It happens to the best of us: you head to the gym, work up a sweat, and emerge smelling less than great, only to realize that you don’t have time to jump in the shower before running out to do errands or meet a friend for coffee or head to class, or do whatever it is you’re doing. Sure, it’s kind of gross, and no one wants to admit to skipping a shower after hitting the gym, but it happens sometimes - and in those moments, it’s best to be prepared.
You could just wash your face, dry your armpits with a napkin, and hope for the best, but that’s probably not the best way to get rid of the sweaty smell, not to mention you’re not really cleaning yourself off at all. Instead, you’re better off taking advantage of a product like Bath and Body Works’ Shower In A Bottle, a no-rinse body cleansing foam that is specifically made for embarrassing moments like this one.
I was first introduced to Shower In A Bottle last summer, and I was very hesitant to try it. That wasn’t only because Bath and Body Works isn’t exactly known for having effective skincare products (although, wow, they truly have great candles), but because I hate the idea of working out and not showering afterwards. I can’t stand the feeling of skin that dries with sweat on it, I feel super subconscious about how I smell to everyone else, and I feel like my clothes are literally sticking to me. I’ve been known to miss a workout just because I knew I wouldn’t have time to shower after it, which has happened more often than I like to admit.
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But one day I came back from a workout class and realized a meeting with a friend was earlier than I thought. Panicked, I searched for the Shower In A Bottle I had tossed in a corner of my room a few weeks earlier. I pumped out a bunch of it, put it all over my body, and hoped for the best.
In the end, I was pleasantly surprised at how well the stuff worked. When you first pump it out, you’ll notice it has a light scent that is almost slightly… alcoholic? While this might sound like a turn-off, I liked it because it made me feel like I was really killing all of the sweaty germs and bacteria on my body. It also disappeared as the foam melted into my skin. Speaking of which, I loved the formula. It’s super lightweight, it doesn’t feel sticky at all (I’ve tried similar products that leave behind a sort of tacky feeling), and you don’t need a lot of it to make it work. I also found that it didn’t dry me out, which is probably because it’s made with hydrating ingredients like aloe, cucumber, and vitamin E.
After that first use (which, by the way, my friend said I did not smell like sweat at all!), I was pretty much hooked. I started using the Shower In A Bottle more often: in the morning, if I was running late and couldn’t rinse off; when I was out and about on a particularly humid day and felt the need to freshen up; and, yes, after the gym (which I started going to more often, even if I was busy afterwards).
Although this isn’t a substitute for a real shower, it’s great for those hours you have to run around and smell decent before you can actually clean yourself. It makes you feel like an actual person, and it’s incredibly easy to use. It’s also very inexpensive at around $16.50 for each bottle. I’ve found that it seems more effective than similar body wipes out there, and it definitely does more than just mask the smell like deodorant would. All in all, this is a product worth getting for anyone who’s too busy for a shower sometimes… so basically everyone.
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