Slow Living in the Shower: Turning 10 Minutes into Self-Care

Most showers are over before you have even arrived in your own body. You step in, wash on autopilot and step out again, already thinking about your inbox, the school run or the next meeting.

Slow living invites a different approach. Instead of treating your shower as a rushed chore, you treat it as a small daily ceremony where you come back to yourself, even if you only have ten minutes.

As an artisan soap maker, I have learned that those ten minutes can do much more than remove sweat and sunscreen. With the right handmade bar, a few small tweaks and a more mindful pace, your shower can support softer skin, steadier mood and better sleep.

Why a Slow Shower Routine Matters

A slow shower routine is not about adding complicated steps. It is about changing how you move through the ones you already have.

Water has always been tied to restoration. In one randomised controlled trial comparing immersion bathing with showering, participants who took regular warm baths reported lower fatigue, better mood and improved health markers compared with those who only showered quickly, even over just two weeks of follow up. You can read the details in this study on the physical and mental effects of bathing.

More recent work has explored how raising body temperature with warm bathing can support deeper, more restorative sleep. A 2023 human study on bathing, body temperature and sleep quality found that a warm bath in the evening helped people fall asleep more quickly and improved their subjective sleep quality.

A systematic review of warm baths and showers before bed has reached similar conclusions. Researchers found that a warm bath or shower taken 1–2 hours before bedtime can help people fall asleep faster and enjoy better overall sleep quality.

We also know that how you pay attention matters. A broad review of mindfulness-based interventions shows that simple practices which bring awareness back to the body and breath can reduce stress and improve wellbeing, even when they are very modest in length. Another paper exploring mindfulness applications in paediatric settings highlights that these techniques are highly adaptable to everyday activities rather than being limited to formal meditation.

Your shower sits at the intersection of all of this. Warm water, tactile lather, scent and a defined start and end point make it an ideal place to practise a tiny dose of slow living every day.

If you tend to shower at night, this also overlaps with sleep hygiene advice. NHS guidance on better sleep encourages people to build in calming wind-down routines before bed, such as relaxing in warm water and avoiding screens, as described in their tips on how to fall asleep faster and sleep better. Sleep clinicians echo this, noting that a consistent pre-bed routine can cue the brain that it is time for rest, as set out in NHS leaflets on sleep hygiene and bedtime routines.

The Difference Between a Shower and a Slow Living Shower

A normal shower is functional. A slow living shower is intentional.

Writers and therapists who specialise in sensory-based coping strategies often teach simple “mindful shower” exercises, where you focus on the feel of the water, the sound of the spray and the scent of your soap. One therapist explains that the key is not to empty your mind, but to gently bring attention back to your senses whenever thoughts wander, in their guide on how to take a mindful shower.

Others have coined the phrase “mindful-shower reset” to capture how deliberately paying attention to warmth, sound and scent can soften mental chatter and reduce rumination, as discussed in a recent piece on how sensory attention in the shower can calm mental noise.

At the same time, the beauty world has embraced the “everything shower” trend. Articles in places like Healthline describe how a weekly, longer shower where you add exfoliation, hair masks and extra body care can become a powerful act of self-care, especially when balanced with more stripped-back daily routines, as seen in their explainer on the “everything shower” self-care trend.

The risk, of course, is overdoing it. Dermatologists interviewed about these trends warn that using too many products too often can irritate the skin barrier. One Swedish piece interviewing dermatologists about the potential downsides of intensive “everything shower” routines highlights classic issues such as dryness, redness and over-cleansing.

Slow living in the shower is the middle path. It is not about a four-hour production. It is about ten grounded minutes where you move more slowly and choose products that respect your skin.

Step 1: Choose a Time That Supports Your Nervous System

There is no single “correct” time to shower. Instead, think about what your body and schedule need.

A review on warm bathing and sleep suggests that bathing in the evening, roughly 1–2 hours before bedtime, can support sleep onset and help the body cool down afterwards, which is one of the natural triggers for sleep. The evidence is neatly summarised in a review of water-based passive body heating and its impact on sleep.

Sleep experts also point out that routines matter as much as timing. NHS and hospital sleep teams repeatedly recommend choosing a regular pattern for winding down and sticking with it most days, as you can see in their practical leaflets on better sleep routines and sleep hygiene timetables.

If you shower in the morning, your focus might be more on energising yourself gently without shocking your skin with very hot or very cold water. Articles aimed at the general public, such as this overview of the best time to shower for sleep and daytime energy, highlight that both morning and evening showers can be helpful, depending on what you need most.

For slow living, what matters is that you are not rushing. Even if you choose mornings, try to give yourself ten unhurried minutes rather than five frantic ones.

Step 2: Build a Simple, Repeatable Structure

There is a temptation to create a 20-step shower routine. In my experience, both as a soap maker and a human being, the routines that last are the ones that are simple enough to manage on a busy Wednesday.

A lovely way to think about it is:

1. Arrive

2. Cleanse

3. Nourish

4. Close

From a mindfulness perspective, therapists emphasise that consistency and simplicity are more important than length. The meta-analysis on mindfulness-based interventions I mentioned earlier found benefits even with relatively short practices, as long as people engaged with them regularly.

On the skin side, dermatology research looking at routine adherence shows that people who follow a straightforward regimen tend to see better results than those who constantly chop and change products. One clinical trial on facial skincare routines found that people who stuck with a simple, structured routine reported improvements in skin dryness and texture over time, as described in this study on skincare routine adherence and skin outcomes.

So let your shower be “enough” with a handful of steps that you can keep coming back to.

Step 3: Start by Arriving in Your Body

Before you even reach for the soap, take thirty seconds simply to arrive.

You might:

• Notice the sound of the water

• Feel the temperature on your shoulders

• Take three slow, slightly deeper breaths

Articles on mindful shower practice, such as this gentle guide to using the shower as a grounding exercise, often start exactly like this. You are teaching your nervous system that the shower is a place where it can let go a little.

If your mind races to your to-do list, that is fine. Just keep gently bringing attention back to sensation: water, warmth, scent, breath.

Step 4: Cleanse With Intention (and a Better Bar)

This is where handmade soap really comes into its own.

In our own soaps, I lean on the traditional cold process method, which preserves the natural glycerin produced during saponification. That glycerin helps draw and hold moisture in the top layers of the skin instead of leaving it feeling tight. Research backs up glycerin’s role in skin hydration. For example, dermatology studies have shown that formulations containing glycerin can improve skin barrier function and hydration, especially in dry environments, as outlined in this clinical paper on glycerin and skin hydration.

By contrast, many commercial soaps remove glycerin and rely more heavily on synthetic detergents. If you are curious about the differences, you might enjoy our existing post on the benefits of choosing handmade soap, where I break down why traditional bars feel so different on the skin.

A slow living shower cleanse might look like this:

• Work the bar between your hands, noticing the way the lather feels

• Take in the scent for a moment, especially if you are using essential oils you love

• Use long, gentle strokes rather than scrubbing hard

You do not need to cover every inch of skin in soap every single time. Dermatologists increasingly remind people to focus daily cleansing on areas that realistically need it most (armpits, groin, feet), while allowing the rest of the body to simply enjoy a brief lather several times a week. Articles discussing the “everything shower” trend, such as this overview from Mira Showers on balancing deep-clean days with gentler everyday showers, make similar points.

If you want to refine your everyday routine further, you might like our guide to building a simple daily skincare routine with natural products, which shows how your shower cleanse can dovetail with the rest of your skincare.

Step 5: Nourish Skin While It Is Still Damp

The moment you turn off the water, the clock starts ticking. Moisture evaporates naturally, which is why so many dermatology organisations recommend applying moisturiser while the skin is still slightly damp.

The American Academy of Dermatology notes that moisturisers trap existing water in the skin when applied straight after bathing, which helps support the skin barrier and reduce dryness. They explain this clearly in their advice on how to apply moisturiser effectively.

In practical terms, this might mean:

• Patting your skin rather than rubbing it completely dry

• Applying a body butter or oil within a couple of minutes of stepping out

• Paying special attention to shins, forearms and hands, which often dry out first

If you enjoy an eco-conscious approach, bar-based moisturisers and oil-rich soaps can simplify your routine and reduce packaging. Our article on zero-waste bathroom swaps and how switching to bar soap reduces plastic explains more about how bar products support both skin and planet.

Step 6: Close the Ritual Gently

Every ritual needs a closing act, something that tells your brain “we are finished here”.

That might be as simple as:

• Taking one more slow breath before opening the bathroom door

• Choosing a soft towel you really like the feel of

• Putting your phone on “Do Not Disturb” for ten minutes afterwards

Writers exploring the connection between bathing and mental health talk about how this kind of intentional closure turns a basic wash into a small therapeutic experience. An occupational therapy piece on bathing and mental health emphasises how bathing routines can be used to support wellbeing, independence and a sense of dignity, particularly when they are tailored to the person rather than rushed.

Slow living in the shower follows the same logic. You are choosing to treat that short time as meaningful, rather than incidental.

What About Longer “Everything Showers”?

There is nothing wrong with a longer shower once a week where you add in a scalp scrub, body exfoliation or a more intensive shaving routine. In fact, many people find that a weekly “big” shower routine helps them feel reset, especially on a Sunday evening. Beauty writers describe this kind of extended routine as an opportunity to pamper yourself from head to toe, while reminding readers not to overdo it, as you can see in guides on creating an “everything shower” without overwhelming your skin and in budget-friendly roundups on everything showers as a mood-boosting ritual.

If you enjoy those, the key is balance:

• Keep everyday showers simple and gentle

• Reserve more intensive scrubs or peels for once a week

• Pay attention to any signs of over-exfoliation, such as stinging, tightness or redness

Your handmade soap can sit at the heart of both versions. The same bar that anchors your ten-minute daily ritual can also feature in your longer, more indulgent reset.

How Handmade Soap Supports Slow Living

Slow living is as much about values as it is about pace. Choosing handmade soap is one way of aligning what you use with what you believe.

Traditional cold process soaps, like the ones we make at The Humble Shepherd, are crafted in small batches with a focus on:

• Quality plant oils and butters

• Thoughtful essential oil blends

• Plastic-free or minimal packaging

If you are curious about the craft itself, you might enjoy our existing deep dive into the art of cold process soap making and how it preserves natural goodness. If eco-values are particularly important to you, our guide to shopping for eco-friendly bath products in the UK explores how to choose products that are kind to skin and environment.

Even the way you store your bar can become part of the ritual. A simple wooden dish, a clean washcloth and a favourite soap can make even a small, rented bathroom feel more like a gentle refuge.

Safety Notes for Skin and Health

A few gentle reminders:

• Keep water comfortably warm, not scalding hot. Very hot water can dry the skin and aggravate conditions like eczema.

• If you have a diagnosed skin condition, follow the advice of your GP or dermatologist about suitable cleansers and shower frequency.

• If you feel dizzy or lightheaded in hot environments, keep shower times moderate and temperature milder.

Research into thermal physiology and sleep underlines that there is a sweet spot where warmth is soothing but not overheating. Your body will usually let you know if you have crossed that line.

FAQs: Slow Living in the Shower

1. Is a ten-minute shower really enough for self-care?

Yes. Self-care is about intention, not duration. Several studies on mindfulness and sensory-based practices show benefits from even short exercises, especially when repeated often. If you use your ten minutes to be present, to breathe and to care for your skin with a gentle bar, you are absolutely practising self-care.

2. Can I still have quick “get clean and go” showers when I am busy?

Of course. Think of your slow living shower as your default, and your faster shower as a practical alternative on very busy days. Even then, you can still slow one small piece down, such as taking three deep breaths or really noticing the scent of your soap for a moment.

3. Which handmade soap is best for a slow living shower routine?

Look for a bar that lists skin-loving plant oils high on the ingredients list and keeps the formula simple. If your skin tends to be dry or sensitive, shea-butter-rich bars and fragrance blends using gentle essential oils are often a good fit. Our existing posts on sensitive skin solutions and soap ingredients can help you match formulations to your skin.

4. Is it better to shower in the morning or evening for slow living?

It depends on what you need most. If your days are hectic, a morning shower can help you start more grounded. If you struggle with sleep, shifting your slow shower to the evening may dovetail better with the evidence on warm bathing and sleep onset, such as findings from studies on water-based passive body heating and sleep quality. You can also do both, but keep at least one of them truly gentle.

Final Thoughts

If you would like your daily rinse to feel more like a quiet reset, you are very welcome to explore our range of moisturising handmade soaps and join our shop waiting list so you hear first when new small-batch shower bars are released. Ten unhurried minutes with the right bar can change how your whole day feels.