Comments on: Learning What We Really Need, Shower Edition

By: Janie Krukemeyer

Janie Krukemeyer — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:49:53 +0000

I have dry skin and my doctor has recommended NOT showering every day. Of course, I use deodorant and a nice cologne (I found one that I think smells like soap — it is called Gingham) and I dab a tiny amount of that on because I hate overly perfumed people (gives me a headache to smell them.) I am fortunate that I never sweat much so it hasn’t made much of a difference in my life. I shower usually twice a week and wash my hair only once because I’m 58 and my hair is very dry.

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By: vh

vh — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 18:43:28 +0000

(Chortle!) And here I thought I was the only person in the developed world who had slipped into the habit of bathing once every two or three days instead of every single day. Around here, you can’t get away with it during the summer (110-degree heat does nothing to keep you smelling fresh!), but I’ve discovered that if the pool’s chemicals are kept balanced, a swim before work will carry me through to the next shower. In the wintertime, though, when your skin gets dry and itchy, a little less bathing is in order.

Back in the day (when Mrs. Micah’s Mom and I were young things), women did not wash their hair every day. My mother and I washed our hair once a week, because it was a big project. We didn’t have hand-held hair dryers or curling irons or electric rollers. Nor did we shampoo in the shower. You had to scrub out the kitchen or utility sink, wash your hair under the tap, rinse with rainwater or vinegar water (in those days shampoo didn’t come out well in hard water), and then clean the sink again. Argh!

BTW, to save shampoo and also wear & tear on your hair, you can “wash” your hair with conditioner. About every second time you’re in the shower, use conditioner instead of shampoo. Your hair will come out looking refreshed and clean.

By: Mrs Micah's Mom

Mrs Micah's Mom — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 21:07:29 +0000

We used to bathe once a week in a laundry tub in the basement, carrying down kettles of hot water. I was the second child and always got second use of the water and a damp towel. Then my parents got fresh hot water, but they also had to share a towel since we only had two towels then.

When we moved into a house with a shower, it was such a great luxury that I showered every other day. When I went away to college, I started showering every day, and I still do, even though it is bad for the skin. I only wash my hair twice a week though. I take my shower before bed, which is why MrsMicah doesn’t know about it.

In the Philippines, I took daily dip and pour baths since we didn’t have showers, and as tarits says, you need at least one bath a day in a tropical country. I was in the mountains. In the lowlands, most people bathed three times a day. They oiled their hair with coconut oil.

I have known people who have begun taking showers less frequently and have lost track of when they took the last shower and became quite stinky and didn’t know it because they couldn’t smell themselves. One person I know once went 11 weeks without a shower, a bad idea. So, do keep track.

Mrs Micah’s Mom

By: tarits

tarits — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 19:25:04 +0000

i live in a tropical country, so daily showers are a must. no offense, but foreigners who visit our country and do not take a bath every day are obvious not just because of their appearance, but because they … uh… smell. it’s very humid here and you tend to sweat a lot!

also, i live in the city, so after just a few hours my skin feels icky already. sometimes, i even take another shower before bedtime. i’m trying to cut back on shampooing my hair though, to just every other day; it gets dry if i shampoo too often.

By: The Bad Penny

The Bad Penny — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 16:52:09 +0000

I’ll be one to admit I only shower when I need it – when my hair gets too oily or I’ve done something to exert myself and make myself stink.

The funny thing is, that the less I shower the less I need to. Posters above were nervous because their hair gets too oily, but so was my hair. I think it was washed too often! Now that I only shower every other or every third day, my hair doesn’t get as oily, and my ends don’t get as dry, and I don’t spend so much on hair products!

By: CatherineL

CatherineL — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 07:37:10 +0000

Mrs M – I don’t shower every day either – especially if i haven’t done anything physically demanding. It dries your skin out too much and also wastes too much time.

And like you, I don’t use a hairdryer all the time (because that takes up too much time too).

By: rocketc

rocketc — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 04:38:21 +0000

Plonkee, your hair sleeps around?!

By: pfmoron

pfmoron — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 03:49:06 +0000

I shower everyday and assumed that everyone else did as well. Who knew there were so may dirty people out there. Thank goodness the smell doesn’t permeate over the internet.

By: Meg from The Bargain Queens & All About Appearances

Meg from The Bargain Queens & All About Appearances — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 03:27:20 +0000

My hair is the first thing to show, too. My bangs are greasy by evening and I’ve been known to use a bit of cornstarch if in emergencies when I can’t wash my hair.

I like long hot showers, but I really dislike the beginning and ends when I’m standing there nakid and cold. When I know that I’m not going out, I may forgo a shower for a few days. I start feeling kind of greasy all over, though, and finally I’ll drag myself to the shower.