Lights Out
The Surprisingly Calming Case For Showering In The Dark
Who needs a spa when you have a light switch?
If there’s one thing BeautyTok loves, it’s finding new ways to maximize shower time.
First came the everything shower, a two-hour marathon that involves hair masks, body scrubs, and basically every bath product you own. Then, people discovered the joy of eating fruit in the shower. But the latest bathing ritual to go viral is making the case that sometimes less is more. Instead of adding another step to your routine, it simply asks you to keep the lights off.
Enter: “dark showers,” the TikTok trend where people are swapping harsh overhead lighting for candles, salt lamps, or even nothing at all. The setup is refreshingly straightforward, especially by the internet’s standards, but it might make your shower routine feel like the most relaxing part of your day instead of another thing to check off your nighttime to-do list.
If you’re trying to convince your brain that it’s time to wind down, bright bathroom lights aren’t doing you any favors. (Who else climbs out of the shower feeling more awake than when they got in?) A dark shower, on the other hand, lets your bedtime routine do exactly what it was supposed to do in the first place: help you reset at the end of the day.
It’s a lower-stimulation version of something you were already going to do anyway — and for night showerers, that’s exactly the appeal. But a dark shower isn’t just reserved for bedtime. Some people swear by it first thing in the morning, saying the softer lighting makes waking up feel a little less abrupt. “It hits even better when it's early in the morning, everyone's asleep, and it's still dark out,” one user commented. In both cases, you're carving out time to transition between one part of your day and the next.
Many people describe the experience as meditative. “When you remove bright light, you naturally become more present,” one creator said in a video that now has over 500,000 views. It’s that shift in focus that makes a dark shower genuinely therapeutic. “I did this once while having a full-blown meltdown, and surprisingly I felt better after,” another user chimed in. Instead of mentally running through tomorrow's to-do list or replaying the day’s events, you’re more attuned to the flicker of candlelight, the sound of running water, even the scent of your favorite shampoo or body wash.
For others, though, a dark shower is less about mindfulness and more about mood lighting. Light a few candles, queue up your go-to shower playlist, and suddenly your bathroom feels like a luxury spa with impeccably curated vibes. As one commenter puts it, “it’s romantic, but in a self-love kind of way.” Think of it as the beauty equivalent to buying yourself flowers: it’s a small gesture that romanticizes the most ordinary parts of everyday life.
Of course, there might be a few logistical concerns. “I can’t figure out which is shampoo and which is conditioner,” one person commented. Then there's the fact that showering in near darkness can feel a little, well, unnerving. “It’s scary but relaxing at the same time,” someone else added. “I fear I’ve watched too many horror movies for this,” another person quipped.
Sure, bathing by candlelight might sound a little medieval, but that’s part of the charm. Not only do you have a legitimate reason to add another candle to your collection, but you might also even save a few dollars on your electric bill. And the best part? You’ll leave your shower feeling a little calmer, cozier, and more present.
