6 Favorite Grooming Products for Germaphobes

I'll be the first to admit it - grooming is a necessary evil. The amount of products available to us for every body part and little problem is overwhelming and quite frankly, most of it feels like a scam. That being said, there are still some pretty cool products out there that change the game and are genuinely beneficial.

After having worked at PhoneSoap for as long as I have, I am hyperaware of the items I use and the effect they'll have on my body. Not only that, I've come across some great products that cater to the germaphobe in me. I want to make sure I'm using the very best - and luckily that doesn't always mean most expensive! Here are my recent favorites:

1) Tongue Scraper. Yeah, I know, gross. BUT - there are a ton of benefits to using this on a regular basis. Healthline.com explains it all:

Improve your sense of taste - older research suggests that using a tongue scraper twice daily can improve your sense of taste. Your tongue may be able to better distinguish between bitter, sweet, salty, and sour sensations.
Improve the appearance of your tongue - a build-up of excess debris can cause your tongue to take on a white, coated appearance. Daily scraping can help remove this coating and prevent it from returning.
Remove bacteria - researchers in a 2005 study found that using a tongue scraper twice a day for seven days reduced the overall incidence of Mutans streptococci and Lactobacilli bacteria in the mouth. These bacteria types are known to cause bad breath and dental decay.
Improve overall health - removing bacteria is key to preventing cavities, gum disease, and other conditions affecting the mouth. Tongue scraping can help clear these bacteria from the mouth, improving your tongue's appearance and overall sensation.
Reduce bad breath - although tongue scraping can't replace brushing your teeth, scraping may do some things better. Researchers in one 2004 study found that scraping was more effective than brushing at removing odor-causing bacteria.

You can buy one for under $10 here!

2) Brooklyn Bamboo Baby Washcloths. Stick with me here. Technically, these were made for new, soft baby skin, but we should be using them on our faces, too! OrganicAuthority.com spoke to esthetician Kerry Benjamin who couldn't say enough great things about using bamboo towels when cleansing your face:

"The main benefits of bamboo face towels are:

They are soft and gentle on your skin
Bamboo has natural antibacterial, antifungal, and odor resistant qualities too, due to an antimicrobial agent bamboo kun
Bamboo is a sustainable and eco-friendly plant that requires no chemicals or pesticides, very little water to grow and 100% biodegradable
Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants in the world and once harvested, bamboo can replenish itself within a year!"

Pretty cool, huh? She also mentions that once she's done washing her face, she'll wipe down her countertops with the same cloth before throwing it in the hamper, leaving a clean area! You can purchase these here.

3) Moisturizing Antibacterial Lotion. Products that help me kill two birds with one stone are my favorite type of products. This lotion, in particular, contains aloe vera and sunflower oil to help restore skin, and honey, which acts as an antibacterial but is also "moisturizing and nutritive for all skin types." Plus, it smells amazing!

4) Tea Tree Oil. Before coming to work at PhoneSoap, I worked at an essential oils company and tea tree oil quickly became my favorite oil out of hundreds because it has SO MANY uses! I could write an entire blog dedicated to tea tree oil and it's various uses. Tea tree oil has antimicrobial and antiseptic properties, making it an obvious go-to item for many ailments like:

Warts
Nail fungus
Minor cuts and scrapes
Acne
Skin inflammation
Dandruff
Athlete's Foot
Psoriasis

To read about more uses and how to apply tea tree oil, check out this article by our friends at Healthline.com, here. To purchase, click here!

5) Charcoal Facial Sponge. Charcoal beauty products have been around for years, but as far as I can tell, this product, in particular, is a fairly new concept/product. The benefits of charcoal seem endless, but if you're new to the practice the most important seems to be that "activated charcoal draws bacteria, poisons, chemicals, dirt, and other micro-particles to the surface of the skin, helping you to achieve a flawless complexion and fight acne."

The experts at Luxx Health have done their homework on the Konjac Charcoal Sponge: "the konjac sponge comes from Konnyaku from Japan, and is found to be rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C, D, and E, proteins, lipids, fatty acids, and natural minerals such as copper zinc, iron, and magnesium. It also boasts of a neutral PH, which means it will help balance your skin." If you want to keep reading, check out their article here. If you want to purchase the sponge, it's on Amazon here!

6) Phone Cleaner. Did you know all the bacteria on the screen of your phone could be causing acne? When you're putting it up to your face to make or take a phone call, you're trapping all that bacteria and oil in your pores, which is made worse as your skin starts to perspire. Using the PhoneSoap 3 phone cleaner can rid your phone of all the harmful germs and bacteria living on your screen, minimizing the chance of breakouts. You may also toss in your makeup brushes for a good cleaning! Learn more about how to really clean your makeup brushes here.