Weird Ways People Wash

[Millie]

Until I started soaping I thought there were just a few ways to wash. Body: soap with or without washcloth. Face: soap or plain water. Hair: shampoo (and conditioner).

Since I've started poking around the web I've seen:

"No poo" - no shampoo. Just water or baking soda for the scalp and vinegar for hair.

"Oil cleansing method" - washing face with oil

Washing face with honey

As a teen I read a book about a desert nomad who could wash head to toe with one cup of water. I'm curious about customs and fads related to washing. Know of any?

 

[Scooter]

Ha! Yeah I never noticed those things either until I got hooked into the soap-making habit.

The no-poo thing is particularly curious to me. Apparently not too long ago there were lots of folks on the baking soda train who have more recently recanted. I think some of them have gone over to a rye wash.

http://blog.kanelstrand.com/2014/02/testing-diy-shampoos-rye-flour.html

Anyone here tried that?

 

[earlene]

Until I started soaping I thought there were just a few ways to wash. Body: soap with or without washcloth. Face: soap or plain water. Hair: shampoo (and conditioner).

As a teen I read a book about a desert nomad who could wash head to toe with one cup of water. I'm curious about customs and fads related to washing. Know of any?

Face: There are actually many women (men, too, I expect) who don't use soap on their faces. I use Noxzema (liquid). My mother used cold cream.

Frequency of bathing/showering:
Many elderly in the US don't bathe daily as advised by their doctors. Some older folks report they shower or bathe only 2 or 3 times per week.

Bidets are not very common in the US, but if they were I am confident that there would be far fewer UTIs in women, especially elderly women. I mention this because when one doesn't bathe daily, the parts that do need extra care are the pits & the peri areas. So a bidet would make the peri areas easier for everyone who uses a toilet. The pits can be managed without too much difficulty already.

Hair:
The hairdresser. I am amazed that there are so many women in the town where I live who never wash their own hair. For 50 years, my MIL has probably never washed her own hair. She still has her hair done by a hairdresser on a weekly basis. And the majority of women she went to high school with are the same. I expect it is a generational thing, but there are probably younger women like them as well (somewhere). I just don't know them.

Ha! Yeah I never noticed those things either until I got hooked into the soap-making habit.

The no-poo thing is particularly curious to me. Apparently not too long ago there were lots of folks on the baking soda train who have more recently recanted. I think some of them have gone over to a rye wash.

http://blog.kanelstrand.com/2014/02/testing-diy-shampoos-rye-flour.html

Anyone here tried that?

No, Scooter, I have not tried that. I did the baking-soda thing for a few years, but it got difficult to keep doing it because whenever I traveled my hair had to re-adjust all over again. For some odd reason, I cannot explain except that it seems to have something to do with different water, it was like starting all over again every single time. The transition period from regular shampoo to baking soda was lengthy - about a month or so. When I traveled, my hair didn't feel clean, and then when I'd get home again had to go through the transition period again. It was really weird. So after a while I just used shampoo when I traveled, then eventually just quit with the baking soda.

Over all, when I was at home and not traveling, I was pretty happy with it. But it did sort of make my hair straw-like. And vinegar just made my hair greasy. I never got past that stage, which was supposedly supposed to go away. It didn't, so I stopped using vinegar on my hair.

When I was quite young, probably about 10 or so, my mom used some powdered non-shampoo hair washing product in my hair. I don't know what it was, all I know is I couldn't get wet for a long period of time, so washing my hair was out. That stuff wasn't any fun. Getting it out of the hair was never complete until I was finally able to get my hair wet again.

Maybe if the rye flour were finely ground enough it wouldn't leave a residue, but if I were to use the rye flour from my cupboard, I think it would. Anyway, I'm probably not going to try it, although if I were still young I probably would.

 

[TeresaT]

I just read that article about the rye flour "shampoo" and thought it was odd, to say the least. Americans shower too often, stay in the shower too long, use hotter water than they should, use too many products and are destroying their skin and hair.

I shower two or three times a week during the winter, every other day in the summer and wash my hair only when it shows signs of needing to be washed. I used to shower daily and wash my hair every time I showered. There was a time I showered two or three times a day. I got over it. My skin is much healthier for it, too. I've reduced the number of products I use, too. I only use home made soap, a Bumble & Bumble shampoo (although my hair did amazingly well with doriettefarm's shampoo bar: I might have to try to make some). I seldom use a conditioner, just a drop of B&B hairdresser's oil on the ends. The home made soap is gentle enough to use on my face without drying it out. I've formulated my soap with an extremely low cleansing number -- usually at or below 10 -- because I've got an autoimmune disease called Sjogren's Syndrome.

Sjogren's Syndrome attacks the moisture producing glands in the body. It also has a bunch of other symptoms that vary from day to day and individual to individual. Joint pain, inflammation and exhaustion are a few of the fun things associated with SJS. I've learned since I was diagnosed with SJS that taking short tepid showers is much healthier for the skin than long hot showers (but not as soothing to the aching muscles). I've also learned that no one notices if I go for a day (or two) between showers. If I am off from work and know I am not leaving the house (caution, gross alert) I don't bother showering at all. I don't care and my skin actually feels almost normal instead of two sizes too small. However, I must admit, since switching to home made soap, my skin feels much closer to normal than it has in 15 years.

I definitely believe in soap and water and real shampoo and water. However, moderation is the key. Anything in excess is bad for you. I've switched to home made soap because I control what goes in it and, more important, what stays in it. I honestly believe biggest factor to my skin's healing is the glycerin in the soap. As far as shampoo goes, I believe you get what you pay for, there was a remarkable difference in the condition of my hair when I switched to an expensive salon brand from the store brand. Then again, maybe it was just because I quit washing my hair so darned much. I don't believe you can wash your hair with flour, though; I can't see how it is even possible to remove dirt and oils from your scalp and hair with a paste of flour. I might have to try "washing" the dog with it; Chase has a lot of hair.

 

[toxikon]

Oil cleansing is wonderful! I choose a middle-ground approach and use an emulsfying oil cleanser (feels like oil on the face but emulsifies with water for easy rinsing). It's great for removing makeup and leaving my skin feeling soft and moisturized.

I've tried co-washing on and off ("washing" your hair with conditioner only, no shampoo) but it's tricky to find products that I like for my fine hair.

 

[Millie]

I am amazed that there are so many women in the town where I live who never wash their own hair. For 50 years, my MIL has probably never washed her own hair. She still has her hair done by a hairdresser on a weekly basis. And the majority of women she went to high school with are the same.

Wow! And I forgot about cold cream. Those old women are stylin'!

 

[cerelife]

I use an oil-based cleanser (my version of Lush's Ultrabland) to remove my makeup, otherwise I use either my castile or my salt soaps. Just depends on how my skin is feeling at the time.
I live in the Deep South, so I DO shower at least once a day, using handmade soap.
My hair is butt-length and curly (I'm of Italian descent). I keep it this long because it would be an afro at shoulder-length, and I resemble Roseanne Rosannadanna when it's mid-back length!!
That said, I only wash my hair once a week (per my hair guy's advice) using Aveda products. I use their Shampure dry shampoo between washes to keep my scalp clean and my hair smelling fresh.

 

[Millie]

. Americans shower too often, stay in the shower too long, use hotter water than they should, use too many products and are destroying their skin and hair.

I do all of the above, except for the products - I keep it pretty simple day to day. I'm sorry to hear about your autoimmune disease. Thank you for being brave enough to experiment with your skincare, and sharing your experience!

Toxikon, I only tried the oil cleansing method once. Didn't like it as is, but now I give my face a massage with oil once a week, hop in the shower for a rinse and a steam, and follow it up with a 4 min. clay mask. Then tone and moisturize as usual. Best glowing skin ever

I wonder how many products a modern woman uses in a day - I feel like I'm a bit out of the loop.

 

[Millie]

Forgot to mention odd ways of washing teeth - I think there is something called "oil pulling" that takes about 20 mins to do

 

[earlene]

Well, oil pulling is more common than I realized when I first read about it. I've done it myself, but I have a hard time keeping the oil in my mouth for as long as recommended. I have friends who do this everyday, and they don't talk about it much. They've been doing it for years and I never knew until I mentioned trying a new experiment.

 

[Millie]

I think washing is a bit taboo to talk about in our culture - no one wants others to judge them as dirty or strange, but we all have different skin conditions and deal with different environments, so we need different things. It takes a long time to figure out a routine that works, and sometimes that changes with the seasons too!

 

[penelopejane]

In Oz with our warm climate I have to shower everyday. Unless you sit very still all day I guess.
At the supermarket you can tell who hasn't washed (in goodness knows how long) by walking passed them.

There are a lot of people here who wash their hair with water only. It takes 4 weeks or so for the hair to settle down and then, apparently, it is lovely and soft and wonderful. A radio announcer told his journey daily and he's a convert. Imagine the money you would save!

Sailors wash in salt water and it takes about a week before the skin gets a silky feel despite the salt water. DH has v sensitive skin and he thought it was wonderful for 2 months.

Teresa, so sorry about your syndrome but at least they have identified it and you know what works for you. Keep battling on.

 

[dneruck]

Every day for me here in the Caribbean, mostly twice a day and sometimes three times when the weather is at its hottest, even when sitting still . I work from home (fixed hours) and sit in front a computer for eight hrs at least. On the hottest days, if I didn't constantly have a fan pointing at me, I'd slide right out of my chair.

 

[mommycarlson]

does anyone know what thread has doriettefarm's shampoo bar recipe? I tried searching....sigh....I can never get that to work.

 

[TeresaT]

does anyone know what thread has doriettefarm's shampoo bar recipe? I tried searching....sigh....I can never get that to work.

My bad. She actually sent me a tester bar. I believe she followed a popular and much loved recipe from swiftcraftmonkey's blog. I am eventually going to make this; however, I'm still playing with soap and haven't delved into shampoo. (http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/2013/05/back-to-very-basics-shampoo.html)

I have successfully created a deodorant and a body powder that work for me that contain food quality ingredients. (Except for the kaolin clay in the powder; I haven't come across any culinary treats calling for that, although I know some people eat "white dirt.")

 

[snappyllama]

It is really interesting all the ways we get clean. I shower/bathe daily, but I only wash my hair every other day (sometimes I can stretch it to three by using a dry shampoo).

I've just recently started the Korean 10 step face washing method and have to say... my skin looks better than it has since I hit puberty even taking my wrinkles into account. It sounds exhausting, but really it doesn't take too long:
1. Cleanse with a light oil (this is fantastic for getting off makeup)
2. Cleanse with a light cleanser
3. Exfoliate (once or twice a week)
4. Refresher (kinda like a very mild toner without alcohol)
5. Essence (watery mild vitaminish liquid)
6. Serum/Ampule (strongish gooey stuff targeted at a particular concern like acne or firming or moisturizing)
7. Sheet Mask - I normally do it only at night and take this time to surf the interwebs (DH has gotten over his shock of seeing me wander around with gooey paper on my face)
8. Eye Cream
9. Moisturizer
10. SPF in morning, Thick "Sleep Mask" Moisturizer at night

In the morning it has added about 5 minutes to my routine... the ritual of it has finally got me wearing sunscreen which I really should always do but often neglected before. I have dermatitis on my face that get aggravated easily. My pine tar bars were keeping it under control, but I think my skin got used to it. Plus I was getting dry patches along with the crazy oil producing ones. My new routine has totally cleared that up for me - all my skin is acting like it belongs to the same person now.

Some of the products are ones I make, but the others are mainly Korean ones I've purchased. The cost of them is sooo much less even for good quality ingredients than regular US ones. And it has made me appreciate some of the weirder things (snail goo and bee venom, anyone?).

 

[TeresaT]

Snappyllama, the first thing I thought when I read this was, "Wow! She must really like her face. No way in hell I'd do all that." Then I laughed out loud at my own absurdity that I scared the dog. Apparently, I don't like my face.

 

[snappyllama]

Snappyllama, the first thing I thought when I read this was, "Wow! She must really like her face. No way in hell I'd do all that." Then I laughed out loud at my own absurdity that I scared the dog. Apparently, I don't like my face.

No, you should totally try it!

I've never been a girly-girl, but part of my new year's plan was to start treating myself better. My face was lucky if I remembered to put lotion on at all. I just figured "Bah, that's my head and that's what it looks like now".

Seriously though, there's something almost therapeutic in keeping with a ritual. Those are my 20 minutes at night to decompress and rub goo into my skin then stumble around wearing goo paper. My minutes! All mine!

 

[Millie]

That sounds like a nice routine. I haven't heard of any bee venom products for topical application, I'll have to look that up! My parents are very into alternative medicine, and once when I got sick as a kid I was prescribed a week of injections with some bee venom among other things. It felt like fire running up and down my arm for about 20 min every time. My sister is afraid of anything natural now and won't even try my soap!

 

[cmzaha]

I just read that article about the rye flour "shampoo" and thought it was odd, to say the least. Americans shower too often, stay in the shower too long, use hotter water than they should, use too many products and are destroying their skin and hair.

I shower two or three times a week during the winter, every other day in the summer and wash my hair only when it shows signs of needing to be washed. I used to shower daily and wash my hair every time I showered. There was a time I showered two or three times a day. I got over it. My skin is much healthier for it, too. I've reduced the number of products I use, too. I only use home made soap, a Bumble & Bumble shampoo (although my hair did amazingly well with doriettefarm's shampoo bar: I might have to try to make some). I seldom use a conditioner, just a drop of B&B hairdresser's oil on the ends. The home made soap is gentle enough to use on my face without drying it out. I've formulated my soap with an extremely low cleansing number -- usually at or below 10 -- because I've got an autoimmune disease called Sjogren's Syndrome.

Sjogren's Syndrome attacks the moisture producing glands in the body. It also has a bunch of other symptoms that vary from day to day and individual to individual. Joint pain, inflammation and exhaustion are a few of the fun things associated with SJS. I've learned since I was diagnosed with SJS that taking short tepid showers is much healthier for the skin than long hot showers (but not as soothing to the aching muscles). I've also learned that no one notices if I go for a day (or two) between showers. If I am off from work and know I am not leaving the house (caution, gross alert) I don't bother showering at all. I don't care and my skin actually feels almost normal instead of two sizes too small. However, I must admit, since switching to home made soap, my skin feels much closer to normal than it has in 15 years.

I definitely believe in soap and water and real shampoo and water. However, moderation is the key. Anything in excess is bad for you. I've switched to home made soap because I control what goes in it and, more important, what stays in it. I honestly believe biggest factor to my skin's healing is the glycerin in the soap. As far as shampoo goes, I believe you get what you pay for, there was a remarkable difference in the condition of my hair when I switched to an expensive salon brand from the store brand. Then again, maybe it was just because I quit washing my hair so darned much. I don't believe you can wash your hair with flour, though; I can't see how it is even possible to remove dirt and oils from your scalp and hair with a paste of flour. I might have to try "washing" the dog with it; Chase has a lot of hair.

All the the above and remember elderly cannot enter and exit tubs and showers easily. My mom has to plan ahead for a bath and have someone standing by to help her get out. 2 baths a week is all she can handle. I also do not shower daily in colder weather, it is just to hard on my skin issues. Flours came into play when people were trying to not shampoo so much and used flours to remove the oils and debri that would stick to the oil which collected in the hair it but it really does not clean. After the war many many products were hard to get or un-available, so people had to make do, but it did not mean it was good