11 Common Hygiene Mistakes That Women Make (And The Products That Can Help)

When you were growing up, your parents probably pointed out all your common hygiene mistakes. Odds are they told you to get the dirt out from underneath your fingernails, clean behind your ears, and take that week-old sandwich out from under your bed. Well, things have since changed. You’re an adult, I’m not your mom, and these common hygiene mistakes might just surprise you. That’s because they’re less about what you’re not doing and more about what you are doing.

If you’re a millennial like me, you grew up in a hand-sanitizer-obsessed environment that demonized sandboxes, touching your face with your hands, and germs. I get it — I used to be a total germaphobe solely because of my upbringing. Then I started taking some holistic health and nutrition classes, and realized that we had it all backward.

Yes, germs and viruses are the root cause of sickness, but they’re also the root cause of a healthy body and immune system. Every person has something called a microbiome — a mix of good and bad bacteria that regulates everything from your skin to your allergies. The war on bacteria, the emphasis on cleansing chemicals, and the use of synthetic ingredients are harsher on your body and its functions than you might realize. That’s why these common hygiene mistakes are all about scaling back and going natural, so your body can cleanse itself better and stay healthy in the process.

Mistake #1: Showering With Harsh Unfiltered Water

AquaBliss High Output Universal Shower Filter, $32, Amazon

Your skin might look like a barrier, but it’s actually a lot like a sponge, absorbing almost anything you put on it. This is especially true in warm and wet environments — like the shower. That includes the chlorine, mold, pesticides, fluoride, and heavy metals that end up in your tap water. The AquaBliss High Output shower filter has a multi-stage system that removes all of that, leaving your body healthy, your skin soft, and your hair hydrated. It can also be installed in just about any shower head type (including handheld, fixed, or rain showers) without any tools whatsoever.