Why I Gave Up Soap And Deodorant ... And Became A HEALTHIER @MINDHUNTER Overall.
The modern age is obsessed with personal hygiene. Like most folks I used to lather up with soap and shower gel every day. No more!
It's well known that soap and shower gels can strip the natural oils from our skins that act as natural moisturisers.
Scientists are now telling us that these oil-based chemicals can remove trillions of tiny organisms that live on our skin.
It's been shown that excessive washing affects that balance, so that is why I choose to shower every 2-4 days. Maintaining our skin balance allows us to have a greater defence against skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema.
So what did I do? I didn't use any kind of soap, deodorant or lotion at all, but only water.
I did use natural soap to wash my hands before food preparation though.
So how did it all go when I started?
All went well until around day four when my partner said that I smelt a bit sweet ... like fish sauce sweet! I'd found out my four day limit, so I now shower with just water at the end of every third day.
I gathered up my deodorant, binned it, and used up the last of my soap for hand-washing before cooking. I felt liberated being a slave to Unilever and other corporate FMCG names that sounded very American.
I took my shower gel and gave it to my brother. My shower room is now an empty zone!
And how is my skin now? It's more supple and less dry than it ever used to be. Undoubtedly this has all been better for my skin ... (as well as for my wallet!)
Cool post- I just spotted it while looking down your list for the name of a film you reviewed a while back. I haven't used mainstream products since around 2002 but I wouldn't say my alternatives are that cheap!
This is going to sound weird but my deodorant is milk of magnesia. You only need a few drops so the bottle lasts for a year and it's healthy cos you still sweat, you just don't smell. I did a test and it's good for 24hrs.
Best shampoo for my curly locks-diluted egg yolk on dry hair and final rinse of dilute ACV.
Homemade bath salts which I rub on my arms and legs in the shower- himalayan pink salt, EVCO, lavender eo and lemon eo - amazing for totally reversing the dry skin ladies get as they hit mid 40s.
I even make homemade toothpaste, bath bombs, skin toner, list is endless!
I think this might be the movie your looking for ;) (excellent health tips BTW!)
https://steemit.com/life/@mindhunter/the-girl-on-the-train-a-movie-film-review-by-mindhunter
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Sorry but don,t agree. It may be more healthy but nothing worse than passing a person who absolutely reeks of BO and if that was the case I would go back to soap and water
To be honest, it did settle down after about a week and I had no problem with it. I know you think that's strange, but it's true.
(I did use my deodorant a couple of times the first week, but that soon dropped away!)
yes I use baking soda mostly, or the dr bronners hemp stuff. It takes awhile for natural oils to adjust. After a month, no more greasy hair
I sometimes just use a slice of lemon in the shower - it does a v.good job! I also use 3% food grade hydrogen peroxide as mouthwash too :))
You dirty pup!
... with the glowing skin :))
... and cash in the wallet - I reckon I was spending around £150 a year on soaps, showers gels etc ... all the more cash now to buy more STEEM :))
I haven't used soap (except on my hands for hygiene reasons) for several years now. Though I do use a crystal deodorant.
I've used crystal deodorant in the past, and found them to be excellent. I always chuckle when I see them in the health food store :)
Yuck! In SA heat that is a recipe for disaster! ;-)
Ha Ha! I think you might be right ... Australia too! I think this is one for us cooler Northern hemisphere folks ;)
If I shower in the morning I never use soap only hot water. The reason is because I believe that when we sleep our bodies produce or create all the essential oils and ect to keep our skin and hair healthy... when we use soaps they tend to strip and remove away all the natural oils created by our bodies.
Interesting article thanks for sharing!
That sounds like a glowing start @bitminter! WELL DONE!!
Try not using a deodorant next, the first week is tough, but after that everything settles down and is just fine. NO BO!!
I was taught to shower every day, sometimes several times a day, growing up in the caribbean since things smell a lot quicker. But growing up I started to notice that all my skin didn't need washing every day, that it could actually harm me. There are certain parts of the body you want to pay attention more than others, but I don't think putting all those chemicals on your body every day is a good idea.
The same goes for shaving, I didn't know how bad it was until I stopped doing it.
A quick wipe under the armpits with an baby wipe and I'm away at pace ... I do cheat sometimes you see ;)
The hinges need refreshing from time to time because bacteria does accumulate and we gotta watch out for infections. But covering your body every day with soap is dangerous, more chances of infection then.
The human body smells as does everything else, it doesn't mean you are going to be walking about drawing tears from people because you haven't showered in a month haha, but we are a bit too sensitive to smells in my opinion.
Recently I read an article that was trying to tell females that their genitals aren't supposed to smell like flowers :p We also need to understand that there is an industry that benefits from us being too concerned about these smells.
Man! You need to send me that women's flowered garden article ;) Ha ha!
I don't remember where I saw it and I think it was in Spanish. But if you google "vagina supposed to smell" you will find apparently there is great concern about this subject :p
It's a shame we have to tell people their genitals are supposed to smell like genitals, but it doesn't stop it from being funny too.
I think I'll leave that one for a late night Google search or the G/F will be onto me like a rabid dog! Ha ha! Cheers Tommy! Your funny man!
I've been using nothing but water and coconut oil on my skin for about five years. I check with my female friends to make sure I don't stink and I don't. But I'm older and almost never work up a sweat I can't wash off almost immediately. If necessary I can go 4-10 days without a shower and not stink much, but I usually shower every night an hour before bed. Just briefly rinse with an abrasive cloth and put on a very light layer of coconut oil. The oil is absorbed before I hit the sheets. Coconut oil is one of the few oils you can actually digest with your skin.
Coconut oil is indeed the skins best friend. I use it in the Summer to keep my skin conditioned. Thank you for your comment @baerdric :)