View Full Version : Do you think the concept of 'clean' is flawed?
Heavenly Locks
March 11th, 2009, 01:51 AM
I notice that some people feel they need to wash their hair (or even bodies) daily so that they are 'clean'. According to what standard?
I think for hair it is "My shampoo fragrance is no longer smellable across the room" or "Oh no, my hair isn't fluffy and fresh washed looking after one day, better wash" ...
Where do people get these ideas? Do you think that more people need to relax on the "I must be dirty" thing?
I am sitting here with hair that hasn't been washed in a few days and it feels clean but it looks rather lank and I know that it doesn't smell like anything at all. To most people it's dirty...to me, dirty means it smells and is rather oily.
Don't get me wrong, there is nothing like fresh washed ''fluffy and smells perfect'' hair, but do we need that to be clean?
Celticfreefall
March 11th, 2009, 02:06 AM
I think a lot of it has to do with modern perception of cleanliness due to post industrial societal expectations. When we didn't have running water or access to super cleaning products, people weren't expected to be squeaky clean all the time. We have all these things at our fingertips, so people are looked down upon if they don't utilize them constantly. But there is a happy medium. I do think that all this attentiveness to cleaning constantly actually messes with the bodies ability to regulate itself (including your hair), but I don't think that hopping on back to yester-year and showering once a year is the proper response.
Anlbe
March 11th, 2009, 02:15 AM
The concept of clean that I have issue with is in relation to oils. To many people clean means oil free, whether those are their own or cosmetic oils. It seems we've become convinced that the only way to be clean is to use cosmetics that strip all oil from our bodies and then add moisture and oil back in with more cosmetics. Strange.
SimplyLonghair
March 11th, 2009, 02:31 AM
You can thank advertising for the modern concept of clean. They have to "educate" the consumer to a new concept so that they will "need" the product that the marketer is selling. :p The more "dirty" you are the more that you need to use product XYZ....
But the problem is that the more that you use product XYZ the more that you need something else to cure the problem that XYZ has caused like dry skin so they sell you another product and another and another. And so on. :rolleyes:
manderly
March 11th, 2009, 02:41 AM
I pretty much only clean when I feel scuzzy. I don't shower every day (ewwwwwww). I bathe when I feel ookie, get itchy, or get stinky. Other than that, I think people bathe too much :D
Das Siechtum
March 11th, 2009, 03:45 AM
I dont care, what the hair industry tells me (for what is clean, anyway). I regulary wash my hair every 2 weeks. Last time I washed once a week and used too much shampoo (2 big spoons instead of one per litre) and I felt it right away after my hair was dry. It felt kinda dry and the next week my scalp was itching like mad. So it feels kinda relieving for me not wash for 13 days. And when the hair gets greasy or oily I just do buns or braid them.
happymommy
March 11th, 2009, 06:14 AM
No, I don't think the concept of "clean" is flawed.
I work in health care and have to be vigilant about germ/bacteria transmission between both people and the work environment.
I don't think recommending people relax about having clean bodily surfaces is a responsible thing to do from a medical standpoint.
That being said, being overly concerned about cleanliness to the point of obsession is not healthy either.
If one were living in an isolated environment and never ever came into contact with contagion, bacteria or viral substances, then cleanliness would not be a concern.
There are so many different diseases and infectious bacteria that are airborne, TB for example. You don't have to touch someone to be exposed and possibly infected.
So, in summary (lol) the modern concept of "clean" comes from the idea that having a clean body and environment reduces the infection transmission rate and promotes health. It's not about how you personally feel clean. Florence Nightingale reduced the death rate of soldiers in the Crimean war by something like 50 percent by instituting sanitary practices in the hospital wards. In less than a month.
Just because you "feel" clean doesn't mean you are.
http://www.textbookofbacteriology.net/normalflora.html is an interesting article on the bacteria, both normal and opportunistic that commonly live on humans at any given time.
Pierre
March 11th, 2009, 06:38 AM
To me, clean is on the inside. I eat lots of raw fruits and vegetables so that I'm clean on the inside and can easily fight off infections. My latest illness was nothing more than having to sleep more.
As to my skin and hair, I don't wash the oil off. I run warm water and detangle and scrape off dead skin. The scent I add is essential oils, and my own scent is still there. If I need to fight some germs on my skin, I use EOs that do that.
MsBubbles
March 11th, 2009, 06:48 AM
Almost 25 hours after washing my hair, it sticks to my head like someone has just poured a bowlful of eggwhites over it. It doesn't look even remotely clean. It's not filthy by a long shot, but that's the reason I have only been able to stretch washes to every other day. I kinda get sick of chatty strangers nodding at my head and asking in all seriousness "still raining out there, is it?". So there are some of us with a markedly different appearance between freshly washed and washed-the-day-before, which of course makes us crave a brand spanking clean scalp.
Anje
March 11th, 2009, 07:00 AM
DH is funny like that. he starts to complain that he feels gross and not clean really easily, and would probably shower twice a day if it wouldn't dry out his skin. He seems to be under the impression that his skin oils are dirty.
I shower roughly daily, though I suspect I could get away with less and not smell. My hair gets washed when I start getting scalp cleavage, which varies seasonally. Right now, it's about every 4 days. Unfortunately, neither DH nor I like the smell of my sebum, so it gets washed.
jivete
March 11th, 2009, 07:11 AM
I think the emphasis on cleanliness is misplaced. My oily hair is probably not spreading disease but unwashed hands do.
If someone showers every day and wash every bit of oil from their scalps but doesn't wash their hands after certain activities(bathroom, handling meat, petting the dogs, horses, cats, chickens, themselves, etc), they're not clean even though their hair might be soft and bouncy.
Copasetic
March 11th, 2009, 07:17 AM
In general, I think people are too "clean" obsessed. When I tell people I don't wash my hair everyday, they usually get really grossed out.
Yedda
March 11th, 2009, 07:37 AM
I think society's standard of being clean is to shower and wash hair everyday or multiple times a day, and I do not think this is necessary to be clean. Everyone is different. You have to look at all the factors-what does your job and hobbies/activities require (Do you get dirty or sweaty?) How often does your body signal it needs a cleaning (oily hair, excessive sweat, body odor, scalp itching, skin itching)? Are you around smoke? How often is it convenient to bathe? ETC.
happymommy
March 11th, 2009, 08:29 AM
I think the emphasis on cleanliness is misplaced. My oily hair is probably not spreading disease but unwashed hands do.
Actually hair is a proven carrier of Staph. aureus. Granted it is in a significantly higher percentage among healthcare providers, but I would hope anyone functioning in a customer service related field, healthcare and food service especially, would realize every surface has the potential to be part of the chain of infection. These people are held legally by higher standards of what we as a society would consider "clean."
Slathering yourself in chemicals can be extreme overkill and I am not promoting that for general society.
All I am saying is for the general public there are acceptable methods to accomplish this with minimal dependency on chemicals. Pierre's use of antibacterial EO's would be a great example.
twilight
March 11th, 2009, 08:50 AM
...not to argue, because i see the validity of both sides here, but if we all stopped being so obsessed with the modern concept of "clean" (as perpetuated by pHarm companies, cosmetics giants, and hospitals) we might be more able to naturally fight off infection and incorporate the more beneficial bacteria into our daily lives, instead of blanket 'genociding' all of them with anti-bacterial this and squeaky-clean that.
and we wouldn't have things like MRSA to worry about, either.
but i am not a scientist or a doctor, i'm just going by what my common sense tells me... and of course i think it is a good idea for people to wash their hands (and for healthcare workers to be as clean as possible).
Fethenwen
March 11th, 2009, 08:55 AM
Agree with what people are saying. This over cleanliness is also a huge factor of causing allergies to people who gradually get more sensitive to dirt because of this cleaning hysteria.
Nes
March 11th, 2009, 08:56 AM
Well I only shower and wash my hair every 3 days and i'm still alive!
My mum used to make me bath every day when I was a kid and it gave me eczema and very dry skin. It takes about a day from my skin to recover from being soaped, and 2 days to start feeling dirty again.
I used to suffer from OCD which made me bath 4 times a day. My skin and hair were awful! Thankfully I have it well under control now, and find that every 3 days is about right for me.
Nes x
kali_shey
March 11th, 2009, 10:37 AM
I think it's a personal preference thing. 'Clean' to one person is totally different from 'clean' to somebody else.
Although, from what I understand, that concept about running your finger down wet, freshly shampooed hair so it 'squeaks' is way out of date and means, I think, that you've stripped the bejeezus out of it. So that one's a definite no-no in my book
I shower twice a day, which does give me dry skin (I use shea butter lotion so it's not a big deal), but I'm slightly nuts and really like showers. I think it's got to do with being warm and soothed more than anything. It's sort of like 'washing the day away' or something. Especially if it's been a crap day. I can't really explain it except to reiterate that I'm probably mad, and that my evening shower is longer because that's when I wash my hair or shave my legs, and my morning shower is a five-minute rinse-off.
My hair I wash every couple of days, because I'm really oily. We can say three times a week average. When it starts looking disgusting I just wash the front bits in the shower and leave the rest of it :)
I also wear it up almost all the time so nobody's going to notice that the hair on my scalp is plastered to my head.
But, no, I don't think that people who don't shower and wash their hair daily are 'dirty' by any stretch.
And that's from the Mad Showerer of Doom, so there ya go :D
Darscilla
March 11th, 2009, 10:38 AM
Yes, on of the main things I've learned as an LHC'er is that 'dirt', 'sweat' and 'sebum' are three different things, and they're not all automatically a reason to immediately sterilise myself from head to toe!
akurah
March 11th, 2009, 10:46 AM
...not to argue, because i see the validity of both sides here, but if we all stopped being so obsessed with the modern concept of "clean" (as perpetuated by pHarm companies, cosmetics giants, and hospitals) we might be more able to naturally fight off infection and incorporate the more beneficial bacteria into our daily lives, instead of blanket 'genociding' all of them with anti-bacterial this and squeaky-clean that.
and we wouldn't have things like MRSA to worry about, either.
but i am not a scientist or a doctor, i'm just going by what my common sense tells me... and of course i think it is a good idea for people to wash their hands (and for healthcare workers to be as clean as possible).
Well, that's the thing. Soap (regular soap) and water (regular water too, no fancy stuff) is more than sufficient to ensure cleanliness. In fact, the rate of disease, infection, etc. went down when soap and bathing became a daily thing.
Went back up as soon as the dingbats started adding "antibacterial" to soap and everything else... :rant:
spidermom
March 11th, 2009, 10:50 AM
Nope, I don't think it's flawed at all. Being clean is a good thing.
GlassEyes
March 11th, 2009, 10:53 AM
No, I don't think the concept of "clean" is flawed.
I work in health care and have to be vigilant about germ/bacteria transmission between both people and the work environment.
There is, however, something to be said for overcleansing, which isn't healthy for the body either as it reduces it's ability to fight off infection (similar to how vaccines work, actually; a little bit of the germ acts to immunize the body).
And bathing less isn't 'reducing' one's belief in hygiene. As llong as someone bathes every once in a while, they're fine. Bathign doens't have to be done everyday.
...that said, I sometimes...actually, usually, bathe more than once a day.
The shower is warm, dammit. D<
MischiefsMuse
March 11th, 2009, 10:55 AM
It kind of sounds like what we're really saying here is not that there's anything wrong with being clean. It's how we go about getting that way. Using essential oils to lessen harmful bacteria shouldn't cause some of the dry skin issues that soaps bring about. Hair and skin don't have to be cleaned with 'soap' to be clean, but they do have to have something... I've been finding out how overpowering most of the soaps I've used are. As I find milder alternatives (not necessarily eliminating soap, just picking something less harsh), my skin seems much happier.
Speedbump
March 11th, 2009, 10:57 AM
I think the concept of "one size fits all" clean is flawed, yes. I have sensitive skin and scalp and if I use soap or harsh shampoo daily I'm a MESS. It is far better to be "dirty" for me than to be that "clean" because my body just does not produce the oil, etc. that makes someone "dirty" in most people's minds that quickly and reacts very badly to overcleaning.
I have learned how often I should clean myself based on my body's own reactions to various cleaners, techniques and timeframes. That is plenty clean enough for me and so far no one has complained about me being "dirty," because I'm really not.
Everyone is different physically, and having these odd standards for *everyone*, regardless of their needs, just doesn't make sense to me.
ETA: I only read the OP. :)
ShaSha
March 11th, 2009, 10:58 AM
I used to think that a shower once or twice a day was essential.
Then I spent some time camping, in forest. It was autumn and cold and washing was very timeconsuming and difficult so I did not wash much and was surprised how I did not get smelly or dirty. (And, yes, I asked honest opinions... :p )
My hair was a different matter, it took a long time to find out that it does better without shampoos.
Now I shower every few days with soap. Hair, well, it depends.
I frequently do physical work with horses, dogs and gardening and that gets me dirty. For that it's enough to rinse with water, dust and soil do not need soap to come off. So I rinse quickly with water whenever there seems to be visible dirt, and in hot weather (does not often happen in Finland :D ) that might be few times a day.
But I think that people do not understand anymore what clean means. Showering happens by the clock. People do not look at themselves and ask "am I dirty, do I need to wash this morning".
Tangles
March 11th, 2009, 10:59 AM
I don't think water is ever a bad thing for skin or hair as long as it's not excessively hot. At least that's how it is for me. My skin feels more moisturized when I splash cool water on it, and my hair always feels better if I CO on no-poo days, even though I don't usually have time to do this.
maunaloa
March 11th, 2009, 11:04 AM
Probably...we are a germ-a-phobe society.:)
Darkhorse1
March 11th, 2009, 11:06 AM
I think people get the term 'clean' and 'hygiene' confused.
You can have good hygiene and not need to shower daily. You can have poor hygiene and shower daily. The key is making sure that you find a balance for what works for your needs.
For me, I have to shower daily. I have oily skin, and I sweat a lot, not to mention working at a barn/outdoors. Active life style means showers. Sometimes I shower twice a day in the summer, when it is hot and humid and I'm between barns/rides. That's a personal choice for me because I sleep better clean, and I like to start the day clean.
For my hair? I can go about 2 days at most without washing. Then, it's too gross. If I don't wash my hair/shower, I get very itchy and get red bumps on my skin.
I know other people who don't shower daily and they never smell or appear un-tidy. People who suffer from skin conditions can't always get wet--I knew a woman who had psoriasis and she didn't shower daily, but she was always clean.
It's a personal choice, and finding what is best for your needs is the best way to being a happy, comfortable person :)
GlennaGirl
March 11th, 2009, 11:14 AM
I like the smells of being clean. Yes, that means fragrances in my soaps and the like. To me, the emotionally content and happy feeling I get from feeling clean is worth it. I feel like emotional health is as important as physical health. I personally don't feel like daily showering/bathing/etc. has harmed me health-wise, as my health is generally good except a thyroid issue, and that isn't caused by bacteria.
I know everyone is different in this regard but this is how I feel about it. I like cleanliness and I like the good smells that come with it even though some people may balk at fragrances and that sort of thing as being artificial. I do also use moisturizers regularly. I know they're not from my own body but again, just that ritual of self-care before a long 16-hour day of doing for everyone else is just emotionally nice for me.
ratgirldjh
March 11th, 2009, 11:57 AM
when i was younger i was a secretary and i would take a shower and wash my hair every morning. my skin was always dry and i was forever putting lotion on it. then i would go to the gym 4 days a week and shower when i was finished. again i needed lotion. finally i realized that the lotion was not soaking in and that when i would take a shower it would just get rinsed off. so i started using oil. it worked better and i didn't feel the need to bathe as much because i wasn't itchy. slowly over the years i realized that soap really made me dry and itchy. so now i take a bath about every 3 nights in epsom salt and an EO (usually lavender oil 9 drops) and scrub with my salux cloth and afterwards i put VCO on my still damp skin. i also do dry skin brushing.
that said - i still wash my hair too much. i wash it in the sink and usually use poo bars or natural soap. personally, i could probably go 2 weeks before my hair would get really oily or dirty - and i am trying to get back into the habit of only washing my hair once a week instead of every other day or every day because i get bored and want to try something new. even when i was WO for 3 months my hair wasn't really, really oily and i've never in my life had someone tell me i needed to bathe - my skin is just too dry and i perspire virtually not at all - LOL
my bf on the other hand gets really dirty and sweats a lot and needs to take a bath when he is dirty - usually every day - because he works on cars.
i believe that people absolutely do wash too much and they wash all their personal oils off their skin as well as the 'good' bacteria and then they have to replace that oil with commercial products... and it is funny that people don't think they smell clean unless they smell like something other than themselves - LOL
ecologystudent
March 11th, 2009, 11:57 AM
I think our society is paranoid about germs. Some people think all this excessive hygiene/cleanliness is why we have allergies and asthma and other immune issues. Actually, they found that children raised in a "dirtier" environment (farm, pet animals) rather than a more antiseptic-zealous environment had less asthma and fewer allergies.
I really hate how harsh people make soap now, because I react to them. So every time I use a public bathroom, it's the choice between not washing (with soap), and having red, sensitive, peeling, cracking fingers. Joy.
I personally don't use soap on my body, and now I don't use shampoo on my hair. I simply do not need it- and my skin and hair are just fine. The only time I use soap is when I'm washing dishes, or I've been working with animal manure or meat. Or I'm about to cook. And even then I use it sparingly, and not that stupid antibacterial stuff either.
ratgirldjh
March 11th, 2009, 12:21 PM
oh and my bf is crazy about anti-bacterial soap. he will argue with me about it til the cows come home - LOL
i think it is over-kill (unless you work in a hospital) because i don't believe in killing off all the bacteria on your skin and perhaps having the 'bad' bacteria come back first because there is no 'good' bacteria there to protect your skin...
but he believes that all bacteria is BAD and that 'they' make anti-bacterial soaps because we NEED them and so he wants to use them all over his body - every time he washes.
needless to say i don't use any soap for bathing - but i do use olive oil castile for dishes - and of course he always tells me i need to incorporate bleach into my dish washing routine ;)
rose_in_bloom
March 11th, 2009, 12:33 PM
Yes and no. I think it's all about finding the balance. Everyone is different, so each individual is going to have their own routine that works for them. Personally, I wash my armpits and...down there about every other day. I sometimes wash the rest of my body with just water. I either use really gentle soap from Chagrin Valley, or Jason Satin Shower body wash if I REALLY stink and need to get rid of major BO.
For my hair...it depends on what season it is and what type of exercise I'm doing. I usually wash my hair every other day. But even then, my mom will sometimes ask me to wash my hair because of the smell.
I also think it depends on your age/hormones. Teenagers often have to wash more because of increased oil production. That's my excuse, anyway. :)
misspriss
March 11th, 2009, 01:03 PM
As for germs, I come in contact with some of the dirtiest surfaces in the country, at least in my opinion, on a daily basis.
I have read form many sources that one of the dirtiest things you will ever touch is the handle on a buggy at the store. (They now offer little wipies to clean them off with). I touch so many buggies I can't even count. I also handle..MONEY! Nice little nasty green stuff. Customer money, store money. I use hand sanitizer occasionally, because it is there, but not that often. I wash my hands after using the bathroom, but I don't go in and wash my hands just because I think they are dirty or anything.
And I will tell you a secret, a horrible dirty secret....Sometimes, after handling money and buggies, I will go to my break or to my lunch, and eat with my hands. Yup. I know, it's nasty...but I am sick, maybe one cold a year. And I can ALWAYS trace it back to a friend or coworker that was actually sick around me. The majority of germs don't live too long on a cold, dry surface. Such as buggy handles, or even the toilet seat or flusher. (Yes, I use public toilets and I fush with my hand, I'm gonna wash it, right?) I don't *worry* about germs much.
Of course, as a child, I ate dirt. And cat food, once. I guess it doesn't hurt you.
ETA: Never make mudpies with sand, it just doesn't work like dirt. All you have is sand, and water, no actual mud. Just as grainy as ever...
squiggyflop
March 11th, 2009, 01:14 PM
hmm well i do believe that children should be allowed to be a bit more dirty than their adult counterparts.. partailly because being slightly more dirty helps prevent them from developing allergys.. now im not saying let them be filthy.. i still think they should get sprayed with the hose after playing in mud before coming in the house.. but i dont think antibacterial soap should be used.. if they get sick then thats just extra practice for their immune system.. (though i do believe in vaccines against deadly diseases)..
i myself only wash my body every other day.. partially because i i hate being wet and partially because our water bill gets huge if i wash every day (out of respect for my father i try to not cause him to pay large bills.. cellphone.. water.. heat.. etc.).. i dont smell or anything..
i only ever use soap on my armpits and my um private places.. my hair gets washed once or twice a week with diluted shampoo..
now there is one thing about the consept of clean i believe in.. when in a public bathroom one must always wash their hands (even if they just go in to fix their hair.. if you touch anything in the bathroom you wash your hands) and must always use a paper towel to open the door just in case other people dont wash.. but thats just my neurotic fear of parasites talking..
Flaxen
March 11th, 2009, 01:30 PM
I know it's flawed. The polio epidemic of the 20th century was a direct result of the world's new-found zealousness with cleanliness. Prior to that, infants would suffer mild flu-like symptoms from being exposed to the disease and then be immune for life, but new cleaning practices postponed that exposure until they were older, and then it was DEVASTATING. I just read a recent report which recommended that parents allow their children to play in the dirt and come in to eat without washing their hands. I really can't get my head around the second part. :lol:
On the flip side of course, is the absolute necessity of washing one's hands to prevent the spread of other devastating diseases. Neither of those has anything to do with oily hair, though, and I think that's what the beauty industry would define as "dirty." Washing one's hair because they prefer it soft and fluffy is a perfectly valid reason to wash it, though. :shrug:
dearladydisdain
March 11th, 2009, 01:35 PM
I think our concepts of cleanliness are rather ridiculous. I feel like our obsession can work in the medical world but other than that people take it too far. Some people seem horrified to find out not everyone scrubs their body with soap every single day. :rolleyes: I see no reason to wash and sanitize everything all the time (I do clean, though) and I am healthier than most people I know.
ratgirldjh
March 11th, 2009, 01:40 PM
i was my mom's first child. she kept me and the house perfectly clean and sanitized. once the doctor came on a house call (this was a long time ago!) and he saw how clean my mom was keeping me and freaked out and took me outside and sat me in the dirt. my mom was horrified - but he told my mom that little kids need to get dirty and to be exposed to germs so they can build a healthy immune system ;)
LutraLutra
March 11th, 2009, 01:49 PM
For my hair - since joining LHC my concept of 'clean' hair has totally changed. I used to think my hair was dirty at the end of the day if I'd washed it in the morning. Even the slightest hint of not-feeling-freshly-washed sent me to the shampoo. Now I know what hair looks/feels/smells like if you treat it nicely, I wait until I think it looks slightly grubby, then I wash.
For my body - I love the process of showering and grooming. I find it very theraputic and grounding. I have a shower each morning, but if for some reason I can't, or don't want to (like illness or travelling) then it's ok.
wintersun99
March 11th, 2009, 01:59 PM
No, I don't think the concept of "clean" is flawed.
I work in health care and have to be vigilant about germ/bacteria transmission between both people and the work environment.
I don't think recommending people relax about having clean bodily surfaces is a responsible thing to do from a medical standpoint.
That being said, being overly concerned about cleanliness to the point of obsession is not healthy either.
If one were living in an isolated environment and never ever came into contact with contagion, bacteria or viral substances, then cleanliness would not be a concern.
There are so many different diseases and infectious bacteria that are airborne, TB for example. You don't have to touch someone to be exposed and possibly infected.
So, in summary (lol) the modern concept of "clean" comes from the idea that having a clean body and environment reduces the infection transmission rate and promotes health. It's not about how you personally feel clean. Florence Nightingale reduced the death rate of soldiers in the Crimean war by something like 50 percent by instituting sanitary practices in the hospital wards. In less than a month.
Just because you "feel" clean doesn't mean you are.
http://www.textbookofbacteriology.net/normalflora.html is an interesting article on the bacteria, both normal and opportunistic that commonly live on humans at any given time.
This.......
However, I do like a warm shower every night before bed - a hottub would work too, if I had one. :D
florenonite
March 11th, 2009, 02:46 PM
I pretty much only clean when I feel scuzzy. I don't shower every day (ewwwwwww). I bathe when I feel ookie, get itchy, or get stinky. Other than that, I think people bathe too much :D
I've never understood the concept of requiring a shower daily with soap/body wash and shampoo to be clean. I do notice that the daily-showering thing is more North American, and a lot of Brits I know (including my parents) shower every other day.
Agree with what people are saying. This over cleanliness is also a huge factor of causing allergies to people who gradually get more sensitive to dirt because of this cleaning hysteria.
In Australia apparently doctors are giving children "dirt pills" because they're not getting enough germs :p
Well, that's the thing. Soap (regular soap) and water (regular water too, no fancy stuff) is more than sufficient to ensure cleanliness. In fact, the rate of disease, infection, etc. went down when soap and bathing became a daily thing.
Went back up as soon as the dingbats started adding "antibacterial" to soap and everything else... :rant:
oh and my bf is crazy about anti-bacterial soap. he will argue with me about it til the cows come home - LOL
i think it is over-kill (unless you work in a hospital) because i don't believe in killing off all the bacteria on your skin and perhaps having the 'bad' bacteria come back first because there is no 'good' bacteria there to protect your skin...
but he believes that all bacteria is BAD and that 'they' make anti-bacterial soaps because we NEED them and so he wants to use them all over his body - every time he washes.
needless to say i don't use any soap for bathing - but i do use olive oil castile for dishes - and of course he always tells me i need to incorporate bleach into my dish washing routine ;)
My bio teacher thought that antibacterial soap was evil, because it kills the good bacteria, whilst the bad bacteria often become more resistant, causing more problems.
As a general rule, I do not shower with soap. I've been experimenting over the years with various things for my bacne, and currently am using soap, but everywhere else has always been WO.
I think the idea of 'clean' as smelling like a shampoo factory is flawed, because you can be hygienic and remain clean even with using water only to bathe, and with not bathing daily.
I shower when I start to feel skanky and wash my hair when it starts looking almost wet :p This translates to washing the hair (with the exception of the fringe at times) every four to five days and the body every two to five days.
I spent six weeks living in the bush camping, and just swam a lot, and that was it. Oddly, my hair behaved well and I didn't have any zits. In fact, my skin was great.
Yeah, I'm a dirty hippy :o
RocketDog
March 11th, 2009, 03:17 PM
I think 'clean' is totally subjective. I do not use soap on my body in the shower, but I still feel and look clean afterwards. I do use shampoo, because my hair feels and acts best (to me) when it has been shampooed. It is finefinefine and blonde, so oil near my scalp makes my hair look darker, duller and it FEELS dirty, which I do not like. If I had a more oil-friendly hairtype I'd probably stretch showers out since my skin does best when it's slightly 'oily' but my hair needs washing every few days.
Buddaphlyy
March 11th, 2009, 03:31 PM
I don't enjoy smelling bad or being around other people who smell bad, so I take the concept of cleanliness very seriously, as far as the body is concerned. As for hair, I just enjoy smelling good, so I condition a lot for the scent.
rhubarbarin
March 11th, 2009, 05:10 PM
'Clean' to me is 'not stinky' (or visibly filthy).
But I really enjoy showering (I don't usually scrub everything, just like the hot water) and do so nearly every day, even though it dries my skin. And my hair looks best when it's recently been underwater (I only shampoo twice or three times a week).
Schefflera
March 11th, 2009, 06:38 PM
It depends on whose concept of clean, and what context it's in. Some things (surgical instruments, laboratory equipment for certain purposes) need to be sterile when used; other things need a certain population of microorganisms and are damaged or nonfunctional if those are gone; a bunch of things are in between, one way or another. Some things need to be free of debris; others it doesn't matter so much. Some things need to be thoroughly greased; other things are dirty when covered in grease.
While sweat, sebum, and "dirt" may be three different things in some circumstances, that's sort of a relative concept. Sweat is appropriate if you're overheated and/or exercising, but it's sticky and gross and stinky if you let it sit around. Sebum is important, but excess can and does clog pores and make hair clumpy and collect crud. Gardens are clean when they're full of soil, but my hands and clothes are not. Balanced, normal concentrations of internal microorganisms become painful infections if one of them gets tipped into overgrowth. My plate should have food on it when I'm beginning to eat, but if I let food residue sit on it for hours after that, it's dirty. Laboratory glassware and growth media should be not only washed and well rinsed but sterilized before you start growing potentially disease-causing bacteria in them, and afterwards, they may be "clean" while E. coli is growing in them and "dirty" if they pick up mold.
Pegasus Marsters
March 11th, 2009, 07:02 PM
I'm sick of the concept that I need to wash my hair every single day. It spends most of its time pinned up anyway, so it's not getting in contact with icky things. Washing my hair is tiring for me, and sitting with it wet for hours makes me cold! I'll wash it twice a week and they'd best like it. :rolleyes:
JasmineDaisy
March 11th, 2009, 07:12 PM
I have oily hair. I use to CO my hair six days out of the week during the winter time, then shampoo once during the week. Now, the humidity here is so bad that I just feel icky and yucky that I have to wash my hair everyday. I am just paranoid that I smell bad or something.
EdG
March 11th, 2009, 07:14 PM
I think it's important to shower one's body (not one's hair) every day, but I draw the line at wearing deodorant. I could never understand the supposed sense in covering up odors. :crazyq:
Ed
AJoifulNoise
March 11th, 2009, 07:22 PM
I've witnessed people get more and more germ-paranoid. A little dirt does not hurt. I have one cousin who uses hand sanitizer all the time. And forces her daughter to do so also. I'm talking before/after every single store when they go out. That's overkill. And, no, she doesn't have O.C.D. I have a mild form and before meds I carried wipes. Still do, but I rarely use them. She's just paranoid. The crazy thing (that she doesn't seem to notice) is that they get sick more often than anyone I know.
As for showering. I shower 6 out of 7 days. But, I don't really use soap because it dries out my skin. And it's not really to get 'clean.' It's because I like hot water. When I shower I do something with my hair (CO or S/C) because if not I feel like an oily mess. I just don't like the feeling. It's not paranoia, I just like the fresh-out-of-the-shower feeling. It kick-starts my morning.
For years I did not understand when people didn't shower more often, I admit. But, I know better now. If you can go a week or more without showering... More power to ya! But, I'd prefer my morning splash of water, thanks. :p
Elphie
March 11th, 2009, 08:02 PM
I think on the whole, society has become too obsessed with cleanliness, some easy basic rules should be followed. Keep your hands clean while cooking, be wary of transferring bacteria from one surface to another, that kind of thing. I think we over use antibacterial products as well. However, I work in a germy environment and need to be conscious of using the proper sanitizing procedures for the health and well-being of the children in my classroom, my staff and myself. My opinion of the cleanliness of my hair has changed over the past few months and I no longer think of it as "dirty" just because it hasn't been washed that day. I must shower daily. I enjoy it and need it to wake up in the morning. I avoid drugstore soaps and tend to use castile soaps or other handmade products so that my skin isn't dry. My children do not shower daily and never have; every other day is sufficient for them.
steph in tx
March 11th, 2009, 08:32 PM
Like most here, I think it depends on who you are and what you do. In the winter I can get away with washing my hair and body every other day. In the summer that won't work. I live in the desert and when it's 110 degrees and I'm sweating like crazy, not only do I need the shower to remove all the stink & sweat, but I also need it to cool me off! Now, I only use soap on my face, my armpits and my private areas. I really wish I could go longer without washing my hair, but it's just too oily for that. I try to base my decisions to bathe on what condition I'm in at the time, not the calendar. Now, I always bathe after I've been to the doctor's office or hospital, and I'm fanatical about washing my hands after going to the grocery store where I've been pushing a cart. Maybe I'm just paranoid like that.
marla
March 11th, 2009, 08:39 PM
I shower twice a day and that feels necessary for me to be comfortable. And I ALWAYS use a paper towel to open the door of a public restroom. But I only shampoo my hair 2-3 times a week. I have had people react negatively if I have told them that. Some people think its gross not to wash one's hair every day and I just don't understand those people. I work out and I don't even feel the need to wash my hair after a workout. It usually looks just fine so why bother with the hassle and get dried out hair? Nevertheless I will say that when I am in a relationship I do wash my hair much more often because I want it to smell nice. That's probably why I haven't been married. I'm too low-maintenance and I don't want to give that up for anyone:D
skay
March 11th, 2009, 09:19 PM
I notice that some people feel they need to wash their hair (or even bodies) daily so that they are 'clean'. According to what standard?
I think for hair it is "My shampoo fragrance is no longer smellable across the room" or "Oh no, my hair isn't fluffy and fresh washed looking after one day, better wash" ...
Where do people get these ideas? Do you think that more people need to relax on the "I must be dirty" thing?
I am sitting here with hair that hasn't been washed in a few days and it feels clean but it looks rather lank and I know that it doesn't smell like anything at all. To most people it's dirty...to me, dirty means it smells and is rather oily.
Don't get me wrong, there is nothing like fresh washed ''fluffy and smells perfect'' hair, but do we need that to be clean?
Nah, I don't think we need to be THAT clean...
To me, clean is on the inside. I eat lots of raw fruits and vegetables so that I'm clean on the inside and can easily fight off infections. My latest illness was nothing more than having to sleep more.
As to my skin and hair, I don't wash the oil off. I run warm water and detangle and scrape off dead skin. The scent I add is essential oils, and my own scent is still there. If I need to fight some germs on my skin, I use EOs that do that.
I also subscribe to the general philisophy of "clean from the inside."
As I eat lots of raw fruits & veggies, and I don't eat fried oils, meat, dairy, etc. I don't worry about rancid oils/fermented odors seeping out of me.
When people are coughing etc. around me, I don't get sick...
However, I do believe in following some common sense about touching certain germy things and washing hands after that (I don't use antibacterial soap though).
lynnala
March 11th, 2009, 09:40 PM
I used to be a daily shower girl. I wouldn't go out in public if I hadn't showered, and if I did, I felt like there was a spotlight on me with an arrow "HASN'T SHOWERED TODAY!" Funny how our perceptions of ourselves can change. Now I don't even like using soap, it dries out my skin. I don't use shampoo, only Indian herbs. And I only shower every few days. I use my homemade deodorant of coconut oil and baking soda every day, and sweet orange EO....I feel fresh as a daisy.
Pierre
March 11th, 2009, 09:51 PM
However, I do believe in following some common sense about touching certain germy things and washing hands after that (I don't use antibacterial soap though).
Me too. A few weeks ago on a Sunday I worked in the church garden, then went to the store to buy food. At the bus center I stopped in the restroom and washed the dirt off (which was a bit difficult, as the faucet is monostable and I had to keep pushing it, during which I couldn't rub my hands) before using the urinal. After that, I just rinsed the pee off.
Debra83
March 11th, 2009, 10:09 PM
I work as a teller at a bank. I see on average 400 people a week. I smell 1/3 of them. Some people need more soap. AND do us service people a favour, if you notice that a loved one's outdoor wear (ex: coat) needs a wash - ENCOURAGE THIS! At least get them to FEBREEZE it.
marajade
March 11th, 2009, 10:11 PM
This is so interesting that this thread is here. . today I was at the salon and I was finishing getting my hair done and a lady came in who said she had gotten talked to by her boss who basically told her she needed to be more clean and wash her hair more. . I was SO shocked the lady looked like her hair hadn't been washed maybe in a day or 2 and looked fine. . she didn't smell either ( at least that I could tell). It kinda made me mad that her boss would harass her like that!
Cinnamon Hair
March 11th, 2009, 10:42 PM
I like to wash everything daily, in the mornings usually. I am a water person so it's no big inconvenience for me or anything, I enjoy showers :) Sure, I could get away with washing less often, but I'd much rather hop in the shower and use nice body wash (ever tried Philosophy? (http://sephora.com/browse/brand_hierarchy.jhtml?brandId=Philosophy&categoryId=C570) their scents are heavenly!) than to just put on deodorant or use a wash cloth on the essential bits. That's me though.
The one time I told a group of coworkers that I don't use shampoo on my hair daily, they cringed! All but one, a curly who admitted she only washed her hair every 3-4 days. I even explained the concept of CO washing, and they totally didn't get it. How can you wash your hair without using shampoo? lol So yeah, the public's concept is clean is flawed.
florenonite
March 12th, 2009, 05:56 AM
I shower twice a day and that feels necessary for me to be comfortable. And I ALWAYS use a paper towel to open the door of a public restroom. But I only shampoo my hair 2-3 times a week. I have had people react negatively if I have told them that. Some people think its gross not to wash one's hair every day and I just don't understand those people. I work out and I don't even feel the need to wash my hair after a workout. It usually looks just fine so why bother with the hassle and get dried out hair? Nevertheless I will say that when I am in a relationship I do wash my hair much more often because I want it to smell nice. That's probably why I haven't been married. I'm too low-maintenance and I don't want to give that up for anyone:D
Hehe, yesterday morning I hadn't washed my hair since Saturday and asked DBF if it needed washed and his response was "not immediately, do it later" :p He doesn't seem to mind it smelling, either, maybe because he washes his hair about as often as I wash mine, and his is short! We make a good pair :p
This is so interesting that this thread is here. . today I was at the salon and I was finishing getting my hair done and a lady came in who said she had gotten talked to by her boss who basically told her she needed to be more clean and wash her hair more. . I was SO shocked the lady looked like her hair hadn't been washed maybe in a day or 2 and looked fine. . she didn't smell either ( at least that I could tell). It kinda made me mad that her boss would harass her like that!
Centeredgirl1
March 12th, 2009, 12:26 PM
I find it ironic that the concept of clear hair does not extend in the advertising world to men!!! All shampoo commercials and print ads target women.
I think the concept is flawed and just a way to make a buck.
Darkhorse1
March 12th, 2009, 04:15 PM
See, I love the feeling of being fresh after a shower or after swimming. I love feeling that fresh 'everything is off me' feeling. Keeping in mind, I work with horses/at a barn so I get pretty dirty ;)
oneKnight
March 12th, 2009, 09:24 PM
I only use soap on the smelly parts of my body and I've been doing this for YEARS, and while I shampoo once or twice a week now I have gone over a year "water only" on my hair.
Many people would think this is gross. To me just being under hot water makes my skin dry enough, although I do like to just stand there and enjoy the water.
I'm a walking nightmare as far as happymommy is concerned.
I'm not a believer in frequent handwashing and I'm about the furthest thing from germaphobe. I've been sick with a cold ONCE this year after babysitting a sick toddler that tried to rub boogers on everything and everyone, and I was only seriously sick for ONE day so no biggie. I also eat food that's been left out overnight and I've never been sick from that. We eat dog hair (it comes off my shirt when I cook I think) and I share drinks with my dog. By a "medical standpoint" I should be way past dead by now.
EvaSimone
March 12th, 2009, 09:31 PM
I shower every day barring a lazy lay on the couch day.
I start to smell if I don't shower. My body odor isn't peaches and cream and personally just because it's mine I still think it's unpleasant. Therefore I shower.
I wash my hair every 2-3 days because I've gotten to the point where my hair is pretty happy with that amount of washing and still looks presentable.
s_tresses
March 12th, 2009, 09:34 PM
I think the frequency of washing does characterize "clean" and it may vary from person to person.
The concept becomes flawed only when washing needs to employ certain products that smell a certain way. Advertising may be the culprit.
misspriss
March 12th, 2009, 09:35 PM
I've decided to try only washing those parts that smell, and using water only on the rest. I think this thread has inspired me. I tried it tonight, I was actually very itchy when I got out of the shower though, I think it was my CO condish left on my shoulders.
CaityBear
March 12th, 2009, 09:56 PM
For me, when it comes to my hair, it gets all oily and I look like a greaseball...and my hair is flat and ... yuck. lol It gets really bad sometimes so I look like I haven't showered in a week if I wait more than two days at the very most to wash my hair.
Alun
March 13th, 2009, 12:28 AM
I find it ironic that the concept of clear hair does not extend in the advertising world to men!!! All shampoo commercials and print ads target women.
I think the concept is flawed and just a way to make a buck.
Actually, I think the advertising business seems to have reached the conclusion that if you want to target women you show a beautiful woman and if you want to target men you show a beautiful woman!
Alun
March 13th, 2009, 12:40 AM
I only use soap on the smelly parts of my body and I've been doing this for YEARS, and while I shampoo once or twice a week now I have gone over a year "water only" on my hair.
Many people would think this is gross. To me just being under hot water makes my skin dry enough, although I do like to just stand there and enjoy the water.
I'm a walking nightmare as far as happymommy is concerned.
I'm not a believer in frequent handwashing and I'm about the furthest thing from germaphobe. I've been sick with a cold ONCE this year after babysitting a sick toddler that tried to rub boogers on everything and everyone, and I was only seriously sick for ONE day so no biggie. I also eat food that's been left out overnight and I've never been sick from that. We eat dog hair (it comes off my shirt when I cook I think) and I share drinks with my dog. By a "medical standpoint" I should be way past dead by now.
Well, I do use shampoo and conditioner, and you'd have to substitute cat hair for dog hair, but otherwise I'm the same. I have to use deodorant or people complain, though. I don't get sick much either.
When I was a kid, Sunday night was bath night. Some people were brought up with daily showers, though, e.g. most Americans.
annie09
March 13th, 2009, 12:51 AM
i am not bath-shy but i dont bathe every day and i still feel clean :)
edit: Alun sunday night was bath night in our house too lol
kwaniesiam
March 13th, 2009, 12:57 AM
:shrug: I have to wash my hair daily due to the type. If I don't, it is very visibly oily and you can see my scalp through it. I don't like that, so I need the clean and fluffy thing going on. As far as the rest of me, I like feeling freshly washed, so I do so daily. I don't need to as often as I do, I just like to because it makes me feel better. In the morning, it wakes me up. At night if I do it then instead, I feel clean, comfortable, and prepared to go to sleep.
I'm also WO though, at least on body, so I'm not "clean" in the traditional sense, but I certainly feel clean enough and smell has never been a problem. Occasionally I'll use some natural soap on the smelly bits but thats about it.
Ash
March 13th, 2009, 12:59 AM
Since I have been on LHC, my concept of clean hair has changed. Now I actually cringe at the thought of squeaky clean hair. However, the only way I will not shower at least once a day is if I am either in the woods or in the unlikely event of a zombie apocalypse. :) I feel disgusting if I can't shower when I wake up.
I do feel that people do get overly freaked out about cleanliness. Some dirt is good for you. On the other hand modern civilizations are weaker due to all the chemicals in everything. It is one thing to not bathe if the air and land are clean but nowadays just walking down the street in an industrial area is dirty and this is not a beneficial dirt. On top of all this stuff, advertising tells people to plaster more chemicals on themselves after washing off the other stuff. It is kind of hard to win these days. Some people are able to get away with less washing, some can't. It can depend on diet too. Someone who consumes nothing but pizza and beer but showers daily can smell worse than someone who eats a balanced healthy diet and showers every other day.
Starr
March 13th, 2009, 01:53 AM
I think a lot of people confuse 'cleanliness' and 'sanitation'. I use conditioner and herbs to cleanse my hair, but to a lot of people that's not good enough- you have to strip off all dirt and natural oils as well (never mind that they serve a function). I think soap is sufficient but there are many that believe that antibacterial must be used everytime. Of course it's good to practice hygiene: wash your hands after using the restroom, before and after handling food, and before and after touching others and/or their wounds or bodily secretions. But the western world has a very twisted mindset of what is and isn't "clean": body hair on women in deemed 'gross'; really long hair on anyone is considered 'dirty'; breastfeeding a baby is 'sick'; and every natural bodily function is thought to be 'disgusting'. Compare that however to the completely normal practices of removing all traces of body hair (despite it's function to protect); decimating any signs of earwax (protection); people pluck their nose hairs and eyebrows; scrub off all of the naturally occuring oils of the skin- to me destroying all natural resistance to germs is defeating the purpose, but hey it's the "clean" thing to do.
I read a really interesting article on our issue with being clean:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16305411
Honey39
March 13th, 2009, 02:13 AM
I haven't read the whole thread, so forgive me if this has been discussed - but for the people who don't shower/bath daily, do you wash your face, armpits, genitals and feet in the washbasin every day? My way of thinking is that if you're going to do that, it's as easy to hop into the shower and wash.
Or do you not do that washing every day, in which case, don't you find you pong a bit???
Am genuinely intrigued....
shayly-fyanna
March 13th, 2009, 02:38 AM
i also feel that it is somewhat flawed. the concept of cleanliness demands that we wash away all that is natural in ourselves, (natural oils) but also i think that it depends on the person. some people have simply taken the old ways ( few baths or showers, less washing of hair and skin. ) as bad, because about let's say 150 years ago or so, people didn't wash as much, mostly due to the problems of carrying and heating the water. now that we have baths and showers with no bother of carrying the water from the well or having to heat it up we simply feel more comfortable and the industry has a need to sell more products by telling us that if we don't shower and wash our hair daily we are dirty.
i shower 5 times a week and wash my hair every 6 to 7 days and except for the weird, sweaty smell in summer in my hair i don't feel dirty.
but that's MHO.
Pegasus Marsters
March 13th, 2009, 02:48 AM
I haven't read the whole thread, so forgive me if this has been discussed - but for the people who don't shower/bath daily, do you wash your face, armpits, genitals and feet in the washbasin every day? My way of thinking is that if you're going to do that, it's as easy to hop into the shower and wash.
Or do you not do that washing every day, in which case, don't you find you pong a bit???
Am genuinely intrigued....
No, I don't do it and no, I don't pong. I use something called deodorant ;) As long as you're not stinky when you put it on it works, and just re-apply it each morning. And really... the rest of me is not going to get THAT dirty in the space of a day. I mean, as long as you actually wipe properly you'll have no issues down there, and deodorant will keep your armpits fine.
You can go days at a time without bathing and not be stinky. :shrug:
Hypnotica
March 13th, 2009, 03:01 AM
I haven't read the whole thread, so forgive me if this has been discussed - but for the people who don't shower/bath daily, do you wash your face, armpits, genitals and feet in the washbasin every day? My way of thinking is that if you're going to do that, it's as easy to hop into the shower and wash.
Or do you not do that washing every day, in which case, don't you find you pong a bit???
Am genuinely intrigued....
In my case, those areas does not get cleaned every day.
Honey39
March 13th, 2009, 03:06 AM
No, I don't do it and no, I don't pong. I use something called deodorant ;) As long as you're not stinky when you put it on it works, and just re-apply it each morning. And really... the rest of me is not going to get THAT dirty in the space of a day. I mean, as long as you actually wipe properly you'll have no issues down there, and deodorant will keep your armpits fine.
You can go days at a time without bathing and not be stinky. :shrug:
See, I can understand now showering/washing hair daily, but I would have to WASH my armpits, intimate bits and feet, rather than just reapply deodorant. I think that would get a bit smelly quite quickly. I'm sorry to keep harping on about this, I'm not a clean freak, but I just think that smells would get a bit ripe quite quickly without at least a quick rinse.
florenonite
March 13th, 2009, 03:51 AM
Well, I do use shampoo and conditioner, and you'd have to substitute cat hair for dog hair, but otherwise I'm the same. I have to use deodorant or people complain, though. I don't get sick much either.
When I was a kid, Sunday night was bath night. Some people were brought up with daily showers, though, e.g. most Americans.
You mean even children are taught to bathe daily, like before puberty? I find that absolutely mind-boggling. I think my mum chucked us all in the bath together a couple times a week, and then when we hit puberty endeavoured to enforce every-other-day showers (which I hated. Why did my hair have to go greasy so I couldn't go a week without washing it anymore?)
I haven't read the whole thread, so forgive me if this has been discussed - but for the people who don't shower/bath daily, do you wash your face, armpits, genitals and feet in the washbasin every day? My way of thinking is that if you're going to do that, it's as easy to hop into the shower and wash.
Or do you not do that washing every day, in which case, don't you find you pong a bit???
Am genuinely intrigued....
Unless I stick my nose to my crotch (and that's generally after a couple days of not showering), there's no smell there. And no one's going to stick their nose in my crotch so I figure I'm good ;)
As far as armpits go, I generally use coconut oil as a deodorant every other day to every few days, and that's generally enough.
*hopes people won't run away from her*
Hypnotica
March 13th, 2009, 03:53 AM
As far as armpits go, I generally use coconut oil as a deodorant every other day to every few days, and that's generally enough.
*hopes people won't run away from her*
Hey......you use some kind of deoderant, I don't. :D
Chrissy
March 13th, 2009, 03:58 AM
I think it's a personal thing. I shower every day because I like how I feel. I wash my hair everyday 'cause if I don't it is greasy and looks bad. I mean bad. So I do it for me not for anyone's idea of what clean is. I would be way uncomfortable if I didn't. Now ocassionally if I don't have time I will skip one day of showering/washing hair but it's rare.
Chrissy
March 13th, 2009, 04:00 AM
I'm afraid to ask but what is pong? There are so many words I've never heard of.
minkstole
March 13th, 2009, 04:36 AM
Regarding everyday washing habbits: I honestly don´t know what´s worse, BO or smelling like chemicals? I tend to chose everything non-scented (soap, shampoo, laundry detergent, etc).
I shower most days (before bed due to dry skin getting killed in the cold wind) and use a neutral anti-perspirant. Always a bit of perfume. It´s all habit.
I think "clean on the inside" as someone mentioned reduces the bad-breath, repugnant BO, etc.
Regarding bacterias and how they spread: It´s what you bring to others and what they pass on to you. Hence the need for washing hands after going to the bathroom, handling raw meat, etc. Some people are immunosuppressed (the elderly, diabetics) and take longer getting over what other would considder a simple stomach flu.
eadwine
March 13th, 2009, 04:47 AM
The concept isn't flawed, the execution is.
In elderly homes people that don't soil themselves aren't washed every day, and their hair only once a week.
I don't wash myself daily, it's crazy. I wash my hair only once a week and I have never heard anyone complain about me being stinky *shrug*
Besides being overly clean isn't good for the environment OR your skin really. JMHO.
Chrissy
March 13th, 2009, 05:04 AM
I don't think washing everyday is "crazy". I think it's a personal choice. To me waiting several days to shower is gross. That's just me though. Maybe I'm nitpicking. If I am I'm sorry!! I think it's just a personal choice and what each person feels comfortable doing. To each his own I say.
spf4214
March 13th, 2009, 05:52 AM
Chrissy a pong is a slang word for a bad smell.
I prefer to shower everyday, but as Chrissy says, each to their own. I don't sleep very well, so having a nice warm shower with my pretty smelling soaps is my little ritual to help me relax and get a better night's sleep.
Kirin
March 13th, 2009, 06:45 AM
I have some pretty strong issues regarding this matter, as I have seen threads of this like, and seen some real misinformation spread about the ills of washing daily. Its that type of misinformation that drives me nuts, frankly.
The idea that washing up, or cleaning house makes us sicker and less resistant to disease is, well, hogwash. Someone even posted that we are sicker today than anytime in history on another thread.... which is completely not true. I have never seen any proof of this, and one needs only to check out a history book on the health of prior ages to see its not true. Cancer and heart disease aren't communicable diseases, and washing or not won't stop those from happening. What people are afflicted with today has little to do with hygene. (such as washing your vajayjay won't stop aids, or V.D.).
If there is blame to be placed on any one thing for our inability to overcome bacterial illness, blame the over use of antibiotics that are not nessesary, not washing up.
The overuse of antibacterial products causing us to be less able to resist infection is only partially true. It depends on what bacteria you are killing. The plague for example it wouldn't make a difference, immunity only comes from having the disease. Most people are aware that staph can be gotten, and re-gotten over and over and over again, even well before antibacterial products.
That said, no one needs antibacterial hand sanitizer, unless, they are currently devoid of soap and water. (such as handling something ookie while you are out and can't wash your hands). No one actually needs antibacterial soaps, and detergents, soap and water pretty much does the job.
Onto personal hygene, on the whole, and for the hair. It doesn't matter what you smell like, most elementary school children now a days can tell you, you cant SEE germs. You often can't smell them either. I wash daily, and it has nothing to do with what I smell like, or look like (thats only an outcome of the process).
As far as hair is concerned, even in a bun, chances are you are touching it. Unless your hands are constantly sterile, there is dirt/bacterial/viral/microbial transfer. If you keep your combs and brushes and hair "toys" in the bathroom?..... I hate to inform you, those items are covered in fecal coliforms. This has been tested and re-tested, even your toothbrush in there is covered in it. As a matter of fact, even if its not in the bathroom, tests have been done, apparently as people our stuff is covered in poo, even in the living room. (there have been many scientific tests done on this, but a user friendly one was done by mythbusters proving this to be true).
It is also true, that hair can harbor mold spores. You can't see or smell these either, at least not right away.
We are exposed to, and touch things every single day of our lives. Then touch our bodies, or our hair. It isn't about smell, and its not really about looks, its about hygene.
How often you wash away these contaminants is up to you, as well as how you do it. However, it doesn't surprise me one bit that those who go extremely long stretches without washing might be looked askance at. I disagree that we are "programmed" to wash ourselves and our enviornment, but that we are taught. There is a big difference, and the commercial world, sorry to say, I've never seen commercials for shampoo and conditioner, or even soap, that tell you how often to bathe and wash your hair. I would love one example of a commercial or ad saying outright "you must wash your hair every single day". No, they just tout their super cleaning product. (this excludes products that are say, "daily clarifying shampoos" that are specifically marketed to be used every day, and these products are few and far between).
So, do you -need- to wash your hair every day? Ultimately no, it is personal choice, of course, but daily washers are hardly brainwashed into doing so. Those that choose not to wash daily, which is perfectly fine, should know the truths about whats harboring in there. As Pierre uses, EO's with antibacterial properties, well thats not only a good idea, it does the job without washing. However, hair that is simply oiled, may harbor things you aren't aware of, and although you may be resistant to your own collection of harbored whatnot, someone else might not be.
One last thing of note here. I have often noticed in my 40 years, most people can't actually smell themselves. I actually wont' notice I have a Pong until my husband says something.....
Cleanliness is not just about yourself, but also your neighbor. Just like many really detest second hand smoke, some people really detest second hand mustiness.
minkstole
March 13th, 2009, 07:23 AM
^Great post.
"second hand mustiness" is a great term.
florenonite
March 13th, 2009, 07:24 AM
I read a really interesting article on our issue with being clean:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16305411
There was a mention in that article of how the author's grandmother rarely bathed and she liked her smell. I've noticed that I don't like the smell of my DBF when he's just had a shower, he smells better a day or so later because then he smells like him rather than soap and shampoo. So I don't think BO needs to be extirpated wholly.
minkstole
March 13th, 2009, 07:31 AM
^Most chemicals/detergents smell awful, but that doesn´t rule out washing IMO
Milui Elenath
March 13th, 2009, 07:40 AM
I agree antibiotics amongst other medical intrusions play a part in our inability to naturally overcome disease. They do create superbugs resistant to drugs that previously killed them. But I believe over cleaning and sterilising plays a part in children not developing strong immune systems as well. As mentioned you need to sometimes aquire diseases in order to be immune to them. That means being exposed in small amounts. Sterilising everything prevents this. That said I don't think we should throw the baby out with the bath water, (sorry for the pun :eyebrows: ) by not washing or cleaning houses completely but we should be aware that chemicals (natural too sometimes) effect both good and bad bacteria.
We are conditioned whether by blatant advertising or social trends to smell like the proverbial rose regardless of activity and frankly that can't be healthy! Cosmetics that prevent sweat cause the toxins to be absorped.
We are too germ phobic and I feel that way myself.
Personally I wash everyday because I work with babies. They cough and snot on you (sorry for that description) baby spew etc. I certainly wash my clothes! But as for the germs it's probably more in my head than actually on my body. I always practice personal protective practices while at work, gloves and washing hands. But I only ever wash my hair twice a week, sometimes once, on Friday for the weekend. I rarely get sick, I have a good immune system.
When I'm on holidays depending on the activity, weather etc I may wash every second day. I see no issue with limiting body washing and do not feel it impacts on hygiene. My main concerns would be that hands are washed and food safety reasonably adhered to.
In this, the 21st century, we live a compromise . . . unfortunately.
Darkhorse1
March 13th, 2009, 08:51 AM
I'm a gal that would feel disgusting if I didn't shower daily. It's my preference and I love the feeling of my skin after a shower. I have oily skin, so I don't get any problems that some here have.
For my hair, I can go every other day without a wash, but after that, it's disgusting. The only time I don't wash on that schedule is when I'm really sick. Even then, if it's an oil slick, it just itches so bad, I scratch until it bleeds. Same with my skin. :)
LiraelQ
March 13th, 2009, 09:08 AM
Personally, if I wanted to think about every single mold spore, fecal particle, malicious bacteria, or spec of dirt that's out there, I could drive myself crazy. I understand if you're in a medical profession or you work with children, you should keep yourself as free of these contaminants as possible, but you still have to live in the real world!
I think a lot of people are uncomfortable with the concept that we are animals, and stripping our oils and scents is a way to distance ourselves from that idea. This isn't helped by companies that manufacture personal care items, because of course they're going to tell you to use tons of their products, as frequently as you can, so that they can sell more.
I've never seen commercials for shampoo and conditioner, or even soap, that tell you how often to bathe and wash your hair. I would love one example of a commercial or ad saying outright "you must wash your hair every single day". No, they just tout their super cleaning product.I never saw commercials that told me to wash daily, but Teen and Seventeen sure did when I was in high school! Those magazines are all about pushing products, and that's where I learned that shampooing and conditioning every day was essential, as was using detangler, hair gel, body wash, face wash, shave gel (better not have any hair!), body lotion, face lotion, deodorant, acne cream, concealer, foundation, lip gloss, eyeshadow. This was all part of being a normal, healthy, CLEAN teen girl. It really grosses me out now to think how easily I bought into that image, and how much unnecessary crap I bought and smeared on myself to make myself feel "normal."
I shower every other day (more if I'm stressed, as that's my coping mechanism) in hot water, but I only use soap on my armpits, torso, limbs and feet. I NEVER soap private parts...anything except water there can easily mess up the pH balance of that area and lead to yeast infections. Hot water and a loofah are usually enough to get the dirt, sweat, and oil off me, without stripping me totally dry.
Very occasionally (if I'm going to a party or wearing something that makes me sweat a little more) I'll use unscented deodorant.
After a bathroom visit or while handling raw meat, eggs, etc. I make sure to clean my hands, but usually after food I just rely on an extended rinse in hot water and hope I'm good. I've never gotten a food-related illness, and I really don't get sick more than the yearly cold...and that's usually because I'm stressed, not sleeping well or eating well enough, not because I didn't shower one day.
As far as smells, I don't really like it if I get to a 3rd day with no shower (my hair is the most distinct smell), but I don't feel the need to replace that smell with a sickly cucumber-melon concoction, just get back to neutral. I think maybe once or twice my bf has gotten BO to the point where I don't like his smell, but for the most part, I kind of like it when he smells a little sweaty--and he sweats way more than I do! If we've eaten a lot of fatty meats, I feel more oily and I take care to rinse a little more thoroughly.
I don't know. The more I learn about hygiene, the more I discover the body has incredibly efficient ways of cleaning itself that have evolved and been perfected over a jillion years. We can help the process along with a little detergent and water, but in my experience today's American standard of showering and shampooing daily, and setting out to annihilate all microorganisms, just interferes with the body's process more often than not.
avraea
March 13th, 2009, 10:25 AM
I don't wash my hair daily but I shower daily. It's not because of appearances or cleanliness or smells or whatever. It's simply because I have a hard time falling asleep or sleeping well if I get into bed without that shower fresh feeling. This also means that I must shower right before bedtime. I don't use soap anywhere on my body though (except in my hair and when I wash my hands). I've been WO for almost 2 years, and it's been the most effective way of cleansing myself ever. I used to get itchy all the time and have dry flaky patches or strange bumps or even rashes from using commercial shower cleansers and even gentle and natural soaps. I always washed my pits and private areas frequently because I can't tolerate any type of smell on myself. And at that time, even if I washed them twice a day, I could still detect a smell.
Ever since going WO, my skin has healed nicely and my pits and private parts don't smell anymore, especially since I still wash daily, just WO instead of with soaps or harsh cleansers. I used to spray a bit of diluted vinegar or coconut oil under my pits as deoderant, but I've found that I don't need that anymore either.
I NEVER soap private parts...anything except water there can easily mess up the pH balance of that area and lead to yeast infections.
You know, I've never made that connection, but I used to get yeast infections from time to time and I haven't had one at all since starting WO. I have heard before about it not being a good idea to mess with the PH of that area though.
manderly
March 13th, 2009, 12:55 PM
Oh, I wanted to add that there are times when my girlie bits get itchy and my underams get stinky but I still don't feel that I need a shower. Those are the times that I bust out a washcloth, douse it with vinegar, dilute it under the hot water tap and "go to work" on the yucky bits. I've also done this with a sink of BS and hot water (quite heavenly for a sponge bath type thing.......feels great, leaves the skin feeling kind of slippery).
I used to wear jeans and a polo shirt to work.....I wore the same jeans 5 days in a row and would wash them on the weekend. I wore a fresh polo shirt every day.
The only thing I can't tolerate is bad BO. Sure, there's the BO of someone who just worked really hard that day, and then there's the BO of the person who never wears deodorant and hasn't bathed in a while. To the people who think they don't have BO, I want to politely chime in and let them know that, yes, you do stink. People are too polite to really say anything, but I'm sure that people are holding their breathe when they come within smelling distance of you.
GlennaGirl
March 13th, 2009, 01:56 PM
You mean even children are taught to bathe daily, like before puberty?
My family did. It was part of our bedtime ritual: bath, book, bed. :)
Periwinkle
March 13th, 2009, 02:10 PM
I do shower every day, for a variety of reasons. Firstly, I don't want to have lots of products building up on my skin (I don't use much, but I do use body spray and deodorant). Secondly, I really enjoy showering. Thirdly, I *hate* going a day without shaving my underarms. And fourthly, I do like to feel clean. I don't think it's dirty to go without showering for a day, but I just don't like to.
florenonite
March 13th, 2009, 02:20 PM
My family did. It was part of our bedtime ritual: bath, book, bed. :)
Weird, I've never known anyone to do that before! We did the book and bed bit, but not the bath part :p
misspriss
March 13th, 2009, 04:37 PM
No, I don't do it and no, I don't pong. I use something called deodorant ;) As long as you're not stinky when you put it on it works, and just re-apply it each morning. And really... the rest of me is not going to get THAT dirty in the space of a day. I mean, as long as you actually wipe properly you'll have no issues down there, and deodorant will keep your armpits fine.
You can go days at a time without bathing and not be stinky. :shrug:
Same for me. Fresh deoderant, and the bits don't get smelly for a while as long as you clean up properly.
If you find your armpits smell between showers, you can put rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and wipe the pits, and it will kill the bacteria causing the smell. You can then put deoderant on and not smell. Like a spot clean :) I read somewhere about people just doing the alcohol wipe every now and then and not using deoderant at all, just removing the bacteria every now and then. I think it was online somewhere...it's where I got the idea anyway.
marla
March 13th, 2009, 04:52 PM
I use the natural crystal deodarant you find at Whole Foods. I've had the one I'm using for years, they really last forever.
rhubarbarin
March 13th, 2009, 05:07 PM
I haven't read the whole thread, so forgive me if this has been discussed - but for the people who don't shower/bath daily, do you wash your face, armpits, genitals and feet in the washbasin every day? My way of thinking is that if you're going to do that, it's as easy to hop into the shower and wash.
Or do you not do that washing every day, in which case, don't you find you pong a bit???
Am genuinely intrigued....
Some people just really stink. Strong body odor is caused by certain kinds of bacteria - it all depends what kind grows on you. This bacteria can stick to your clothes and 'activate' when you put them on and sweat a bit. I've known a couple people with strong BO and one of them would start to smell literally 10 minutes out of the shower.
I don't have any kind of body odor, usually, even when I do not wear deodorant or wash much. I usually shower daily or every other day now (and wear deod because I like to smell like EOs rather than like myself), but at different times in my life have showered a lot less. For a few years I only showered once a week. I did apply a little deodorant every morning, and that's all my pits smelled of.
My dad has a skin condition and he never showers more than once a week. In the winter, once every two weeks. He does not and never has had BO - he smells like a human, but it's not a strong or unpleasant odor, and you cant smell him unless you lean in and sniff. He usually applies a mild deodorant to his underarms and sometimes will spot-clean his feet or crotch if he feels he needs to.
Darkhorse1
March 13th, 2009, 05:59 PM
Yep, some people's body odor is rank. My brother is one of them. I swear his clothing could walk away on it's own after a few days. (when we were in the same house). Of course, now that he works and he's married, I think he showers daily.
I think it also depends on a person's metabolism, and what they eat. If you eat a lot of foods that extract odor through your skin, like curry and onion and garlic, it may make for a less plesant odor.
Forever_Sophie
March 13th, 2009, 06:31 PM
Nope, I don't think it's flawed at all. Being clean is a good thing.
AMEN to that!! :)
Alun
March 14th, 2009, 01:38 AM
I'm afraid to ask but what is pong? There are so many words I've never heard of.
Just any smell that would be bad enough to make you want to hold your nose!
Alun
March 14th, 2009, 01:59 AM
I haven't read the whole thread, so forgive me if this has been discussed - but for the people who don't shower/bath daily, do you wash your face, armpits, genitals and feet in the washbasin every day? My way of thinking is that if you're going to do that, it's as easy to hop into the shower and wash.
Or do you not do that washing every day, in which case, don't you find you pong a bit???
Am genuinely intrigued....
Armpits every day, plus deodorant, and teeth every day, of course. All other bits as necessary, not every day.
Probably feet every day in summer, or once the weather heats up, but not in winter. We don't keep the house at 80 degrees, LOL! If we did, I guess my feet would get just as smelly in cold weather.
My face only gets cleanser on it, never soap, but maybe that's another topic. It doesn't get washed in between showers unless it gets dirty or I have pimples, which I very seldom do.
Comfrey
March 14th, 2009, 03:39 AM
Weird, I've never known anyone to do that before! We did the book and bed bit, but not the bath part :p
My kids were bathed every night before bed and my friends did the same with their kids. Mine are now 30, 27 and nearly 20 and as far as I'm aware none of them would leave home without a shower or a bath.
Neither would I. ;)
spf4214
March 14th, 2009, 03:39 AM
My family did. It was part of our bedtime ritual: bath, book, bed. :)
We had exactly the same ritual. It's a family thing of mine (I'm Italian, so we have some weird customs) to shower before bed so you are not 'dirtying' the sheets. Maybe because my ancestors worked on a farm and it was necessary to wash of the dirt before bed? I don't know, but thats just the way they are.
LisaS.
March 14th, 2009, 04:33 AM
I shower daily but wash my hair weekly. I feel very clean; my hair doesn't get "dirty," anway I don't equate natural oils with being dirty and my scalp is very oily. Those natural oils have improved my hair so much. I used to wash daily, then went to every other day. Still, my hair felt dry and I had a lot of breakage. With weekly washes, these problems are gone! People ask me all the time what I use to make my hair so shiny. With today's standards of cleanliness, I don't dare tell that I wash once a week and also oil my hair. I just smile and thank them for the compliment.
ravenreed
March 14th, 2009, 09:21 AM
I didn't put the whole quote in because it is very long, but I agree WHOLEHEARTEDLY. The list of things that people used to get and still do in places where there is bad hygiene is really scary. I don't always shower every day, but at least every other day. I wash hands frequently.
If I know someone is not washing up every time they use the restroom, I guarantee I am not going to be hugging them or sharing pens. I don't even like to shake hands for that reason. The flora and fauna of your nether bits may be perfectly normal for you, it doesn't mean I want to rub my eyes with it after I shake your hands...
Also, I hate to say it, but I smell people a lot more often than they think. I am just too polite to say something like, "That crystal deodorant stick you are touting to everyone works at best 3 days out of 5." Or another friend, "I just use a little rosemary essential oil under my arms..." Yes, we ALL know. Especially on a hot day. *sigh*
I have some pretty strong issues regarding this matter, as I have seen threads of this like, and seen some real misinformation spread about the ills of washing daily. Its that type of misinformation that drives me nuts, frankly. ...
tsenglish@ns.sy
March 14th, 2009, 10:24 AM
oh and my bf is crazy about anti-bacterial soap. he will argue with me about it til the cows come home - LOL
i think it is over-kill (unless you work in a hospital) because i don't believe in killing off all the bacteria on your skin and perhaps having the 'bad' bacteria come back first because there is no 'good' bacteria there to protect your skin...
but he believes that all bacteria is BAD and that 'they' make anti-bacterial soaps because we NEED them and so he wants to use them all over his body - every time he washes.
needless to say i don't use any soap for bathing - but i do use olive oil castile for dishes - and of course he always tells me i need to incorporate bleach into my dish washing routine ;)
I only use soap on the smelly parts of my body and I've been doing this for YEARS, and while I shampoo once or twice a week now I have gone over a year "water only" on my hair.
Many people would think this is gross. To me just being under hot water makes my skin dry enough, although I do like to just stand there and enjoy the water.
I'm a walking nightmare as far as happymommy is concerned.
I'm not a believer in frequent handwashing and I'm about the furthest thing from germaphobe. I've been sick with a cold ONCE this year after babysitting a sick toddler that tried to rub boogers on everything and everyone, and I was only seriously sick for ONE day so no biggie. I also eat food that's been left out overnight and I've never been sick from that. We eat dog hair (it comes off my shirt when I cook I think) and I share drinks with my dog. By a "medical standpoint" I should be way past dead by now.
Frequent, thorough handwashing is essential. And one not need use antibacterial anything, unless you have some highly contagious condition. Antibacterial soaps were created for use in medical settings where ther are ESSENTIAL. They are not needed in our day to day lives.
Well, for me they are, as I work in a hospital, and let me tell you I see some dirty people. and not all bacteria is good, guys! Some is, and is essential to our health and infection resistance, but some is bad. Deadly bad. And by infrequent handwashing, you increase the ammount of bad bacteria, and you pass it on to others. If I am registering a patient who has dirt under their fingernails, and they haven't been gardening or working on a vechicle, I will not touch their health card. No way. The fingernails are a hotbed of dangerous bacteria. Think about it this way, if you are an "infrequent handwasher", and you go to the bathroom without washing your hands WITH SOAP afterwards, and you reach into your wallet and hand me your health card, the bacteria from your anus is now on me. Thanks for that. Or you see the man or woman cough into their hand or pick their nose & then pick up a bunch of bananas at the grocery store... someone is taking those booger-bananas home with them.
As far as BO goes, if other people can smell you, and you smell bad, it's time to wash, no matter what you might think. Ther is also such a thing as being too lax in the personal hygeine dept. Bad smells come from an overabundance of bacteria. And for those who say daily bodily cleansing is a relatively new thing, it is common because in the old days when people didn't bathe frequently, they stunk! They also had bugs & skin conditions due to not being able to cleanse off the bad bacteria. You can be clean & still keep your healthy good bacteria. Use lukewarm water, soap ALWAYS on hands, genital areas & armpits (armpit odor is bacteria, and needs soap). Moisturize afterwards to trap in the moisture and you should be ok. A daily shower is not over-cleansing, and the only reason people didn't do it years ago was because they really couldn't due to not having indoor plumbing, electricity, etc. If they had the conveniences we do today, they would have washed more often too.
And as far as eating food not stored at, or cooked to safe temperatures, well that's just Russian roulette, and not at all wise.
tsenglish@ns.sy
March 14th, 2009, 10:40 AM
I have some pretty strong issues regarding this matter, as I have seen threads of this like, and seen some real misinformation spread about the ills of washing daily. Its that type of misinformation that drives me nuts, frankly.
The idea that washing up, or cleaning house makes us sicker and less resistant to disease is, well, hogwash. Someone even posted that we are sicker today than anytime in history on another thread.... which is completely not true. I have never seen any proof of this, and one needs only to check out a history book on the health of prior ages to see its not true. Cancer and heart disease aren't communicable diseases, and washing or not won't stop those from happening. What people are afflicted with today has little to do with hygene. (such as washing your vajayjay won't stop aids, or V.D.).
If there is blame to be placed on any one thing for our inability to overcome bacterial illness, blame the over use of antibiotics that are not nessesary, not washing up.
The overuse of antibacterial products causing us to be less able to resist infection is only partially true. It depends on what bacteria you are killing. The plague for example it wouldn't make a difference, immunity only comes from having the disease. Most people are aware that staph can be gotten, and re-gotten over and over and over again, even well before antibacterial products.
That said, no one needs antibacterial hand sanitizer, unless, they are currently devoid of soap and water. (such as handling something ookie while you are out and can't wash your hands). No one actually needs antibacterial soaps, and detergents, soap and water pretty much does the job.
Onto personal hygene, on the whole, and for the hair. It doesn't matter what you smell like, most elementary school children now a days can tell you, you cant SEE germs. You often can't smell them either. I wash daily, and it has nothing to do with what I smell like, or look like (thats only an outcome of the process).
As far as hair is concerned, even in a bun, chances are you are touching it. Unless your hands are constantly sterile, there is dirt/bacterial/viral/microbial transfer. If you keep your combs and brushes and hair "toys" in the bathroom?..... I hate to inform you, those items are covered in fecal coliforms. This has been tested and re-tested, even your toothbrush in there is covered in it. As a matter of fact, even if its not in the bathroom, tests have been done, apparently as people our stuff is covered in poo, even in the living room. (there have been many scientific tests done on this, but a user friendly one was done by mythbusters proving this to be true).
It is also true, that hair can harbor mold spores. You can't see or smell these either, at least not right away.
We are exposed to, and touch things every single day of our lives. Then touch our bodies, or our hair. It isn't about smell, and its not really about looks, its about hygene.
How often you wash away these contaminants is up to you, as well as how you do it. However, it doesn't surprise me one bit that those who go extremely long stretches without washing might be looked askance at. I disagree that we are "programmed" to wash ourselves and our enviornment, but that we are taught. There is a big difference, and the commercial world, sorry to say, I've never seen commercials for shampoo and conditioner, or even soap, that tell you how often to bathe and wash your hair. I would love one example of a commercial or ad saying outright "you must wash your hair every single day". No, they just tout their super cleaning product. (this excludes products that are say, "daily clarifying shampoos" that are specifically marketed to be used every day, and these products are few and far between).
So, do you -need- to wash your hair every day? Ultimately no, it is personal choice, of course, but daily washers are hardly brainwashed into doing so. Those that choose not to wash daily, which is perfectly fine, should know the truths about whats harboring in there. As Pierre uses, EO's with antibacterial properties, well thats not only a good idea, it does the job without washing. However, hair that is simply oiled, may harbor things you aren't aware of, and although you may be resistant to your own collection of harbored whatnot, someone else might not be.
One last thing of note here. I have often noticed in my 40 years, most people can't actually smell themselves. I actually wont' notice I have a Pong until my husband says something.....
Cleanliness is not just about yourself, but also your neighbor. Just like many really detest second hand smoke, some people really detest second hand mustiness.
Great post!:)
florenonite
March 14th, 2009, 10:46 AM
Frequent, thorough handwashing is essential. And one not need use antibacterial anything, unless you have some highly contagious condition. Antibacterial soaps were created for use in medical settings where ther are ESSENTIAL. They are not needed in our day to day lives.
Well, for me they are, as I work in a hospital, and let me tell you I see some dirty people. and not all bacteria is good, guys! Some is, and is essential to our health and infection resistance, but some is bad. Deadly bad. And by infrequent handwashing, you increase the ammount of bad bacteria, and you pass it on to others. If I am registering a patient who has dirt under their fingernails, and they haven't been gardening or working on a vechicle, I will not touch their health card. No way. The fingernails are a hotbed of dangerous bacteria. Think about it this way, if you are an "infrequent handwasher", and you go to the bathroom without washing your hands WITH SOAP afterwards, and you reach into your wallet and hand me your health card, the bacteria from your anus is now on me. Thanks for that. Or you see the man or oman couch into their hand or pick their nose & then pick up a bunch of bananas at the grocery store... someone is taking those booger-bananas home with them.
As far as BO goes, if other people can smell you, and you smell bad, it's time to wash, no matter what you might think. Ther is also such a thing as being too lax in the personal hygeine dept. Bad smells come from an overabundance of bacteria. And for those who say daily bodily cleansing is a relatively new thing, it is common because in the old days when people didn't bathe frequently, they stunk! They also had bugs & skin conditions due to not being able to cleanse off the bad bacteria. You can be clean & still keep your healthy good bacteria. Use lukewarm water, soap ALWAYS on hands, genital areas & armpits (armpit odor is bacteria, and needs soap). Moisturize afterwards to trap in the moisture and you should be ok. A daily shower is not over-cleansing, and the only reason people didn't do it years ago was because they really couldn't due to not having indoor plumbing, electricity, etc. If they had the conveniences we do today, they would have washed more often too.
And as far as eating food not stored at, or cooked to safe temperatures, well that's just Russian roulette, and not at all wise.
You can be an "infrequent handwasher" and still wash your hands after going to the loo :rolleyes: I consider myself to wash my hands infrequently because I wash them with soap after going to the loo and before preparing food for the consumption of others. And there's no dirt under my fingernails.
Soap is actually really bad to use on a woman's genitals (I don't know about men) because the vagina is naturally acidic, and is this way for protection. Soap is basic. Work it out for yourself.
I would also argue that daily showers are probably overcleansing for some people, at least, given that if I shower daily (and I don't even have hot showers) my skin gets ridiculously dry, even when I use the moisturiser that I have that is especially for conditions like eczema.
As far as the right temperatures for storing food are concerned, eggs and cheese, contrary to popular belief, don't need refrigerated. I don't know to what the poster you quoted was referring, but I've eaten cheese that had been outside in a hot summer for over a week when camping (it sweats but is perfectly safe), and eggs in Britain are stored on the shelf in the shop, not in a fridge area.
Hypnotica
March 14th, 2009, 10:52 AM
Put soap on the gentials if you are a woman? I have heard otherwise from my gyn.
Forever_Sophie
March 14th, 2009, 10:55 AM
Frequent, thorough handwashing is essential. And one not need use antibacterial anything, unless you have some highly contagious condition. Antibacterial soaps were created for use in medical settings where ther are ESSENTIAL. They are not needed in our day to day lives.
Well, for me they are, as I work in a hospital, and let me tell you I see some dirty people. and not all bacteria is good, guys! Some is, and is essential to our health and infection resistance, but some is bad. Deadly bad. And by infrequent handwashing, you increase the ammount of bad bacteria, and you pass it on to others. If I am registering a patient who has dirt under their fingernails, and they haven't been gardening or working on a vechicle, I will not touch their health card. No way. The fingernails are a hotbed of dangerous bacteria. Think about it this way, if you are an "infrequent handwasher", and you go to the bathroom without washing your hands WITH SOAP afterwards, and you reach into your wallet and hand me your health card, the bacteria from your anus is now on me. Thanks for that. Or you see the man or oman couch into their hand or pick their nose & then pick up a bunch of bananas at the grocery store... someone is taking those booger-bananas home with them.
As far as BO goes, if other people can smell you, and you smell bad, it's time to wash, no matter what you might think. Ther is also such a thing as being too lax in the personal hygeine dept. Bad smells come from an overabundance of bacteria. And for those who say daily bodily cleansing is a relatively new thing, it is common because in the old days when people didn't bathe frequently, they stunk! They also had bugs & skin conditions due to not being able to cleanse off the bad bacteria. You can be clean & still keep your healthy good bacteria. Use lukewarm water, soap ALWAYS on hands, genital areas & armpits (armpit odor is bacteria, and needs soap). Moisturize afterwards to trap in the moisture and you should be ok. A daily shower is not over-cleansing, and the only reason people didn't do it years ago was because they really couldn't due to not having indoor plumbing, electricity, etc. If they had the conveniences we do today, they would have washed more often too.
And as far as eating food not stored at, or cooked to safe temperatures, well that's just Russian roulette, and not at all wise.
I love your posts on this topic, couldn't agree more :)
Oh, and to the one(s) shocked by kids bathing nightly, count me in as one programmed to "bathe, book, bed." My friends had the same routine (bath + bed, at least lol) (pretty sure they still do/shower daily, that is) and even in the daycares where I work, kids seem to do the same.
ravenreed
March 14th, 2009, 10:58 AM
One last point... You may be perfectly healthy with your bacteria load. That doesn't mean you aren't infecting others. Look at Typhoid Mary. She was healthy and killed at least three people. She never meant to, and helped care for some of the very people she made ill, thereby making others sick. It's an extreme case, but there you go.
http://http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/typhoid/letter.html
florenonite
March 14th, 2009, 10:58 AM
I love your posts on this topic, couldn't agree more :)
Oh, and to the one(s) shocked by kids bathing nightly, count me in as one programmed to "bathe, book, bed." My friends had the same routine (bath + bed, at least lol) (pretty sure they still do/shower daily, that is) and even in the daycares where I work, kids seem to do the same.
I wouldn't say I'm shocked by it, it just surprises me because my friends and I never did it, so I kind of assumed most children were like us.
tsenglish@ns.sy
March 14th, 2009, 11:19 AM
The whole no frequent bathing for eczema is not true for all. My eldest daughter has mild to moderate "seasonal" eczema, and her derm prescribed daily bathing in lukewarm/ tepid water, then coating well with an unscented moisturizer like Eucerin as a preventative. Her eczema cleared and hasn't been a problem since. Holding off on bathing was not helping her at all, but softening & hydrating, then trapping that moisture worked beautifully.
tsenglish@ns.sy
March 14th, 2009, 11:21 AM
I also should have clarified, no soap INSIDE the labia, or vagina itself, but around the anal area is perfectly fine. "Gentials" was used loosely, I apologize for that.
tsenglish@ns.sy
March 14th, 2009, 11:34 AM
You can be an "infrequent handwasher" and still wash your hands after going to the loo :rolleyes: I consider myself to wash my hands infrequently because I wash them with soap after going to the loo and before preparing food for the consumption of others. And there's no dirt under my fingernails.
Soap is actually really bad to use on a woman's genitals (I don't know about men) because the vagina is naturally acidic, and is this way for protection. Soap is basic. Work it out for yourself.
I would also argue that daily showers are probably overcleansing for some people, at least, given that if I shower daily (and I don't even have hot showers) my skin gets ridiculously dry, even when I use the moisturiser that I have that is especially for conditions like eczema.
As far as the right temperatures for storing food are concerned, eggs and cheese, contrary to popular belief, don't need refrigerated. I don't know to what the poster you quoted was referring, but I've eaten cheese that had been outside in a hot summer for over a week when camping (it sweats but is perfectly safe), and eggs in Britain are stored on the shelf in the shop, not in a fridge area.
I'm not trying to pick at you, but frequent handwashing IS vital, and not just after the loo or before & after food preparation, although those are definately among the most important instances. After handling money, one of the dirtiest/germiest things you can handle, after touching many public surfaces, including shopping carts, doors, keyboards, payphones. Harmful bacteria live & breed on these surfaces, bad things such as staph, ecoli, MRSA. Frequent handwashing as a preventative is not "over the top", it is good common sense. I see a lot of people at the hospital where I work with things that are highly contagious, like MRSA, for example. It is actually quite common. It is a rule in the hospital that MRSA carriers sit in a special area after registration, so as not to infect others, also , a private alert is sent via their chart to the nurses & doctors who will be treating them. The clerks mut use a disinfectant wipe on the chair & counter where the patient was, all to prevent the spread of MRSA. "But I don't work in a hospital", you may say. But knowing what we know, now that preson will then leave the hospital & go about their day, shopping where you shop, touching carts, touching bananas, door handles... maybe they too are infrequent handwashers, or have a cut or open sore.
So you go about your day, in contact (potentially) with all of this, and it doesn't seem prudent to you to wash your hands throughout the day, and when you get home before touching your renmote, phone, kids, etc?
You don't need to be sterile, but come common sense regarding handwashing is prudent for everyone.
Darkhorse1
March 14th, 2009, 12:13 PM
What she said above me. After seeing my doctor, we discussed handwashing as a way to reduce your exposure to germies. I noticed that I became less sick when I became a hand washing guru. I use regular soap, or antibacterial--whatever is on sale, and it works! I even found some with aloe vera in it so my hands don't get so dry.
Remember, for an antibacterial soap to really work, you have to wash for a good 2 minutes. So, killing off good bacteria is a myth, unless you lather each time and wash at length.
As for private areas, I've been using soap my whole life and never noticed a problem.
As someone said here, your body has no odor. Sweat is odorless. It's the bacteria that grows on it that creates a foul odor. If you smell, your clothes should go into the wash and so should you ;) That doesn't mean a full lather from head to toe, but a gentle cleansing.
As for hair, if I can smell my hair, it needs a wash. :D That means barn smells. Downside of long hair, certain odors cling to it--I'm SO glad I don't live with my dad--he still smokes and when I come from visiting him, I can smell it in my hair, clothes...ewwwww.
Chrissy
March 14th, 2009, 12:20 PM
Oh, I wanted to add that there are times when my girlie bits get itchy and my underams get stinky but I still don't feel that I need a shower. Those are the times that I bust out a washcloth, douse it with vinegar, dilute it under the hot water tap and "go to work" on the yucky bits. I've also done this with a sink of BS and hot water (quite heavenly for a sponge bath type thing.......feels great, leaves the skin feeling kind of slippery).
I used to wear jeans and a polo shirt to work.....I wore the same jeans 5 days in a row and would wash them on the weekend. I wore a fresh polo shirt every day.
The only thing I can't tolerate is bad BO. Sure, there's the BO of someone who just worked really hard that day, and then there's the BO of the person who never wears deodorant and hasn't bathed in a while. To the people who think they don't have BO, I want to politely chime in and let them know that, yes, you do stink. People are too polite to really say anything, but I'm sure that people are holding their breathe when they come within smelling distance of you.
A sink of BS!!! Now that would be icky!!! I know ha ha very funny. What do you mean for real?
florenonite
March 14th, 2009, 12:21 PM
The whole no frequent bathing for eczema is not true for all. My eldest daughter has mild to moderate "seasonal" eczema, and her derm prescribed daily bathing in lukewarm/ tepid water, then coating well with an unscented moisturizer like Eucerin as a preventative. Her eczema cleared and hasn't been a problem since. Holding off on bathing was not helping her at all, but softening & hydrating, then trapping that moisture worked beautifully.
I think it depends on the person, because mine gets worse the more often I get it wet. I do believe there are different types of eczema, so it's possible that different treatment works for different people :shrug:
florenonite
March 14th, 2009, 12:33 PM
A sink of BS!!! Now that would be icky!!! I know ha ha very funny. What do you mean for real?
Baking soda?
Forever_Sophie
March 14th, 2009, 12:41 PM
To the people who think they don't have BO, I want to politely chime in and let them know that, yes, you do stink. People are too polite to really say anything, but I'm sure that people are holding their breathe when they come within smelling distance of you.
I'm reminded of a line in Legally Blonde, recently used by Miss Jay on ANTM. "No one's ever said I'm ____." "Maybe not to your face!!"
rhubarbarin
March 14th, 2009, 12:57 PM
I'm convinced that everyone in this thread who is taking an 'extreme' (in my view) approach to cleanliness (concern with germs, super-frequent hand washing, daily showering, zero human body odor, washing clothes after one wear) is an American. Anyone want to prove me wrong? I think we are pretty unique in the Western world in our hygienic habits and germ obsession.
Any American who has been to Europe (or known Europeans who now live in the states) will notice a big difference. Not to say that 'Europeans all have BO' or any such nonsense, just that most are far less concerned with super-frequent cleaning and deodorizing of the body.
I think it depends on the person, because mine gets worse the more often I get it wet. I do believe there are different types of eczema, so it's possible that different treatment works for different people :shrug:
All eczema is an immune reaction, so every case is different. Water irritates mine too, but surprisingly it benefits from the occasional exfoliation.
Forever_Sophie
March 14th, 2009, 01:08 PM
I'm convinced that everyone in this thread who is taking an 'extreme' (in my view) approach to cleanliness (concern with germs, super-frequent hand washing, daily showering, zero human body odor, washing clothes after one wear) is an American. Anyone want to prove me wrong?
Sure. My parents came from Trinidad to Canada with the same approach to cleanliness.
Speckla
March 14th, 2009, 01:13 PM
I think there's clean and then there's extreme clean. I only shampoo every 3-4 days, bath daily but don't scrub my whole body down with soap (I clean my girly bits with a wet wash clothe, no soap) every time. My body is clean and I'm hardly ever sick.
________
Cloudy trichomes (http://trichomes.org)
florenonite
March 14th, 2009, 01:19 PM
I'm convinced that everyone in this thread who is taking an 'extreme' (in my view) approach to cleanliness (concern with germs, super-frequent hand washing, daily showering, zero human body odor, washing clothes after one wear) is an American. Anyone want to prove me wrong? I think we are pretty unique in the Western world in our hygienic habits and germ obsession.
Any American who has been to Europe (or known Europeans who now live in the states) will notice a big difference. Not to say that 'Europeans all have BO' or any such nonsense, just that most are far less concerned with super-frequent cleaning and deodorizing of the body.
All eczema is an immune reaction, so every case is different. Water irritates mine too, but surprisingly it benefits from the occasional exfoliation.
It happens in Canada, too, but I can only think of one Scot I know who showers daily. And last year the girl in my corridor who took the forty-five minute, twice daily showers was, guess what, American. The Brits in my corridor, like me, took short, every-other-day-or-so showers. Of course, there are Canadians (whose parents aren't immigrants like mine) with an outlook towards hygiene like mine, and there is that one Scottish friend of mine who showers daily, and I'm sure there are others like him. A general trend I've noticed, though, is that Britons don't feel the same need to be sterile as Canadians.
I remember being shocked in grade 11 or 12 when a friend of mine told me she washes her trousers after every wash, because I didn't think anyone did that :p.
And, yay, glad I'm not the only person (or freak of nature? ;)) whose eczema doesn't like water :D
Feline
March 14th, 2009, 01:35 PM
I think a lot of it is common sense. Wash hands after the bathroom, after changing a diaper, after cleaning the cat box, after the doctor's office. Wash more often if you are sick, or if someone nearby is sick. Wash after any potentially super-germy situations, or use hand sanitizer (for instance, we use some if we have been riding the subway and holding onto the poles). And wash as soon as possible when you have arrived home if you have been out in public. You don't need to use antibacterial soap, a lot of them are really drying anyway, we use Dove soap bars bought in mass quantities at the warehouse club. We rarely get sick doing this.
I would also point out that many hospitals are really pushing hand washing and sanitizing as a means of curbing the spread of infections. DH and I have annual checks at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, and a few years ago, they installed LOTS of hand sanitizer dispensers all over the place, in waiting rooms, halls, exam rooms, everywhere, and everyone is encouraged to use them. We prefer soap to sanitizer, but we also take the hint ;) .
Darkhorse1
March 14th, 2009, 02:53 PM
Well, not to be rude, my aunt and uncle ran a business and frequently went to Europe, and there is a saying they said--now, even the germans said this, that you know you're in germany when the cows smell better.
Sorry, but I think that says something--even if the people who LIVE there says this. It's also not the first time I've heard that saying in reference to a european country.
I do NOT mean to be rude to Germans and Europeans though, and my aunt, whose background is German, is HIGHLY allergic to any perfume/excessive smells. she has very sensitive lungs to perfumes/asthsma, but also was trigger by pungent BO.
I don't think there is anything wrong with someone showering daily. If I didn't, my sheets and clothes would stand on their own ;) In my line of work, I HAVE to shower. I get dirty, sweaty and itchy. I'm not saying that everyone else should shower daily, but for health reasons, if you can smell yourself, safe to say so can others.
For those who don't shower daily, do you not brush your teeth daily? Just curious.
When I was a child, pre-hormones, I think we bathed every other day. My brother and I bathed together and LOVED bath time simply because we'd play for HOURS in the tub. Once I hit puberty though, that was the end of that ;) For my hair, I think I washed it twice a week. I started washing daily once in high school. And yes, I bathed at night. It was easier than dragging my butt out of bed in the morning ;) But, I had to wash my hair in the morning because my scalp was so greasy.
Darkhorse1
March 14th, 2009, 03:01 PM
Just to add, I think there is a mis-understanding to cleanliness. You can shower daily, wash your hair and not have to smell like perfume. There are many natural cleaners/none scented soaps out there that will clean your body without over scenting you. It's not to add the smell, but to remove the bacteria.
And for women--gents, sorry if this makes you icky--but, there are certain times of the month I would think you'd....um.....want to wash certain areas. No?
Juneii
March 14th, 2009, 03:08 PM
I guess I'm just a clean freak then, I must shower every day and wash my hair everyday. I like feeling fresh and clean, my skin gets pretty oily and uncomfortable if I don't. Maybe it's just in my head but when my skin starts to feel oily I automatically start feeling tired and my productivity goes down.
I know people don't shower or clean themselves as often back then but we aren't living in the past anymore and we don't know what they smelled like at that time either and since we have products that can eliminate that smell then I say use them. I don't like to smell other people from far away, it's a bit gross to me because most of the time it is not pleasant.
ClareDee
March 14th, 2009, 03:12 PM
Well, not to be rude, my aunt and uncle ran a business and frequently went to Europe, and there is a saying they said--now, even the germans said this, that you know you're in germany when the cows smell better.
Wow. I'd love to hear from any German members here who might be able to confirm whether this is how Germans really talk about themselves. :confused: In my opinion it's just a plain old nasty comment.
I don't shower daily. I find it hard to believe that anyone really has BO after not showering for one day... unless you work at a very physical job, or have spent the day shovelling manure, I can't imagine why you'd smell bad.
Yes I brush my teeth twice a day. Different issue entirely, since it's about maintaining health, not about personal preference for feeling/smelling particularly fresh all the time.
By the way, Florenonite, I only bathed once a week when I was small - and the bathwater was shared with my brother. I never heard of any child bathing every single day back then.
Darkhorse1
March 14th, 2009, 05:40 PM
It's quite possible the person who said that were friends of my aunts and uncles, but I do remember them telling me this. I've heard that term by quite a few people I know who have travelled in certain parts of Europe. Germany was one, I can't remember the other places.
I didn't mean to offend anyone, but figured since we were on the topic, that perhaps there is a mis-understanding between not showering and not needing to shower. I mean, if you don't feel icky, don't feel dirty and don't smell, I can't see why you'd need to shower.
I'm just not one of those people ;) Sometimes, when it's very hot, I take 2 showers a day. In my line of work, I have to. :D
spf4214
March 14th, 2009, 08:38 PM
I'm Australian and pretty much everyone showers daily, but sometimes skips the occassional shower. Australia can get really hot, and in summer at least, daily showering is simply necessary. From my Italian background, I can say that all the Italians I know are quite clean-aware, in their homes, and about their person, and they wouldn't dream of not washing daily.
marla
March 14th, 2009, 09:47 PM
I think in a lot of ways we are talking apples and oranges. OF COURSE you should wash your hands after going to the bathroom, and in a public restroom you should use a paper towel to open the outside door because we all know that some people don't!
But that is really a different topic from how often you wash your hair or wash your body. If your hair and body don't need daily cleansing why is this such a sticking point for people? There is a big difference between allowing e coli bacteria on your hands and letting your body and hair retain its moisture by refraining from unnecessary cleansing.
On another note, every day at 4:45 pm there is a woman who comes into the company kitchen and washes her coffee cup with the communal sponge that has been sitting on the sink for 6 months. Who knows where that has been? GROSS, GROSS, GROSS!
hanabi
March 14th, 2009, 10:49 PM
I'm kinda curious about everyone who's very fanatic about showering daily, do you also shower before bed or do you shower in the morning? And if you shower in the morning, how often do you wash your bed sheets? Because it seems to me that obsessively showering every day is sort of ironic if you're going to take all the germs and dirt that's collected on you all day and take that right into bed with you, where you cover yourself in warm sheets and blankets anywhere from 6 to 10 hours or more every single day and let those germs and dirt collect. Now if you also wash your sheets every single day, then that'd be a different story.
misspriss
March 14th, 2009, 11:12 PM
You can be an "infrequent handwasher" and still wash your hands after going to the loo :rolleyes: I consider myself to wash my hands infrequently because I wash them with soap after going to the loo and before preparing food for the consumption of others. And there's no dirt under my fingernails.
Agreed. I wash my hands after using the loo! And I don't prepare food for others...so I never think of that. But I wash my hands before getting into say, the ice bucket, or bags of chips at my families, because I odn't want to get my germs on their food. But as far as food for myself, as I said before I constantly eat without washing my hands first, and I never get sick. I handle money and buggie handles too. Is it not true that most germs do not live long on cold, dry surfaces?
I can understand being cleaner in hospitals, hospitals are where sick people congregate. But in the general public, in my experience, risk is lower.
manderly
March 15th, 2009, 03:23 AM
A sink of BS!!! Now that would be icky!!! I know ha ha very funny. What do you mean for real?
LOL, I meant baking soda :D :lol:
Chrissy
March 15th, 2009, 05:56 AM
Thanks! I just couldn't resist.
Hypnotica
March 15th, 2009, 06:15 AM
It seems that the concept of being clean has warped into that the natural smell of the human body is bad and that you are not clean if you don't smell like a flower or a fruit. And that you need to use a boatload of products to clean yourself.
3azza
March 15th, 2009, 06:49 AM
where i come from (warm temperate area with four seasons), the need to shower varies with season from weekly showers in winter to daily showers in summer. however, cleanliness is not regarded as daily showers, but rather cleaning the areas that get most dirty, like hands, face, armpits or feet. Washing private areas after toilet visits is a necessity, and all toilets are equiped with mini douche for that purpose.
Darkhorse1
March 15th, 2009, 06:59 AM
I don't think anyone is saying you need to smell like a flower. But, to smell like...something else, to me, is yes, one's choice, but if you are around others, isn't that unfair to them? Is it no different than overloading perfume? An overwhelming smell, whether pleasant or 'natural', doesn't mean others want to smell it. Horse manure is natural, and I don't want to be smelling like that after working, even though I don't muck out. The natural scent of the barn gets into my hair/clothing etc. I'd rather wash that off.
I tend to shower after I work, so sometimes that's late evening or sometimes that earlier in the morning. I always like to feel clean before bed. In the summer, I tend to take 2 showers a day because I can't handle going to be feeling gritty.
As for going to bed 'dirty', that's what clothes are for ;) The take the brunt of the dirt, so when you hit the hay, and wear a night gown, you do have some barriers. Also, I don't think people are rolling around on a dirty floor for their work days, and if they do, they probably shower before bed ;)
There seems to be a mis-conception on both ends of being 'clean'. Showering daily doesn't mean you need to smell like a flower. Showering daily means you want to get dirt, oils and other ickies off your body.
rockkcor
March 15th, 2009, 07:26 AM
This might be a frightening experience – but not a bad thing to conceder!
When I was in the army in some special units – we had no chance to change – there was no access to the clean clothes and the occasions to shower were so rare – like once in 2 weeks.
When getting the shower you had to be dressed in the same dirty clothes – and that was miserable. All sorts of infections then appeared…
So – I tried not to wash at all – as washing and getting in dirtiest clothes you can imagine – was worse than being naturally dirty… It was hard for a first month (! Imagine – a month!!) – then body oils and dirt made certain type of defensive ‘film’ over the body – then there were no infections, nothing unpleasant! Our body has natural protection!
Now I use bathtub almost every day and so on… I remain as clean as someone obsessed by ‘being clean’…
But in fact 4 months without bath or shower – (!!!!) made me learn that it is not necessary!
But what can I do? I love to be clean and shampoo my hair :D
minkstole
March 15th, 2009, 07:39 AM
I love it when people bring up anecdotal "evidence" from a friends´ mothers´sister or whatever, to state that people in other parts of the world are swine. Love. It.
Wherever there is proper plumming and running water, most people will be showering/bathing every day. The occational day of not washing, will not be the end of the world.
tsenglish@ns.sy
March 15th, 2009, 07:42 AM
I'm kinda curious about everyone who's very fanatic about showering daily, do you also shower before bed or do you shower in the morning? And if you shower in the morning, how often do you wash your bed sheets? Because it seems to me that obsessively showering every day is sort of ironic if you're going to take all the germs and dirt that's collected on you all day and take that right into bed with you, where you cover yourself in warm sheets and blankets anywhere from 6 to 10 hours or more every single day and let those germs and dirt collect. Now if you also wash your sheets every single day, then that'd be a different story.
I shower every morning, and in the summer, usually a rinse at night too because I am pretty active and get sweaty, and it's hot & muggy here. I don't like to go to bed sticky & sweaty. I change our sheets twice a week, usually once on Wed & Sun. I love fresh line dried sheets :)
tsenglish@ns.sy
March 15th, 2009, 07:49 AM
I don't think anyone is saying you need to smell like a flower. But, to smell like...something else, to me, is yes, one's choice, but if you are around others, isn't that unfair to them? Is it no different than overloading perfume? An overwhelming smell, whether pleasant or 'natural', doesn't mean others want to smell it. Horse manure is natural, and I don't want to be smelling like that after working, even though I don't muck out. The natural scent of the barn gets into my hair/clothing etc. I'd rather wash that off.I tend to shower after I work, so sometimes that's late evening or sometimes that earlier in the morning. I always like to feel clean before bed. In the summer, I tend to take 2 showers a day because I can't handle going to be feeling gritty.
As for going to bed 'dirty', that's what clothes are for ;) The take the brunt of the dirt, so when you hit the hay, and wear a night gown, you do have some barriers. Also, I don't think people are rolling around on a dirty floor for their work days, and if they do, they probably shower before bed ;)
There seems to be a mis-conception on both ends of being 'clean'. Showering daily doesn't mean you need to smell like a flower. Showering daily means you want to get dirt, oils and other ickies off your body.
Amen to that! Just being in the barn watching my daughter's lesson makes me smell like I've been riding! I am an oddball and love the smell of a horse barn, but I don't want that smell to linger on me as I run my errands after riding, or smell like the barn going to bed. I remember having to stop for milk after an evening lesson, and I was in line at the store with the bottom 1/4 of jeans and my shoes covered in hay & dust, with dust on my jacket. The cashier gave me an odd look, I simply said "Eau de equine", smiled & left. :)
Pixna
March 15th, 2009, 07:53 AM
I believe our interpretation of "clean" has as much to do with brain-washing from the soap and cosmetic industries as it does with cultural brain-washing. If you come from a culture where you are not brain-washed in this way, it seems that you would be less likely to feel the need to bathe every day and only do so when you feel it is necessary.
In the winter, my skin is very dry, so I began showering every other day, every two days, and sometimes every three days. I've extended this to year-round, except when I am doing some activities that get me very dirty or sweaty. When I do shower, or even in-between showers, I clean only the spots that really need it (armpits, "privates," feet, etc.). The rest just gets a water rinse. In the U.S., few people have a bidet. I use moist wipes instead to keep the, ahem, nethers clean.
I do like clean hair, though. My hair just looks and feels better when it is clean, and my scalp doesn't flake then, either. So I wash my hair every time I shower (which could be every other day or every two to three days).
Of course, I do wash my face twice daily (in the morning and before bed), brush my teeth at least twice a day (I'm fanatical about dental health and cleanliness, so I floss regularly and use a tongue scraper), and use deodorant (but not antiperspirant).
When my MIL was in a nursing home, we discovered that they bathed the residents twice a week. Since they weren't really engaged in any physical activity to speak of, this seemed to be all they felt was necessary (and it was really all the facility could handle doing, which is probably the main reason why they did it). They washed the residents' hair either every bath time or every other one. That certainly seemed reasonable, and it doesn't seem unreasonable for the main population either. For me, I know my skin appreciates fewer showers, and as a side benefit, it helps to save water, too. :D
florenonite
March 15th, 2009, 08:41 AM
Well, not to be rude, my aunt and uncle ran a business and frequently went to Europe, and there is a saying they said--now, even the germans said this, that you know you're in germany when the cows smell better.
Sorry, but I think that says something--even if the people who LIVE there says this. It's also not the first time I've heard that saying in reference to a european country.
I do NOT mean to be rude to Germans and Europeans though, and my aunt, whose background is German, is HIGHLY allergic to any perfume/excessive smells. she has very sensitive lungs to perfumes/asthsma, but also was trigger by pungent BO.
I don't think there is anything wrong with someone showering daily. If I didn't, my sheets and clothes would stand on their own ;) In my line of work, I HAVE to shower. I get dirty, sweaty and itchy. I'm not saying that everyone else should shower daily, but for health reasons, if you can smell yourself, safe to say so can others.
For those who don't shower daily, do you not brush your teeth daily? Just curious.
When I was a child, pre-hormones, I think we bathed every other day. My brother and I bathed together and LOVED bath time simply because we'd play for HOURS in the tub. Once I hit puberty though, that was the end of that ;) For my hair, I think I washed it twice a week. I started washing daily once in high school. And yes, I bathed at night. It was easier than dragging my butt out of bed in the morning ;) But, I had to wash my hair in the morning because my scalp was so greasy.
I understand people with jobs that necessitate it like you showering daily, and I understand people who just prefer feeling clean showering daily out of personal preference. I just sometimes get the impression that I'm seen as "dirty" because I don't (not from you, just as a general thing).
I don't really see the correlation between teeth cleaning and showering, tbh. I brush my teeth after breakfast and usually before bed (though if I'm absolutely exhausted I'll give it a miss once in a while).
I guess I'm just a clean freak then, I must shower every day and wash my hair everyday. I like feeling fresh and clean, my skin gets pretty oily and uncomfortable if I don't. Maybe it's just in my head but when my skin starts to feel oily I automatically start feeling tired and my productivity goes down.
I know people don't shower or clean themselves as often back then but we aren't living in the past anymore and we don't know what they smelled like at that time either and since we have products that can eliminate that smell then I say use them. I don't like to smell other people from far away, it's a bit gross to me because most of the time it is not pleasant.
I feel the same way, actually. I don't know why it is, but when I start feeling gross I just feel really sluggish. Odd.
By the way, Florenonite, I only bathed once a week when I was small - and the bathwater was shared with my brother. I never heard of any child bathing every single day back then.
Yay, I'm not the only one :p
It seems that the concept of being clean has warped into that the natural smell of the human body is bad and that you are not clean if you don't smell like a flower or a fruit. And that you need to use a boatload of products to clean yourself.
Well said!
Something else occurred to me reading this thread. A lot of people shower every two to three days in the winter but daily in the summer, and it might seem revolting to them that I don't, so I ought to clarify that in the summer I tend to swim a lot, sometimes in a lake, sometimes in a pool, and I shower after the latter but not after the former. Indeed, if I've been doing a lot of lake-swimming I shower probably more infrequently than I do in the winter as the lake tends to clean the sweat off of me quite well, and I don't smel afterwards.
tsenglish@ns.sy
March 15th, 2009, 08:46 AM
To be fair, you can't lump the rest of the population in with elderly folk sitting around a senior's home. Many of us go to the gym daily, ride horses, work construction, or other dirty jobs. I work in a hospital, so for me it is of the utmost importance to clean off when I get home. With soap. Clothes/scrubs go straight into the laundry too, or if they are soiled with bodily fluids, they stay onsite to be sterilized. I agree, if you have a sedentary lifestyle, and you don't sweat or get dirty in your job or pleasure activities, then you could possibly get away with weekly bathing. Personally, I ride horses, work part time in a hospital, garden, swim, go to the gym, play outside with my children... there's just no way not bathing daily is an option for me. I also don't think that in bathing daily, I am a "clean fanatic". I don't douse myself in fragrance, athough I do enjoy a good perfume. In my line of work, we can't wear perfumes, so I indulge onmy own time. I don't ike to have dirt & sweat on me past the time of the activity that has gotten me dirty or sweaty, so I wash. That hardly makes me a media/society brainwashed clean freak. =)
ShaSha
March 15th, 2009, 08:50 AM
I'd be interested to know if any of the people that need to shower daily has tried to go without. Did you smell?
I agree, that there are people who do smell. And that is not a nice smell... But that does not mean that everyone will smell if they skip their daily shower. :)
I do (amongst other things) work with horses, dogs, gardening and so on. In hot weather I wash myself at least twice a day (using soap if it seems necessary). In cold weather that dirt has absolutely no chance to reach my skin except at face and hands so I wash less often.
I suspect that the "not daily" washing is something many pepole do, but because the standard thing is to shower with soap at least once a day people rarely admit doing nothing less :D
Pixna
March 15th, 2009, 09:02 AM
To be fair, you can't lump the rest of the population in with elderly folk sitting around a senior's home.
If you are referring to me, I think you are taking my words out of context and/or misinterpreting what I said. I did clearly state that if I am engaged in activities that are dirty or sweaty, I shower more frequently. If that is something you do daily, it would make sense that you would shower or bathe daily, too.
tsenglish@ns.sy
March 15th, 2009, 09:43 AM
If you are referring to me, I think you are taking my words out of context and/or misinterpreting what I said. I did clearly state that if I am engaged in activities that are dirty or sweaty, I shower more frequently. If that is something you do daily, it would make sense that you would shower or bathe daily, too.
They washed the residents' hair either every bath time or every other one. That certainly seemed reasonable, and it doesn't seem unreasonable for the main population either
Perhaps I did take your words out of context. I interpreted the bolded portion of your post as an assumption that the "main population" didn't need to bathe daily. My opinion is that the main population probably does engage in daily activities/jobs/hobbies that would make daily bathing necessary. It's not only being dirty or sweaty, or looking and smelling foul, if you work in an environment where you are exposed to a lot of germs & harmful bacteria, you want that off pronto. I am looking at it through the eyes of a busy mom & healthcare worker who has physical activities as hobbies, and I know there are many like me, along with people who just like being freshly cleaned to start or end their day. :)
florenonite
March 15th, 2009, 10:15 AM
Perhaps I did take your words out of context. I interpreted the bolded portion of your post as an assumption that the "main population" didn't need to bathe daily. My opinion is that the main population probably does engage in daily activities/jobs/hobbies that would make daily bathing necessary. It's not only being dirty or sweaty, or looking and smelling foul, if you work in an environment where you are exposed to a lot of germs & harmful bacteria, you want that off pronto. I am looking at it through the eyes of a busy mom & healthcare worker who has physical activities as hobbies, and I know there are many like me, along with people who just like being freshly cleaned to start or end their day. :)
However, the "main population" also includes people like me who spend plenty of time sitting at home writing essays. You are making the assumption that the "main population" have similar lifestyles to you, which is untrue and a rather narrow-minded viewpoint. Yes, I'll have a shower if I've just gone for a run, which I do occasionally, and I'll wash my hands if I'm visiting someone in hospital, but in general I do not engage in activities that necessitate frequent bathing. You might feel the need to bathe daily because of your lifestyle, and I'm not disputing that, but there are plenty of us with different lifestyles who feel differently to you.
Forever_Sophie
March 15th, 2009, 10:23 AM
However, the "main population" also includes people like me who spend plenty of time sitting at home writing essays. You are making the assumption that the "main population" have similar lifestyles to you, which is untrue and a rather narrow-minded viewpoint.
Yes, lol, I was feeling awfully lazy for a second! I shower daily b/c I want to, not because I'm covered in dirt or sweat *looks at neglected treadmill* :p
misspriss
March 15th, 2009, 10:56 AM
However, the "main population" also includes people like me who spend plenty of time sitting at home writing essays. You are making the assumption that the "main population" have similar lifestyles to you, which is untrue and a rather narrow-minded viewpoint. Yes, I'll have a shower if I've just gone for a run, which I do occasionally, and I'll wash my hands if I'm visiting someone in hospital, but in general I do not engage in activities that necessitate frequent bathing. You might feel the need to bathe daily because of your lifestyle, and I'm not disputing that, but there are plenty of us with different lifestyles who feel differently to you.
Very good point. I spend all my time sitting in a classroom at school, I don't get dirty doing this, by any means. The classrooms are freezing, so sweat is not an issue. I am sitting, inside, so dirt is not an issue. On the weekends, I work. I spend all my time on my feet, and I get sweaty. I then shower more frequently. I think for me, it is a "I was when I think I need it" kind of thing. I don't have a schedule, I don't do it because I think I "should" do it so often, I just bathe when my body tells me I need to. But, my lifestyle is not one that gets me dirty, so I can see how this works for me, and those who lead a differently lifestyle would
*need* to bathe more frequently. Every person is different.
gallows_gallery
March 15th, 2009, 11:08 AM
I try not to wash my hair more than once every three days. In between I keep it lightly oiled. Dark hair tends to look "cleaner" anyway, so it doesn't bother me.
I think washing hair all the time applies more to people with shorter hair who use a lot of product - if I had wax or putty or hair spray in my hair, I would definitely want to wash it out at the end of the day.
As for my body - I am extremely prone to staph infections. This means I have to wash daily (or even twice daily) with antispetic soap. I don't mind though, I like showering. I just tie my hair up and lower the shower so it doesn't get wet.
tsenglish@ns.sy
March 15th, 2009, 12:42 PM
However, the "main population" also includes people like me who spend plenty of time sitting at home writing essays. You are making the assumption that the "main population" have similar lifestyles to you, which is untrue and a rather narrow-minded viewpoint. Yes, I'll have a shower if I've just gone for a run, which I do occasionally, and I'll wash my hands if I'm visiting someone in hospital, but in general I do not engage in activities that necessitate frequent bathing. You might feel the need to bathe daily because of your lifestyle, and I'm not disputing that, but there are plenty of us with different lifestyles who feel differently to you.
Thanks for calling me narrow minded.
I did not infer or claim that the main population have similar lifestyles to me exactly, but I would indeed wager that a higher percentage of the main population are active daily... maybe have manual labour jobs where they get dirty & sweaty, go to the gym, are physically active on a daily basis, or just bathe regularly because they like to. I may be wrong though. No need to get defensive, Your bathing habits are not my concern, nor do I judge you by them. I just don't think it's really fair for anyone to say that a daily bather, for whatever reason, is "obsessive", or a clean "freak". The non-daily bather's would not appreciate being called dirtbags, or greaseballs. Assumptions go both ways. :)
Darkhorse1
March 15th, 2009, 12:52 PM
tsenglish--ah yes, au d'barn. A great scent. Hahahah. I tend to run errands after I've taught, but I live in a fairly horsey community, so it's not uncommon to have horsey peeps shopping. I used to keep a body spray in the car, but that doesn't wash in the cold winter or hot summer :D
I think people are mis understanding our points: I may not mind smelling horsey/or of the barn, but the person next to me in a store might. That would go to saying that I don't like people bathed in perfume, nor do I like the smell of rank body odor.
I've known many people who do not shower daily and they've never smelled. I think both 'sides' of this arguement feel that those who shower daily do so because we have a warped sense of what is clean. I don't think that is true at all. I think every one is different and we all have preferences. I prefer to shower daily and in my line of work, it makes sense.
The only time I go without a shower is if I am too ill, and yes, I smelled and felt totally gross. Just the thought of it makes me feel icky. ;)
Darkhorse1
March 15th, 2009, 01:14 PM
Just to add, people who don't bathe can be just as clean as someone who bathes daily but has poor hygiene. Such as, if you bath daily but wear the same clothes you have for three months, ew. Someone who doesn't bathe daily but changes to clean clothes daily would be in a better hygienic state. That being said, your environment is also important. You can shower as much as you like, but if your towels haven't been changed in three months or your sheets, seems kind of pointless.
Remember, lack of hygiene can lead to lice, scabies and other ickies, as well as skin problems of another kind. Not to mention dust mites, which love dead skin cells.
rosie91
March 15th, 2009, 01:24 PM
i wear m clothes over and over again because i sweat little during the day, but due to the amount you sweat during your sleep, i couldn't go a day without showering
florenonite
March 15th, 2009, 01:25 PM
Thanks for calling me narrow minded.
I did not infer or claim that the main population have similar lifestyles to me exactly, but I would indeed wager that a higher percentage of the main population are active daily... maybe have manual labour jobs where they get dirty & sweaty, go to the gym, are physically active on a daily basis, or just bathe regularly because they like to. I may be wrong though. No need to get defensive, Your bathing habits are not my concern, nor do I judge you by them. I just don't think it's really fair for anyone to say that a daily bather, for whatever reason, is "obsessive", or a clean "freak". The non-daily bather's would not appreciate being called dirtbags, or greaseballs. Assumptions go both ways. :)
You said:
My opinion is that the main population probably does engage in daily activities/jobs/hobbies that would make daily bathing necessary.
Not "the majority of the main population" or "a large proportion" but "the main population", which I do think is narrow-minded. Had you said initially what you said just now, that you think it's a higher percentage, I may have disagreed, but I wouldn't have thought it narrow-minded. You did imply in your initial post that it was the main population in general that engaged in activities that require bathing afterwards.
I never said that daily bathers were 'obsessive' or 'clean freaks'. I don't really understand why someone with a lifestyle similar to mine would feel the need to bathe daily or even more, but I respect that that's their decision, and if I worked in a hospital like you I, too, would probably shower daily.
And I did not mean that you assumed people had exactly the same lifestyle as you, merely that you assumed most people had either a similar level of activity or came into contact with a similar level of contagions or offensive smells, which was a failure of communication on my part, for which I apologise.
natural locks
March 15th, 2009, 01:58 PM
I think it is interesting to point out a clean feeling all over including inside like Pierre mentioned. I also try to stick to a healthy diet, but as far as washings go I have tried several different routines. I like to wash my hair a couple of times a week. I would like to try some more essential oils. I do love grapeseed and almond. I would like to give Rosemary a try to see how my hair and scalp like it.
manderly
March 15th, 2009, 02:25 PM
LOL, why are we fighting about bathing? :lol:
I shower at night and crawl into my bed clean. My BF showers in the morning and likes to start his day clean. Neither of us do this daily.
I put on fresh deodorant daily, and change my underwear. I re-wear my clothes several times before washing them depending on how dirty they are. I don't do much except for light housework and errands on a regular basis. If I'm working out (snort), I put on my workout clothes, which I wear once.
I don't view "clean" as smelling like a flower or fruit. I don't mind if people are less than squeaky clean on a regular basis, as long as I don't have to smell their underarm funk as they walk past. I'm sure there are far too many people in the world who go without deodorant and think they don't smell because they can't smell themselves and those they ask don't say otherwise. I CAN SMELL YOU. I don't WANT to smell you, please.
The only time I tell my BF he needs a shower is when I pass out when he raises his arm or walks on by. I like his natural non-funk smell. Honestly, smell is what indicated to me in the past that I was no longer attracted to someone....suddenly the guy I was dating smelled kind of nasty (just the natural scent). I could bury my face into my BF's neck and sniff his second-day dirty body for hours.
tsenglish@ns.sy
March 15th, 2009, 03:57 PM
You said:
Not "the majority of the main population" or "a large proportion" but "the main population", which I do think is narrow-minded. Had you said initially what you said just now, that you think it's a higher percentage, I may have disagreed, but I wouldn't have thought it narrow-minded. You did imply in your initial post that it was the main population in general that engaged in activities that require bathing afterwards.
I never said that daily bathers were 'obsessive' or 'clean freaks'. I don't really understand why someone with a lifestyle similar to mine would feel the need to bathe daily or even more, but I respect that that's their decision, and if I worked in a hospital like you I, too, would probably shower daily.
And I did not mean that you assumed people had exactly the same lifestyle as you, merely that you assumed most people had either a similar level of activity or came into contact with a similar level of contagions or offensive smells, which was a failure of communication on my part, for which I apologise.
Miscommunication/misunderstanding all over the place. No worries :)
smilinjenn71
March 15th, 2009, 04:06 PM
I used to shower every morning when my hair was short and had to be washed daily. Now that I can skip a day between washings (and have NO desire to go longer) I shower every other day. By day 2, I'm feeling kinda funky, regardless of how super sweet I might smell...hehe.
I'm also in health care and very close to patients, so I keep a certain hygienic regimen.
dearladydisdain
March 15th, 2009, 07:50 PM
I have some pretty strong issues regarding this matter, as I have seen threads of this like, and seen some real misinformation spread about the ills of washing daily. Its that type of misinformation that drives me nuts, frankly.
The idea that washing up, or cleaning house makes us sicker and less resistant to disease is, well, hogwash. Someone even posted that we are sicker today than anytime in history on another thread.... which is completely not true. I have never seen any proof of this, and one needs only to check out a history book on the health of prior ages to see its not true. Cancer and heart disease aren't communicable diseases, and washing or not won't stop those from happening. What people are afflicted with today has little to do with hygene. (such as washing your vajayjay won't stop aids, or V.D.).
If there is blame to be placed on any one thing for our inability to overcome bacterial illness, blame the over use of antibiotics that are not nessesary, not washing up.
I don't know about diseases, but allergies have gone up. Children that live in households that aren't 100% Lysol-ed and have pets are less likely to have allergies, it seems.
Again, of course we have made huge strides in the medical industries in regards to cleanliness, but the antibacterial craze has gone too far in everyday life.
Ignore me if I'm just bringing up old posts :p I'm really quite fascinated by this thread, for some reason.
marla
March 15th, 2009, 08:08 PM
I'm kinda curious about everyone who's very fanatic about showering daily, do you also shower before bed or do you shower in the morning? And if you shower in the morning, how often do you wash your bed sheets? Because it seems to me that obsessively showering every day is sort of ironic if you're going to take all the germs and dirt that's collected on you all day and take that right into bed with you, where you cover yourself in warm sheets and blankets anywhere from 6 to 10 hours or more every single day and let those germs and dirt collect. Now if you also wash your sheets every single day, then that'd be a different story.
Precisely why I think its more important to shower before bed then when getting up. My morning shower is mostly just to wake me up. Unless I've sweated a lot after the last shower :D, the morning shower is superfluous.
adiapalic
March 15th, 2009, 10:05 PM
I think that the concept of "clean" has definitely been distorted by commercialism. However, hygiene--which has been pointed out already--is definitely important in keeping away the spread of infections. The distribution of mass-produced antibacterial products has been extremely detrimental, which has also been mentioned. So with that said, it would be nice if people could just be satisfied with a bar of soap when it comes to regular showers.
I wash my hair every other day, and wash my body every day. I use goat milk soap that we have made here at home, and even with my sensitive skin that gets itchy and dry easily, it keeps me pretty moisturized.
As far as hygiene/sanitation, I wash my hands (just with the goat milk soap) each time I come home from being out in public, or before I play with my hair, put anything on my face, etc. If I play with my hair without washing my hands, I will sometimes get little bumps at my hairline! So it makes a difference for me.
Kimberly
March 15th, 2009, 10:36 PM
Well, I can't smell any of ya from here! :laugh:
Olivia23
March 15th, 2009, 10:53 PM
Before I came on here, I used to hate having to wash my hair more than twice a week. Now I try to wash just once a week! My hair gets oily and greasy looking, but I always wear it up, the only problem I have is my bangs, and I am getting forehead breakouts from my greasy bangs! What I try to do with them is I use regular baby powder, just a little on my fingertips, and brush it through my bangs, that help dry up the oil, and it doesn't look as bad.
Nat242
March 15th, 2009, 10:59 PM
Before I came on here, I used to hate having to wash my hair more than twice a week. Now I try to wash just once a week! My hair gets oily and greasy looking, but I always wear it up, the only problem I have is my bangs, and I am getting forehead breakouts from my greasy bangs! What I try to do with them is I use regular baby powder, just a little on my fingertips, and brush it through my bangs, that help dry up the oil, and it doesn't look as bad.
I have quite an oily scalp, especially toward my face, but I stretch my washes my wearing my hair up and just shampooing my bangs. Maybe that could work for you?
Still, I tend to have to do a full scalp wash or full wash every 2nd or 3rd day.
florenonite
March 16th, 2009, 03:31 AM
Before I came on here, I used to hate having to wash my hair more than twice a week. Now I try to wash just once a week! My hair gets oily and greasy looking, but I always wear it up, the only problem I have is my bangs, and I am getting forehead breakouts from my greasy bangs! What I try to do with them is I use regular baby powder, just a little on my fingertips, and brush it through my bangs, that help dry up the oil, and it doesn't look as bad.
I'm doing full washes every four to five days at the moment, but I shower more often than that so I just plait the rest of my hair away and wash my fringe. I also sometimes condition the tassel of the braid, as the ends are quite dry. If I can't be bothered washing my fringe I also just clip it back, because otherwise when I clip it back because it's in my way everyone can see the breakout!
ETA: Because I shower in the morning, I also clip my fringe back at night if it needs washed so that it doesn't go all over my face in the middle of the night.
bouton99
March 16th, 2009, 05:40 AM
Since I was a child I never could take a shower/bath more often than twice a week, better only once. If I do more often my skin is terribly dry afterwards.
What I do is some cleaning off the sweat with a washcloth on a regular basis.
As for my hair - well I do NW/SO :D
For everything else: Clothes are worn a few times before I wash them and my flat is cleaned every second/third week.
Up until now no-one has ever told me that I would smell or being dirty in any way. :D
bouton
Tap Dancer
March 16th, 2009, 06:02 AM
I won't go longer than 48 hours without washing my hair. My scalp is oily by then. And I wash my face twice a day because my skin gets oily. I usually bathe once a day. There are times where I might skip a day, but I rarely do since I like to exercise. I never skip bathing in the summer since it gets so hot and humid here.
I'm very sensitive to smell. BO makes me gag. If a stinky person comes into where I work, I back up as far as possible while I'm talking to them. I try not to be obvious about it; I just back up and fiddle with something and I stay in that spot. ;) I'm not trying to be rude, but I will gag if I smell BO. I think the person would be very embarrassed if I stood by them gagging/heaving. I'd love to quietly tell those people that they smell, but I can't. They'd complain and I'd probably be written up for being rude. Luckily, smelly people don't show up too often. Strong perfume can be just as bad as BO, even if the person is "clean."
Darkhorse1
March 16th, 2009, 01:58 PM
Tap Dancer--I'm the same. Strong BO really makes me gag. So does heavy perfumes. If I can't smell someone, to me, that's a good thing :)
tsenglish@ns.sy
March 16th, 2009, 04:00 PM
I am not good around BO either, but working in a hospital, unfortunately it comes with the territory. I have smelled some things that have made the bile come up in the back of my throat. Heavy perfumes give me a headache.
Centeredgirl1
March 17th, 2009, 11:49 AM
Actually, I think the advertising business seems to have reached the conclusion that if you want to target women you show a beautiful woman and if you want to target men you show a beautiful woman!
ITA:)! It's such a shame cause there are plenty of rocking guys with beautiful hair too (including your avi). Where's the equality???:confused:
longhairedfairy
March 17th, 2009, 01:55 PM
Tap Dancer--I'm the same. Strong BO really makes me gag. So does heavy perfumes. If I can't smell someone, to me, that's a good thing :)
Ditto. It's amazing how many people don't realize they smell.
(Not saying the people here do, just people in general.)
Pixna
March 17th, 2009, 02:21 PM
Okay, I use deodorant. I keep myself spotlessly clean, even though I don't shower or bathe daily. I do not use perfume. I wash my hair about every two days (when I shower). I wear my clothes more than once before they are laundered, but I change my underwear daily. I can't stand the smell of BO or strong perfume (on me or anybody else). So if any of you can smell me, do let me know! :laugh:
steph in tx
March 17th, 2009, 02:22 PM
ITA:)! It's such a shame cause there are plenty of rocking guys with beautiful hair too (including your avi). Where's the equality???:confused:
I have to agree. I never used to like long hair on guys, but after seeing some of the men on this site, I think I could be persuaded to buy just about anything if they were in a commercial. ;)
feralnature
March 17th, 2009, 05:56 PM
I pretty much only clean when I feel scuzzy. I don't shower every day (ewwwwwww). I bathe when I feel ookie, get itchy, or get stinky. Other than that, I think people bathe too much :D
what she said
Kirin
March 17th, 2009, 06:15 PM
I don't know about diseases, but allergies have gone up. Children that live in households that aren't 100% Lysol-ed and have pets are less likely to have allergies, it seems.
Again, of course we have made huge strides in the medical industries in regards to cleanliness, but the antibacterial craze has gone too far in everyday life.
Ignore me if I'm just bringing up old posts :p I'm really quite fascinated by this thread, for some reason.
I'll have to respectfully disagree with this. I don't mind a friendly debate, however a pediatrician and general practitioner can tell you, that asthma related allergies become alarming in houses with pets AND not regularly vaccuumed and cleaned.
The number one allergen is dust mites, and the number one area for them to accumulate is.......... *drumroll* the bed. Again I can debate this until I turn blue, but an average human, knowingly or not sweats a pint every night in bed, and sheds around 2oz of skin cells.
People may not like my views, and thats perfectly fine, I just weigh the facts. Being clean does not mean being personally scrubbed to high hades, or dunking all belongings in bleach.
Also with allergies, they are on the rise, not due to cleanliness, but due to ingredients in some cleaning products (commercially prepared). So saying that allergies are due to cleanliness is a bit skewed. Its not the clean, its the product.
Trust me, I don't walk around with litmus paper and test kits checking people I meet for cleanliness. I believe everyone should be aware of their own body chemistry, and deal with it accordingly. If one can stretch washing and still feel fresh and clean with no worries, thats great. If one must bathe daily because they feel dirty, thats great too.
I agree with another poster here though, those of us that bathe daily or clean our houses daily are not brainwashed into doing so. No commercial makes me do this. It just might be, that my body chemistry is different from yours, and I'm not blessed to "not stink" after 24 hours. That is why I get really up in arms when the first suggestion to an oily haired person is to "stop washing, your scalp will get used to it". For many, thats a frustrating and impossible dream.
Not everyone can do this.
So I do not understand why this is such a debate, and heated in some spots, as with everything, individual results may vary.
eccentricquirks
March 18th, 2009, 02:42 PM
I concur with Kirin - most allergies are linked to dust mites, animal dander (which is actually a protein allergy - something to think about for those with chronic diseases), and also with others who have issues with the perfumes and chemicals that most companies put into cleaning products.
I can't stand heavy perfumes. It's not that they are annoying; They set off my allergies like no dust or pollen or mold can. When my mother gets liberal with her perfume in the bathroom, I have to steer clear for hours. I also have mildly sensitive skin in that soaps dry it out a bit too much. My skin does better with body washes (expensive!) or WO.
I've been able to strike a happy medium.
When I go into the bathroom - any bathroom/restroom/powderroom - I do wash my hands - without soap. Nine times of ten, the soap is antibacterial and harsh, so I just don't bother with it. I wash with hot water and vigorous rubbing of my hands. This isn't perfect - I know that. There will undoubtedly be some little viri or bacterium that makes it through my most thorough efforts. But, it's better than not doing so, right? And I'm not creating super bugs in the process.
As to sebum production, you can retrain, to a point. There is going to be a 'terminal point', a point beyond which you just can't retrain. For some people, they have to wash every day, because after months and months of trying to ease up their sebum production by going lighter and lighter with the cleaning products, and trying to wean down to nothing on that second day, they just can't do it without the extreme greasies.
I've been able to get down to once every five days, in the past. Because of the rhythm of my life, I wanted to get down to once every week - make it easier on myself. As it is, I'm on every other day and working my way out again. Will I get to once a week? Don't know. Once my hair gets longer, maybe. I bathe daily right now, only because it is the expectation of my mother and sister. I could probably go a day between showers. More if I swiped down with a wet washcloth every day or so.
Does this make me unclean? Probably. I've always wanted to be an antichristic filthy hippie anyway.....ROFLjk
CherryPlum
March 19th, 2009, 06:05 AM
From my Italian background, I can say that all the Italians I know are quite clean-aware, in their homes, and about their person, and they wouldn't dream of not washing daily.
I'm Italian and I usually shower once a week, twice or trice if it gets very hot (truly, I don't sweat very much).
I know people who shower more often, up to once or twice a day, but I'd say that on average most people shower (or bathe) every other or third day.
We wash our genitals every day, though, and wash our teeth at least daily; most people wash their armpits daily, too.
Actually, one thing I wondered when traveling abroad was how people could wash their genitals without a bidet, without having to take daily showers. I think it's very strange here to think of not washing "those" parts every day.
Also, when I was a child my mother made me take a bath and wash my hair once a week (on saturday or sunday); all my friends had routines like that, too.
Of course, if it was a hot summer night and we had spent all day playing in the open a shower before bed was compulsory ;)
About cleaning the house, you are right in some ways, but it's mainly a thing old generations obsessed about; I mean, I clean my house regularly, but I'm not overly concerned by it. My granny, on the other hand.....:D
One more thing: in our shops eggs are kept on the shelves (even though at home they stay in the fridge... that's a bit of a contradiction, I know) and we eat them raw, too, (as we eat raw beef, too, this one refrigerated of course) and if you buy it at a reputable place it is no more risky than your average cooked food :)
dearladydisdain
March 19th, 2009, 07:03 AM
I'll have to respectfully disagree with this. I don't mind a friendly debate, however a pediatrician and general practitioner can tell you, that asthma related allergies become alarming in houses with pets AND not regularly vaccuumed and cleaned.
The number one allergen is dust mites, and the number one area for them to accumulate is.......... *drumroll* the bed. Again I can debate this until I turn blue, but an average human, knowingly or not sweats a pint every night in bed, and sheds around 2oz of skin cells.
People may not like my views, and thats perfectly fine, I just weigh the facts. Being clean does not mean being personally scrubbed to high hades, or dunking all belongings in bleach.
Also with allergies, they are on the rise, not due to cleanliness, but due to ingredients in some cleaning products (commercially prepared). So saying that allergies are due to cleanliness is a bit skewed. Its not the clean, its the product.
Trust me, I don't walk around with litmus paper and test kits checking people I meet for cleanliness. I believe everyone should be aware of their own body chemistry, and deal with it accordingly. If one can stretch washing and still feel fresh and clean with no worries, thats great. If one must bathe daily because they feel dirty, thats great too.
I agree with another poster here though, those of us that bathe daily or clean our houses daily are not brainwashed into doing so. No commercial makes me do this. It just might be, that my body chemistry is different from yours, and I'm not blessed to "not stink" after 24 hours. That is why I get really up in arms when the first suggestion to an oily haired person is to "stop washing, your scalp will get used to it". For many, thats a frustrating and impossible dream.
Not everyone can do this.
So I do not understand why this is such a debate, and heated in some spots, as with everything, individual results may vary.
I guess I'd rather listen to what my allergist and various scientists are saying. :p Not saying that what you said isn't true - I am not that well-versed in the subject and I don't claim to be. I just think that telling me what "pediatricians and general practitioners" think is not necessarily going to sway my views. They know a heck of a lot but if one GP tells me his view on a specialised topic, I'm going to do my research on what other GPs and specialists think as well.
Also, I agree with you that there is nothing wrong with having a clean house - we just don't have to have everything doused with an antibacterial solution, which I believe is what you were referring to as the "product." In hospitals, yes; in our homes, no.
Also, my family has lots of pets and my mom hates cleaning (to a point that drives me crazy). Maybe we've just lucked out but my sister and I don't have allergies and are rarely sick (at most once a year). However, I am NOT arguing against cleanliness whatsoever! We all shower regularly, wash our clothes, wash our sheets, and wash our hands after going to the bathroom. I like a clean house. :p But some people are pretty ridiculous. Maybe I just watch too many crazy people on Wife Swap.
ETA: Also, the studies I've read said the kids who had less allergies were exposed to a little dust rather than none. They weren't talking about living in dust and filth!
redeyedtreefr0g
March 19th, 2009, 09:03 AM
I amazes me the amount of debate over something that I would think so trivial. But then a lot of topics not interesting to one person are fascinating to another. I guess there will always be people on one side of an issue debating, friendly or not, with someone on the other side.
Pegasus Marsters
March 19th, 2009, 09:25 AM
I guess I'd rather listen to what my allergist and various scientists are saying. :p Not saying that what you said isn't true - I am not that well-versed in the subject and I don't claim to be. I just think that telling me what "pediatricians and general practitioners" think is not necessarily going to sway my views. They know a heck of a lot but if one GP tells me his view on a specialised topic, I'm going to do my research on what other GPs and specialists think as well.
Also, I agree with you that there is nothing wrong with having a clean house - we just don't have to have everything doused with an antibacterial solution, which I believe is what you were referring to as the "product." In hospitals, yes; in our homes, no.
Also, my family has lots of pets and my mom hates cleaning (to a point that drives me crazy). Maybe we've just lucked out but my sister and I don't have allergies and are rarely sick (at most once a year). However, I am NOT arguing against cleanliness whatsoever! We all shower regularly, wash our clothes, wash our sheets, and wash our hands after going to the bathroom. I like a clean house. :p But some people are pretty ridiculous. Maybe I just watch too many crazy people on Wife Swap.
ETA: Also, the studies I've read said the kids who had less allergies were exposed to a little dust rather than none. They weren't talking about living in dust and filth!
Yep... the idea is that if you're exposed to a little or something you'll build up a resistance... if you're never exposed, no resistance. And if you're exposed far too much, that can cause an allergy.
It's always better to have your exposure somewhere in the middle, when it comes to things you can develop allergies too.
Everything is smothered in anti-bacterial crap with people scared of their kid getting into contact with the littleist bit of dirt. Combine that with inappropriate use of antibiotics for every little sniffle and kids will never develop the resistance required to stay healthy.
My friends who have pets have less allergies than those who've never had pets.
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