Hygiene 101

Health and Hygiene tips

I usually try and keep my blogs as short as possible, but I cannot stress how important health and hygiene is. There are so many things in this world that we should do, but we don’t do. Why? We say because we are human, there is only so much we can do and so we tend to forget to do things or take the easy way out on things because we simply don’t have enough time. However, it is crucial that we remember certain hygiene and little tips to make our future healthier.

• Wash your face daily. It is suggested that we wash our face twice a day, in the morning when we wake up and before we sleep (or when we get in from outdoors). When washing your face in the morning, it not only wakes you up in the morning but starts you off with a clean fresh face for the day. It is extremely important to wash your face with a cleanser because it will clean off dirt and oil better; if you have a washcloth or face sponge I definitely suggest using that to remove even more dirt from the face. If you’re feeling lazy and want to wash your face once a day, wash it when coming home before you sleep. It is the most important and best time to wash your face because as you sleep, your face is absorbing all the dirt on your face so you do not want it to absorb all the germs and pollution from outdoors.
• Use the sun to kill germs. If you have the space, the sun is the best and the most green way to dry your clothes. Aside from drying your clothes, the sun can kill a number of germs so the next time you decide to wash a pair of shoes, leave it in the sun to kill the rest of the germs while simultaneously drying. My ultimate favorite is using the sun to kill the germs on my down feathered comforters after a winter of sleeping in them, yes germs add up!
• Remember to wear a sunscreen with at least a 15 spf when leaving the house. It is important to protect your skin against damaging rays that the sun gives off. No one wants skin cancer and it can happen at the most random times without you knowing. Remember to put a sun protector on your neck and décolleté area because you do not want to have uneven sun damage as you age.
• Drink water. Water is not only good for your skin, but it is good for your body. You should definitely stay hydrated so the sun does not absorb all you energy. For a lot of Vietnamese people, we consider water a medication. Water flushes out the germs in your body and therefore, the more water you drink, the less toxic your body is. Of course, try not to mix it with drinking soda as well because one can of soda takes almost thirty cups of water to flush out all the toxic.
• Wash your hands frequently. There are a number of germs surrounding us daily and the last thing we want is to get sick. We have to stay active and energized to tackle many jobs throughout the day so it is extremely important to wash your hands with soap. Yes, you must use soap—running your hands through water does nothing.
• Have hand sanitizer handy. Guys, it is not always a girl’s job to have sanitizer. If you live in the New York City area, you are encountering millions of germs everyday when taking public transportation and just going out. You don’t necessarily have to carry hand sanitizer with you, but keep it on your desk and use it to limit the amount of germs you encounter. Always remember to sanitize before you eat!
• Replace your toothbrush every three to six months. If you use a regular toothbrush, depending on how hard or soft you brush your teeth, you should change your toothbrush when the bristles start to wear off. There are many toothbrushes that have a faded color change to alert you as to when you should change your toothbrush. If it does not, use your best knowledge and remember to change your toothbrush. After a while, your bristles are so worn out, it is less effective when brushing your teeth and therefore, it will not remove plaque and dirt that’s deep down within. For most people who keep it in a bucket or don’t have a toothbrush holder that covers the head of the toothbrush, you are only collecting more dirt in your toothbrush by having it out in the open.
• Alternate the type of toothpaste you use after finishing a tube. Many people like me, have a tendency to stick to one kind of toothpaste that we absolutely love. This is not good for the teeth. After a certain amount of time, your teeth grow immune to the toothpaste you use and therefore, it will not be as effective on your teeth and you may complain about not seeing any changes. Try to rotate at least between two toothpastes at the minimum and find another that you absolutely love!
• Rub your toothpaste all over your teeth before brushing. If you’re like me, you probably are uneven with your toothpaste. I usually start at the left side of my mouth and work my way over which means the right side of my mouth probably isn’t as strong and clean as my left side. A trick in the old book is using your finger or toothbrush to lather toothpaste all over your teeth before brushing.
• Remember to floss after brushing. If you think brushing is enough, it definitely isn’t. There are so much leftover foods that you “save for later” and stay stuck in your gums when you do not floss it out. To be honest, flossing is nearly not enough for your teeth. If you have a water flossing machine, that’ll help dig out more than you can imagine!
• Switch over to a new shampoo and conditioner after finishing each bottle. Unless you are using a Costco size or value size shampoo and conditioner, change it after finishing a bottle. Like the efficiency of toothpaste, shampoo and conditioners work the same way. It would be best if you alternate between two shampoos and conditioners and decide which is better for your hair on the day that you are washing.
• Remember to cover your toilet bowl before flushing. Toilets are not the cleanest thing in the world, I am pretty sure I do not have to go into detail as to why. This is why it is important to cover your toilet before flushing because as you flush, germs rise up in the air, grabbing onto whatever is around (especially your toothbrush). Therefore, it is extremely important to cover before flushing, especially if you’re going number two.
• Change your contact solution daily. This is pretty much a no brainer, but you have no idea how many people I know who does not do this (mostly guys, sorry it’s the truth). It is important to wash your contact lenses daily before placing them in your contact case, so how important do you think changing your contact solution is? It’s pretty important. When washing and changing your contact solution, you are limiting the dirt and infections you can get. More importantly, you can wear your contact lenses longer and save yourself money in the end.
• Change your set of undies every 6 months. Let’s admit it ladies, most of us (including myself) do not change our underwear draw every six months. Yes, you should take everything in that drawer and throw it out every six months and replace with a new set. We are facing periods, nasty weather, and many other disgusting things everyday and these germs only build up as time goes back. I know most of you ladies have a heck of a lot of undies, but it just makes it easier to have enough for a week or two (depending on when you do laundry) and rotate for the six months until it is time for a new set, especially if you are a thong gal.