I'm Sticking With The Deodorant, Though

[bloodyrosemccoy]

Hang on, wait a second.

Since when is it socially unacceptable to shower every other day?

I had no idea my tendency to only do the full-on shower a few times a week was a shameful secret. I thought it was just a dry skin survival strategy. I also didn’t realize that my use of washcloths or baby wipes for the more-frequent-wash-needing areas was something that could get me interviewed for the NY Times.

Then again, I live in Salt Lake, where the air is so thin and dry that instead of coffee breaks, we take nosebleed breaks. I can see where a full-body wash would be more advisable in somewhere hot and sticky and humid—say, Kenya, where I routinely horrified my host families at the idea of showering (or bucket bathing in some of the less plumbing-oriented areas) less than twice a day, because if you didn’t the next thing you know mosquitoes are breeding in your armpits. Maybe this, too, is a local thing. Or maybe I just missed the memo.

Either way, I refuse to start showering more. I like my skin without the dry patches, thanks.

Comments

[beccastareyes]

I've always showered every other day, except days I've exercised or worked at the zoo.

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Yeah, generally that's how I am--I will, of course, shower more often if I am GROSS.

[beccastareyes]

That and I read somewhere that washing your hair more than a couple times a week takes away a lot of the oils which keep it in good condition.

[nobleplatypus]

I used to shower every other day, but now I work in a fancypants law firm and my hair has a tendency to both a) get oily quickly and b) do some really extraordinary things overnight. And I have to moisturize like the trampoline-lady from Doctor Who, especially in the winter. But during the weekend? I may only shower once. GAAASP.

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

My hair is totally cool with every other day--but then, it's very short. When it gets a little longer it does tend to turn into Einstein Hair at night, but in the morning I can just wet it and suddenly I look like I'm wearing one of the hobbits' wigs--FABULOUS CURLS. I love my hair.

AHAHA trampoline lady, how I understand your moisture-needing plight. Maybe I need to employ someone who just follows me around spraying lotion on me all day, too.

[firinel.livejournal.com]

Maybe I need to employ someone who just follows me around spraying lotion on me all day, too.

*laughs* This almost sums up my responsibilities as Marn's partner (psoriasis).

[shadesofmauve]

Oooh, I'm part of the semi-great-semi-unwashed, too.

That is, I think swabbing my pits down with a bit of lemon (really?) sounds less effective, comfy, and convenient than deodorant, but under normal circumstances I shower every other day. I have really long hair and it keeps it from being overly brittle, and my skin appreciates it. It's more frequent if I've been biking/working out/getting mucky.

And I do know some people who really desparatley need a shower every day -- probably a body chemistry thing (and often related to weight, too).

I do think it's funny the article mentions someone who goes for days without 'social repurcussions.' "Excuse me, but can you do something about your raging B.O.?" is not something most of us are comfortable saying! Knowing some of the people I've met, I'd actually say an every-other-day showerer is squarely in the middle of the shower spectrum.

[black-rider.livejournal.com]

Lemon is *great* for removing odors and bacteria. I like to use it in the summer in lieu of hand soap, it's really refreshing.

[die-monster.livejournal.com]

....YOU

[black-rider.livejournal.com]

HA HA!! ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US!

[die-monster.livejournal.com]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-41ve90rks8

I had noticed.

[shadesofmauve]

I'll have to remember that (though I often have small cuts on my hands, and bathing them in lemon sounds uncomfortable). Still, I'll stick with my sensitive-skin, unscented, aluminum free deodorant for the pits.

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Well, they go without social repercussions until they SAY they don't wear deodorant, and then apparently they're stoned to death.

[shadesofmauve]

But is that because society has such rigid rules about deodorant, or is it because they've finally given someone a conversational opening to talk about their personal odor? Or both?

They're doing a mighty fine job being interiewed, for martyrs. Usually they have a bit more trouble speaking up from beyond the grave. :P

[shadesofmauve]

Oh, and I have no shower facility at work, so when I bike in on a warm day? Totally about the baby wipes (cooler days I don't break a sweat).

[tay421.livejournal.com]

I used to shower every other day, but then I fell into a depression when I started home schooling and would shower maybe once a week. Then, I don't know, something happened (I guess my sister confronted me), and I grew super self-conscious, and now I can't go a day without showering without feeling super nasty.

The article doesn't load for me, by the way. I just get a blank page for some reason.

[van.livejournal.com]

I can smell myself after a day if I don't shower, so I feel really gross. And when I run (which is almost daily) I sweat so much that I'd have to at least rinse off if not do the whole soap and lather thing. I think some people don't need to shower everyday. I think some people do. I certainly wouldn't freak out at someone who only washes their hair periodically. If I'm ZOMG SHOCKED then obviously I haven't noticed you reeking or anything. It'd be different if I was like, "Wow, yeah, you really might consider showering more..."

Everyone is different and has different needs. I think that's perfectly valid. XD

[anagramofbrat.livejournal.com]

I just like showers. Hot water is delicious. However if I washed my hair every day it would turn to straw and fall out. Once a week if I don't have yarn in I'll push some conditioner through it, but generally full on shampooing only happens after I take the yarn out or if something actually gets IN my hair.

[westrider.livejournal.com]

Hot water, on demand, is one of the greatest inventions of all time. I love showers once I get into them, but too often, I take too long getting ready in the morning and even a quick shower is more than I can fit in. Assuming I could keep myself to a quick shower, which is difficult ;)

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Assuming I could keep myself to a quick shower, which is difficult ;)

That's actually my other problem--I LOVE showers when I take them, and would stay in the shower forever some days. It's just when I get out I dry up like wet leather in a clothes dryer. It's a terrible paradox.

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

That's my curse--I LOVE hot water, but as soon as I get out of the shower I am miserable. It is tragic.

[westrider.livejournal.com]

My skin and hair have both gotten way better since I cut down to showering 3-4 times a week. Hit the problem spots with a washcloth before work on the days I don't take a shower, and I'm good to go. I use a deodorant, but it's a very mild unscented one because even stuff like Tom's of Maine gives me a rash, and I'm not sure how much it actually does.

I've actually had a few women tell me, completely unsolicited, that they like the way I smell. That might change if I let it go more than a couple of days, but skipping a day or two doesn't seem to be a problem.

[shadesofmauve]

This doesn't happen to be because you work in a bakery and smell like cookies, does it? *teasing*

I've certainly never had a problem with you. Except perhaps in that one summer heatwave, when we ALL stunk. Some days it's just not worth getting OUT of the shower.

[westrider.livejournal.com]

I actually asked my sister in law if it was the cookies when she told me that, and she said nope, she just likes the way I smell.

And oh god, that heatwave was so terrible for so many reasons. Except for getting to hang out with you a lot, that Summer just sucked.

[agenttrojie.livejournal.com]

I shower once every two days, for the sake of my poor hair, which gets enough damage as it is and does NOT need extra washing, and also because, dude, what do I DO all day to warrant a shower? (I grew up with annual water shortages every summer, stuff gets ingrained). Although admittedly if I have been out tramping around in the mud all day I will shower afterwards.

[sunshine-shaman.livejournal.com]

I shower everyday because I love love love the feeling of washing and conditioning my hair. Plus it wakes me up.

I find it strange that people look down on others based on their showering habits. Showers are nothing to write news stories about.....

[deird1]

I can see where a full-body wash would be more advisable in somewhere hot and sticky and humid—say, Kenya, where I routinely horrified my host families at the idea of showering (or bucket bathing in some of the less plumbing-oriented areas) less than twice a day

I think Australia must be mid-way between Kenya and America in that regard: most of the people I know would shower once a day. Any less, and you'd stink all summer.

[dark-phoenix54.livejournal.com]

So long as they aren't making my eyes water, I really don't feel it's my business how people go about their cleaning and deodorizing!

Personally, I have to wash my hair every day or it's gross, and I absolutely love showering- it's my relaxation, it loosens up my aching joints and muscles, it makes my headaches feel better. It makes me happy. I use a deodorant from the health food store that lasts about a week per application and has no aluminum.

[nixve.livejournal.com]

huh, how very. I guess we share the same shameful secret.

[black-rider.livejournal.com]

It is quite possibly the most unfortunately named product ever created, but No Crack Lotion is AMAAAAAAAZING. I practically bathed in the stuff during super dry, cold winters.

http://www.amazon.com/No-Crack-Purpose-Cream-4oz/dp/B0015ZQHDI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1288755196&sr=8-1

(That, and using olive oil as a body wash either before, or in lieu of soap during your shower.)

[tinyplasticmeat.livejournal.com]

MOISTURIZE MEeeeee!

Seriously. The only time I ever showered every day was when I was spending my summers in Israel, and even then I didn't shampoo my hair every day.

Unless I've gotten something seriously nasty on myself at work (or something mildly nasty in my hair) I shower every 2-3 days. I smell just fine, no one has every complained.

However, the lady at work who I KNOW showers every day because she arrives at work looking as if she didn't bother with a towel before putting on her scrubs, smells like a fertilizer factory. Do I tell her this to her face? No, because that's unconscionably rude.

I wouldn't tell ANYONE that unless they were extremely close to me AND had asked my opinion. NY Times can go and screw themselves; they're just out of ideas on what to write on.

[gwalla.livejournal.com]

I bathe on average every day*. I have oily flaky skin and a tendency to break out, so if I don't I end up with a scalp full of zits. There's nothing like combing your hair and then oozing afterwards...:P

*Usually I take a bath the night before work, because I won't have time in the morning, and in the morning on weekends. This means none on Friday and two on Sunday. The more you know!™

[broken-moons.livejournal.com]

I don't shower every day, no, and even then I basically only shower to wash my hair, which gets greasy and heavy unless I wash it every other day - two days at the most. The rest of me will get clean along the way, and on non-shower days a washcloth and a little deodorant (never more than once a day) is enough.

I don't get this obsession with showering so often, it takes loads of time, your skin dries out unless you swathe it in body milks and whatnot, which takes even more time... No, I'm with you all the way ^_^

[firinel.livejournal.com]

I make a habit of showering when I need it, no more or less. Usually this means every other day in Spring and Autumn, maybe a little less in Winter, and every day most of Summer, except when it's at it's worse (high humidity area) when I may take two a day, though one of those is usually colder and for the purposes of cooling off as well as getting the sweat off, and that's plenty unless I've had some sort of allergen attack or reason why I might have one (mowing or raking leaves), if I've done a vigorous work-out (anyone else seem to get an itchy from their own sweat?) or dusted. I wash my hair every time I shower because if my hair gets wet without being washed, it goes into oil producing over drive. Baths are not washing events, they are for relaxing.

I've never had anyone think that was odd of me and I'm close enough to NY that I'd think it wouldn't be too different. Now, I do not use deodorant (the aluminium reason, sorry, breast cancer already runs high enough in this family I don't need to taunt it), and I *have* had people look seriously askance at me for that one.

[pixel39.livejournal.com]

Yes, I get very itchy from my own sweat and need to rinse it off ASAP. When I was dancing, the time between end of class and when I could actually jump in the shower was sheer torture.

[pixel39.livejournal.com]

I usually shower every other day or else my hair gets too gross for me to handle, and even then I only wash the bits that really need washing, otherwise I get itchy. I use facial cleaning cloths every night even if I'm showering in the morning, and I use Certain Dri anti-perspirant because it causes one to not sweat where it's applied and does not make me itch. Nobody notices that I don't shower every day and nobody has complained that I stink.