Amidst the no-shampoo revolution, a look at global hygiene habits

by Joe Mobley

Posted: 9 years ago 20 replies

OFF TOPIC

Take, for instance, Gizmodo's description of the philosophy of the Cleanliness Institute, which was founded by the Association of American Soap and Glycerine Producers:

The trade association wanted Americans to to wash quite unwittingly after toilet, to wash without thought before eating, to jump into the tub as automatically as one might awake each new day.

And so we did.

An interesting article with graphs like:

Showers Per Week

Average Showers and Shampoos by Country

Percent Who Shower Once per Day

TheAtlantic.com

How Often People in Various Countries Shower - The Atlantic
OLGA KHAZAN is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where she covers health.

Joe Mobley

perryny 9 years ago

What I found most interesting in that article was the link to this article:

"One family went six months without using soap and raved about the results."
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- Joe Mobley 9 years ago
  
  Perry, I missed that. I will check it out.
  
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  Joe Mobley 9 years ago
  
  Perry,
  
  That Reddit link is interesting enough to start your own thread, I think.
  
  There is also some good information in the comments.
  
  Just saying.
  
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HeySal

9 years ago

If people understood that their soaps often contain a pile of toxins, this wouldn't seem so weird. It's toxins in the body that make people stink. You will get a little smelly from bacteria growing in sweaty areas - but not the severe smell you get from toxins bleeding through the pores. Coconut oil or baking soda are non-toxic and will keep areas prone to stink odor free. Bacteria can grow in neither.

Eat organic, drink pure water with no fluoride, any body care should be completely non-toxic, and stay as far away from chemicals in your environment as possible and you will feel and smell better no matter what.

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Kay King

9 years ago

Whatever's in them - I use shower gels that smell good. I don't care what anyone says - I will use soap and lotions and shampoo because I like the feel and smell of ME when I use them.

I did learn a valuable lesson the day after I moved from the warmth of the deep South to the November chill of Ohio. Do NOT use gel deodorant that has been in the car overnight! Just don't.

As for the perfect Man or Woman based on personal hygiene - really? I don't want someone sloppy or who smells - but I don't want someone with perfect grooming who is stupid or boring or pompous...so....

I'll go for the brains, humor and personality and assume he knows how to wash his own behind.

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Claude Whitacre

9 years ago

Originally Posted by Kay King

As for the perfect Man or Woman based on personal hygiene - really? I don't want someone sloppy or who smells - but I don't want someone with perfect grooming who is stupid or boring or pompous...so....
:

Soooooo...... Is Pompous a deal breaker?

A friend wants to know.

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ThomM

9 years ago

Do NOT use gel deodorant that has been in the car overnight! Just don't.

True words of wisdom there

As for soaps I use Dr. Bonners Magic soaps, liquid in the shower and bar soap for hand washing. There's nothing magical about the soaps. Just good quality ingredients that work well at cleaning and don't overpower you with fragrance.

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Kay King 9 years ago

A friend wants to know.

No - stupid is a deal breaker. I can kick the pompous out of you pretty quick.
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- Joe Mobley 9 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Kay King
  
  I can kick the pompous out of you pretty quick.
  
  And, I'll bet you would enjoy the workout.
  
  50 Shades of bruises.
  
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HeySal

9 years ago

Originally Posted by ThomM

True words of wisdom there

I like that stuff, too. They were hit with some anti-propaganda lately, too. Of course, it was generated from competing markets. Don't remember all the details, but I'm betting it didn't hurt Bonners much because anyone who's used the stuff really swears by it.

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ThomM

9 years ago

Originally Posted by HeySal

I think what you're talking about is the FDA telling him he couldn't talk about the benefits of coconut oil.
I'm using the peppermint liquid soap now. You know how menthols will make certain body parts feel a little like they're burning, like noxzema does? Will today I had a ladder rung break and the back of my left leg slide down the next rung as I fell through the ladder.
It's a little sore but I didn't feel any breaks in the skin. When I took a shower tonight and washed it with the peppermint soap I almost jumped out of the shower, man did that sting

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HeySal

9 years ago

Originally Posted by ThomM

LOL - I used to use stuff like peppermint on hives when my allergies got to my skin so I know that feel. Of course, sting is preferable to itch when you are tempted to rake the skin right off. The only thing I use peppermint for at all now is aroma - it seems to clear out the lungs if you start feeling congested. The Dr. can keep his peppermint.

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ThomM

9 years ago

Originally Posted by HeySal

When I went to the store today I picked up his hemp and almond soap

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HeySal 9 years ago

Originally Posted by ThomM

When I went to the store today I picked up his hemp and almond soap

I won't be trying that one - allergic to almond.

Once I had a Mary Kaye rep insist on giving me a facial with their "hypo-allergenic" facial masque. It had almond in it and my face swoll up like a pumpkin. I almost sued the company. Whoever heard of putting nutmeal in something "hypo-allergenic"? I can't believe how utterly stupid a move that was. If it happened today, I'd have had a lawyer without question.
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Joe Mobley 9 years ago

Originally Posted by Kay King

but I don't want someone with perfect grooming who is stupid or boring or pompous...so....

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sbucciarel

Banned 9 years ago

Originally Posted by Kay King

I'm with you. I'll use whatever I want to use, and it won't be baking soda, for my hair and showers, and I like my shower products to smell fresh and herbal ... without having to scrounge around in the woods looking for tree bark and leaves.

I don't mind after shave on men, but it isn't a necessity. I like the "rugged" type man who knows how to take a shower, but isn't into all the spit and polish.

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HeySal

9 years ago

Originally Posted by sbucciarel

Don't forget a lot of men like their women like that, too. Clean but not artificially perfumed. If I want scent, I usually just put some vanilla extract in my coconut oil.

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sbucciarel

Banned 9 years ago

Originally Posted by HeySal

Don't forget a lot of men like their women like that, too. Clean but not artificially perfumed. If I want scent, I usually just put some vanilla extract in my coconut oil.

I'm just basic ... no perfumes, although at one time, I wore very expensive perfumes, but honestly, I wore them for me. There were scents that I absolutely loved. I'm happily single and don't really care what men like or don't like any longer. I'm not looking to change my marital status or even to include a man in my life as a romantic partner.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a man hater. I'm just not interested in them in any capacity other than friends.

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seasoned

9 years ago

WOW! If I were olgas boss, I would be tempted to FIRE her! HERE is an excerpt of what she said:

Cleanliness, it turns out, has been one dirty trick. One reason early-20th-century Americans ramped up their weekly baths to daily showers is that marketing companies capitalized on the insecurities of a new class of office drones working in close quarters. As Gizmodo wrote last week, to sell products like "toilet soap" and Listerine to Americans, "the advertising industry had to create pseudoscientific maladies like 'bad breath' and 'body odor.'"

Take, for instance, Gizmodo's description of the philosophy of the Cleanliness Institute, which was founded by the Association of American Soap and Glycerine Producers:

The trade association wanted Americans to to wash quite unwittingly after toilet, to wash without thought before eating, to jump into the tub as automatically as one might awake each new day.
And so we did. A Reddit user recently polled 562 people and found that most men said they showered daily. Women's bathing rituals were more diffuse, but about 60 percent preferred to shower three, four, or five times weekly.

INTERESTING that she picks on Listerine! For MOST mouthwashes, I would agree with her, because they are WORTHLESS! Listerine is DIFFERENT! ALSO, Listerine got its name from Dr Lister! YEAH, HE was one of those that would "wash quite unwittingly after toilet, to wash without thought before eating". And WHAT HAPPENED before they locked him up for such crazy things? Pregnancy deaths dropped over 30%! One of the main jobs of the area he had control over was delivering babies. And what happened AFTER he was locked up, because they thought his idea about microbes was crazy? He quickly died from infections because a guard that injured him had the same ideas as OLGA! Even his very DEATH proved that he was right! 4 years later, they got the ability, and desire, to actually find the microbes he described that sounded like some sci fi horror flick!

I guess we are lucky that many DON'T agree with her! As for ME? I don't always shave, or get my hair cut, but I DO shower every day, etc.... There are things about soap I don't like, but it is about the only way to have water go through oily dirt.

Steve

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HeySal 9 years ago

I pretty much disagree with her, too. One of the reasons we don't have as much deadly crap here - and some of the stuff we do get here, like measles, isn't as deadly as elsewhere is because of our hygiene practices. We have some pretty problematic products - like the anti-bacterial soaps that have a chemical that is absorbed through skin and causes liver damage. For someone to not understand the importance of at least rinsing of hands after using the bathroom, though, is kinda surprising. Even just a quick rinse will get rid of a lot of ecoli bacteria. When researchers can walk into places like Walmart, swab the carts, and come up with a crapload of ecoli (pun intended), I'd be afraid not to at least rinse my hands off after pushing one of those things.
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Amidst the no-shampoo revolution, a look at global hygiene habits

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