As I stood in the shower, reaching for my eye makeup remover, water streaming over my hair, I looked at the products that I use everyday. In the shower alone, there sat seven brightly colored bottles of sweet-smelling goo that I consider to be a regular part of my showering routine.

There's the shampoo and the conditioner, each carefully chosen for my specific hair needs, in the scent that I like.

The fruity-scented foaming shave gel that I blow through quicker than I'd like to admit.

A large tube of facial cleanser designed to moisturize my dry skin while it clears away dirt and makeup.

The afore mentioned bottle of eye makeup remover to ease the removal of my layered on eyeliner and blackest black mascara, without having to scrub, causing more fine lines and crow's feet.

A large bottle of body wash that lathers up and makes you smell like you've been sipping a pina colada in the Tropics. Or like you've been bathing in one.

The peppermint lavender foot scrub with pumice to smooth away rough heels and make your feet feel so fresh!

I then looked over to my husband's corner of the shower. There was one lonely bottle. The plastic was black, as if to imply that it was a very masculine bottle, brimming with testosterone and manliness. In big, bold letters it stated: The Ultimate Clean, Hair and Body Wash.

What a wondrous day! You mean to tell me the health and beauty industry has pooled it's scientists to generate a formula that will clean every part of your body with the contents found in one bottle?!? Who knew?

To further enlighten myself, I went on to read the back of the bottle. It boasted that this super-product could simplify your routine while giving you the right balance of cleansers and conditioners. It could get you clean from head to toe and you would smell manly in the process.

I lathered, rinsed, and repeated with my own goods, then stepped out of the shower. Still pondering the existence of such a product as I toweled off, I opened the cabinet under the sink and decided what fruit or plant I'd like to smell like that evening.

Ripened Grapefruit...Cherry Almond...Soothing Aloe...Sweet Temptation? (Nope, better save that one for a special night.)

Then I realized I was in yet another realm of beauty supplies. It's as if the shower said, "No more!" and kicked half the products to the curb. After the body lotion, I proceeded to apply facial moisturizer, anti-wrinkle eye cream and deodorant. I followed this routine by brushing my teeth (toothpaste was involved) and rinsing with mouthwash.

In the course of 30 minutes, I had managed to use THIRTEEN different products.

In the same 30 minutes, my husband would have used three. No wonder our water is so polluted! Not to mention the money we spend to keep the beauty industry in business.

This all being said, I actually enjoy using most of those products. It's the girly grown-up version of taking care of yourself. It's primping and cleaning and maintaining yourself to look and feel better. So what if it takes thirteen products to get there. I think deep down I must be jealous of that one manly bottle of head-to-toe cleanser. If only women could come up with a concoction that rivals the Ultimate Clean...it would cost $100 a bottle.