How The #EverythingShower Is Doing Us Dirty
Guest writer Zeynab Mohamed tackles the classist, colonialist evolution of the "clean girl."
Hello, dewy dust bunnies, and welcome to another edition of the The Don’t Buy List! Today, guest writer Zeynab Mohamed of the newsletter Face Value focuses in on one big Don’t Buy item: the TikTok-famous #everythingshower. Read on for her research on soap-induced skin issues (there are many), the environmental impact of #showertok (it is massive), and the colonial roots of the “clean girl” (which run centuries-deep).
-Jessica
P.S. My usual Recommended Reading List is at the end!
How The #EverythingShower Is Doing Us Dirty
Thanks to TikTok, showering is no longer a private practice but a public display. #Showertok has over seven billion views and the #everythingshower has undoubtedly gone viral.
The “everything shower” is what it sounds like: a once-a-week shower routine that involves a full, head-to-toe wash — no hair left unshaved or unshampooed, no crevice left un-soaped. There are hours of social media content on the ins and outs of the #everythingshower, from the best products to use (oils, scrubs, razors, gels) to how to use them (scrubbing, trimming, lathering) and in which order (take note, because it’s all in the order, I’ve learned). The concept has garnered headlines in the traditional media, too. “The ‘everything shower’ goes beyond shampoo and conditioner,” proclaims the Wall Street Journal, while Allure calls it a moment of “luxury.”
If showers were a sport, it’d be the year of the shower Olympics. Or maybe the hygiene Olympics?
Consuming so much cleanliness content, one could be forgiven for thinking the #everythingshower is about self-care. Look closer, though, and it’s clear the trend is just the next (mis)step in becoming the ultimate “Clean Girl” — both figuratively and literally.