, sweating in new places, becoming greasy in new places, and getting downright smelly in new places. Don’t panic - it’s all going to work out. But you are going to need to develop some new hygiene routines that are a little bit more manly. And routine. Like, every day.
There are a million great things about you that make you, well, you. Things you cannot and should not change. But the bottom line is that we are all walking around judging and being judged by appearance. We do it without even trying. You are completely in control of taking care of yourself and having enough self-respect to keep your body clean, groomed, and odor-free.
Nobody can do this for you.
Even if your mom tries to nudge you in the right direction, only you can take responsibility for yourself. If you are being nagged, you are waiting too long.
SHOWER
There’s no need to turn showering into a battle royale. Don’t get me wrong, at Lume we’re all about
skipping unnecessary showers. But if your hair is greasy, you waited too long between shampooing. If your hair is prone to drying out, you may need to shampoo every other day, but the key is to figure out what works for you and get clean before oil and odor are noticeable.
Decide what works best for your schedule – once a day, every other day, morning, evening… You might even need to shower more than once a day if you have engaged in any sweaty activity like sports. Sweaty activity leads to odor - it’s just science.
Clean all your crevices in the shower. Crevices are where the stink happens. Use
a sulfate-free soap (that doesn't irritate skin) like Lume Natural Soap for Face & Body and wash your face, hands, under your fingernails, feet, butt, and all the dangly bits.
USE DEODORANT
Always! It’s one of the nicest things you can do for yourself and your best mates.
Use Lume Deodorant for Underarms & Private Parts after toweling off and apply to your armpits and privates. It is a teensy bit magic and will change your life. Lume is a whole body, skin-safe deodorant that gives you an extra shot of confidence on the days you are rushed and may have left the house without remembering to apply. You may have forgotten Lume, but Lume has not forgotten you: Lume’s got you covered for up to 72 hours.
Here’s a little secret: your feet do not have to be rank either. Use Lume on your feet and in between toes, rubbing it in like a lotion.
You can even use Lume Deodorant Wipes alongside the deodorant whenever you need to quickly wipe away body odor. They're way more than just another wet wipe–they target the cause of odor before it happens and let you go even longer between showers if you want to!
CHANGE YOUR SHEETS
Changing your sheets should not be an annual or monthly event. Change your sheets every week. Why? Your body excretes all kinds of nasty things while you innocently slumber, and these build up on your sheets over time. Keep that cesspool at bay by laundering sheets regularly and wash off the sweat, saliva, pee, all other bodily fluids, and poop. Yeah, even poop.
CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES
I had a friend in high school who made a goal to wear the same jeans for his entire senior year. Avoid goals like this! There is no shame in wearing clothes more than once if they are still clean, but change your underwear every single day. Even if you are rushed and skip a shower, at least put on some clean underwear and clean socks. Socks should not be able to hold form on their own.
TAKE CARE OF YOUR NAILS
Trim your fingernails and toenails and keep them free of grime. Long nails can harbor bacteria, germs, and even fungi. Trimming your nails regularly will prevent them from breaking off and becoming sharp and jagged.
Be polite when trimming your nails and choose a place to do it that won’t offend others with flying trimmings, then go ahead and gather those clippings up for disposal. This should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway - don’t trim nails near food or where people are planning to eat. When the weather is warmer, trimming nails outside is a great option.
CLEAN YOUR MOUTH
Brush your teeth and use minty toothpaste and mouthwash. We like talking to you! Brush morning and night every day, and don’t forget your tongue. It’s not just about preventing tooth decay – it’s also about feeling fresh and smelling fresh. Don’t wait until your friends are backing away to develop good habits.
My health teacher in high school told our class to smell our dental floss if we ever questioned it was necessary. You only have to learn that lesson once! Nasty.
TAME THE HAIR
Enjoy that long hair hanging over your eyes; you are young! But give your forehead a breather when you are at home. Pull your hair off your face with a bandana, headband, or man bun/ponytail. You will be amazed at how fresh and liberating this feels.
Eyebrows come in pairs, but if your eyebrows have merged, use a trimmer or razor to divide and tame.
Game on, boys. Build those forts, kill the zombies, dance the dances. We need you to develop these skills, because if you don’t save the world, who will? Just take a break every now and then to give yourself the attention you need (and deserve) before you rejoin the world of non-gamers.
Did you
Lume today?
