Soap and Shampoo

It's been almost full year since I used and soap or shampoo and guess what, no one has noticed at all.

Well that's a bit of a lie, I use soap on my hands after using the toilet and when I wash up after making food, yes I still wash up manually as I don't see the point of a dish washer, so for a full year only my hand have been washed with any sort of soap.

Many years ago I worked in a dirty manufacturing job so when I got home I would Bath or Shower, this got in to a habit I would do every day for years even when my job wasn't a dirty one, this changed over the years to a shower in the morning as well, it got to a point that my head would itch if I didn't wash my hair, I started to get dry, red and flaky skin on my hands and face around my nose and chin.

I kept reading about people who didn't wash with soap or shampoo, and it got me thinking about indigenous people in the Amazon and Africa who don't use soap so a few years ago I tried it and my head got itchy and I was worried about smelling so stopped.

Then in 2021 over the Christmas holidays I shaved my head and had a good soapy bath and shower, then over the week off work with no intention of going out I didn't wash at all, then luck would have it I got Covid so had to stay off work another week or so, on the day I was due back at work I had my first shower that morning, I saved the water to see how dirty it was, and to my surprise it was basically clean, all that first week I showed every morning and checked the waste water and it was still clean, that was it I was going to carry on.

I first started to notice my dandruff was getting better and my skin was softer, then over the next few months when the skin on my hands started to get the dry flaky skin as I was still getting soap on my hands the skin on my face wasn't dry and flaky at all, it was clear and soft, and when I get dirt on my skin just using water cleans fine.

I now shower most days just in water and not that often, best thing I ever did.It's been almost a full year since I used any soap or shampoo, and guess what? No one has noticed at all.

Well, that's a bit of a lie. I do use soap on my hands after using the toilet and when I wash up after making food. Yes, I still wash up manually as I don't see the point of a dishwasher. So for a full year, only my hands have been washed with any sort of soap.

Many years ago, I worked in a dirty manufacturing job. So when I got home, I would bathe or shower. This habit persisted for years, even when my job wasn't dirty. Over the years, it evolved into a morning shower routine. It reached a point where my head would itch if I didn't wash my hair. I started experiencing dry, red, and flaky skin on my hands and around my nose and chin.

I kept reading about people who didn't use soap or shampoo, which led me to think about indigenous communities in the Amazon and Africa who don't use soap. A few years ago, I tried it, but my head got itchy, and I was worried about smelling, so I stopped.

Then, in 2021 over the Christmas holidays, I shaved my head and had a thorough bath and shower. During the week off work with no intention of going out, I didn't wash at all. As luck would have it, I got Covid and had to stay off work for another week or so. On the day I was due back at work, I had my first shower that morning. I saved the water to see how dirty it was, and to my surprise, it was basically clean. Throughout that first week, I showered every morning and checked the waste water, and it was still clean. That was it—I decided to carry on.

I first started to notice that my dandruff was getting better, and my skin was softer. Over the next few months, while the skin on my hands still got dry and flaky because of the residual soap, the skin on my face remained clear and soft. Even when I get dirt on my skin, water alone cleans just fine.

Now, I shower most days with just water and not that often. It's the best thing I ever did.