By Su Reid-St. John
I’ve never been able to "squeeze in a quick workout" at lunch. It’s just that, well, I sweat when I work out. I’m talking caught-outside-in-a-storm soaked, with a nice red flush to boot. In other words, I need a shower—nothing quick about it.
Or do I? The folks behind Nathan Power Shower Refreshing Wipes don’t think so. Get refreshingly clean from a baby wipe look-alike? To say the least, I was skeptical. Too chicken to try them during an actual workday, I gave the wipes a test run over the weekend. I had already showered so I could run a bunch of errands, but I wanted to fit in an afternoon power walk before heading over to my in-laws’ place for dinner. (Thankfully, they like me, so I knew they wouldn’t mind if the wipes didn’t live up to their promise.)
I was pleasantly surprised. First, these are no baby wipes: They have a clean, citrus-y scent in place of the usual cloying baby- powder smell. My skin felt a bit sticky afterward, but that went away as soon as the moisture dried. My skin also felt delightfully cool after using them (it took two wipes to do the job), and they were excellent at cleaning off sweat; I felt as good as showered when I finished—from the neck down, anyway.
And that’s the catch: They can’t replace a shower when it comes to making my hair look presentable post-workout. If I could sweep it into a cute ponytail, this might not be an issue. But I have short hair…so it is. The bottom line: I’ll definitely use these again after short workouts, or even for a quick freshening-up during my normal workday. But for my usual sweat sessions? I’ll be hitting the shower afterward.
Product: Nathan Power Shower Refreshing Wipes
Category: Gear
Pros: Very refreshing, with a clean, citrus-like scent. They do a great job cleaning off sweat, and they leave your skin feeling cool. They’re highly portable, too.
Cons: Skin feels slightly sticky for a few minutes after use, plus they don’t address the sweaty hair issue.
Cost: $3.95 for a package of 10 at TriSports.com
Extra tip: Save for short workouts and quick freshen-ups unless your hair is ponytail-friendly.