Shower gel or shower cream? Wash face or hair first? Face away from or towards the nozzle? There are a lot of choices we make to personalise our shower routine. But one question you might not have even considered: should you really wash your feet in the shower? Or is the residual soap and water from elsewhere enough?
On the 20 July episode of TODAY with Hoda & Jenna, the opinionated co-hosts weighed in on the issue - and seriously put their foot down on where they stood on the matter.
Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager wanted to come clean on the beauty and self-care debate that's dividing the internet, asking whether or not people should wash their feet in the shower.
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So what were their respective opinions and could they actually come to an agreement?
Without skipping a beat Hoda said emphatically: "Oh no. No."
"I just feel like everything's rolling on down that way anyway," she said. "They're getting clean."
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And it seems her co-host agreed with her jumping in to co-sign: "100%," Jenna said.
However, in an attempt to play devil's advocate, Jenna asked why Hoda doesn't wash her feet if she lifts her foot to shave her legs anyway.
But it seems that neither was willing to budge on their answer.
Hoda replied: "Well, you wouldn't."
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"You know I wouldn't," Jenna confessed.
TODAY.com's editorial director, Arianna Davis, gave the flip side of the coin, saying that your feet should get a scrub in the shower.
With opinions divided, it could be time to get an expert to weigh in.
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The NHS' take is to 'wash your feet daily in warm water, using a moisturising wash'.
But beware: 'don’t soak them for more than ten minutes as this can reduce the natural oils of the foot, causing dry skin.'
Afterwards, 'make sure that your feet are thoroughly dry' and 'use a moisturising cream daily' if they're dry, avoiding between the toes.
Podiatrists also agree. "The feet are a commonly missed body part because they are so far out of our general radar when bathing,” Lauren Wurster, DPM, FACFAS, a podiatrist at EverNorth Care Group in Glendale, Arizona told Well + Good.
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If you only have time to bathe once a week she recommends using a washcloth or loofah to clean between your toes.
She explains further: “Generally the same soap that you use for the rest of your body will work just as well for your feet.
"Make sure to wash the tops, bottom, and heels of your feet as well as between your toes. Other than your hands, a clean washcloth is the best cleansing method to wash your feet in the shower because loofahs could potentially harbour bacteria over time."
How you dry off matters too in order to nix bacteria and fungus: “Make sure you are drying between your toes by either using a towel afterward or spreading your toes out on an absorbent towel or bath mat."
So there you have it: wash them, ya filthy animal!
Amelia Jones