About Me

Saturday, September 14, 2013

No-Shower Shower


Since we moved and I started a new job back in January, I have finally followed through on my promise to myself to bike to work more often. Before January, we lived downtown and my old office was a 5 minute bike ride from our condo, but now that distance has multiplied to a whopping 7 miles or 35-minute+ bike ride each way, with hills. I think it is understandably intimidating, especially when my job often involves coordinating events and I need to look presentable. We had a pretty hot summer, so when it got down into the low '70s last week, I decided to seize the opportunity to get some bike commutes in before I lose daylight savings.

I'm a sweaty mess when I work out. Whether it's yoga, running, hiking or biking, I am always drenched by the time I'm done, usually regardless of the temperature. So I knew that when I started biking to work I would have to refine my routine so that my coworkers wouldn't politely stay far away from me on days I biked to work. Here's my No-Shower Shower routine that's been working well for me so far:

Part 1: Before you Bike

Prepping for your ride correctly can make the post-bike ride clean up go a lot more smoothly. For one, I don't bother putting any makeup on before I leave. I wash my face with my normal cleanser, and then apply my favorite facial sunscreen, Coppertone Oil Free Faces SPF 30, and put a swipe of untinted Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 on my lips. Then I put sunscreen on my shoulders, chest, back, and arms, depending on what's exposed that day.

I wear my hair in a low bun so that my helmet can sit comfortably and my hair is kept off my back. Then I use bobby pins to pin the sides of my hair back off my face. This minimizes the amount of sweat that gets in my hair.

Part 2: Post-Bike Ride

About 7 miles later I'm in my office and sweating bullets. I find that most of my sweating happens after I stop moving, and so it's key to work quickly to stop that nasty sweat in its tracks! I'm lucky in that I have my own large, private office, so I can walk in, lock the door, pull down the shades (sometimes...I have a second floor office and the windows are pretty hard to see into from outside, but knowing me I already have a stalker) and get to work.

Step 1: Hair

The first thing I do is take off my helmet and let down my hair, flip my head over, and liberally pour dry shampoo all over the underside of my hair. I use Lush No Draught Dry Shampoo but I've heard that plain old corn starch works well too. I like the citrus scent of Lush's. I massage it in as well as I can, then I flip my hair back over and put more dry shampoo on the top of my hair and massage it.

*Note: Your floor will likely look like you are trying to hide a coke habit after all of this. I keep Lysol wipes in my office, and usually push one around with my foot to clean the white powder off the floor.

Step 2: Body Clean Up

The next step is probably the most important for feeling fresh: cleansing wipes. I spent a good amount of time in Ulta looking at the ingredients lists of different cleansing wipes before settling on Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelettes. They have a clean scent and are non-irritating. I use one wipe on my face and another one or two on whatever parts of my body are feeling grimy (you can use your imagination here). After I'm cleaned up, I swipe on some deodorant and spritz myself with my favorite body spray, Philosophy's Inner Grace Perfumed Body Spritz, and put on my change of clothes.

Step 3: Face

I like to simplify my usual morning routine when I have to do it at the office. To do this I use a tinted moisturizer. I own Philosophy Hope in a Tinted Moisturizer, which is one of those products I'm trying to use up, and after googling it it looks like it's been discontinued. It's not very moisturizing at all, so I mix it with some of my usual morning moisturizer, Weleda Almond Facial Cream, to make it more substantial. (On a side note, I've heard good things about Josie Maran Argan Tinted Moisturizer and am excited to try it once the Philosophy runs out.) Then I apply some mascara, a few dusts of foundation from a compact (I'm currently liking Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Compact Powder Foundation) and some lip gloss or balm.

Step 4: Finishing Touches

My last step is brushing out my hair. Dry shampoo works better the longer you leave it in, which is why I like to leave it in while I'm doing everything else. I make sure all of the powder is gone, and either leave my hair down or put it in a pony. Usually it looks fine down.

Eh voila! Not only do I get a workout, some endorphins, and a chance to really appreciate and enjoy being outdoors in beautiful Santa Barbara, but I can go about my work day feeling fresh and focused.