How Often Do You Shower/bathe?

[lindsay]

Just curious how often most people shower or bathe on here? I know RP has mentioned that bathing with soap is an endocrine disruptor (email exchanges). When we were in Estonia this past summer, the weather was fairly cool and so we didn't have enough sunlight to get our solar showers warm enough (we don't have running water there) - I noticed my skin was really soft and felt great after our time there. There's also little pollution and clean air where our house is, so that helped.

But I live in a more urban area in the US and feel like I need to clean off pollutants and bacteria when in a city environment. Not to mention, I have to work. I try to skip bathing on days when I don't have to work because I get really dry skin when I shower daily.

So I'm curious what everyone else does on here? Would just bathing with baking soda be an option? Or would water be enough to disrupt endocrine function?

Just curious. Thank you!

 

[Barry Obummer]

Once or twice a week. If I do more than that my skin gets too dry. And I never use soap, except like behind my ears and stuff. Doing quick cold showers daily would probably be ideal but I am too lazy for that. I have a foray of health issues, but my skin is fine; above average actually. There's a comedian George Carlin that talks about this. It's pretty funny:

 

[ecstatichamster]

shower daily or maybe 5 or 6 days a week. Haven't used soap in a couple years, or shampoo. Just use a tiny amount of baking soda as deodorant. Even my wife never knew until I told her.

Ray has called soap an endocrine disruptor. I'm not sure about that, but something is really bad about soap (except washing hands sometimes when I do use it). It disrupts everything.

 

[tara]

Would just bathing with baking soda be an option? O

I think the disruptive part of pure soap is removing the oils from the skin.
I would expect bathing with baking soda to be more harsh and disruptive than pure soap. I think it saponifies the oils on your skin.
There may be other issues with perfumes etc in soaps that you can avoid with eitehr pure soap or baking soda.

I shower most days, because I get too stinky for working in an office otherwise.
I always soap the extra stinky bits, but only sometimes everywhere else.
Wash my hair every 3-4 days.

 

[Peata]

In the shower, I use soap on the necessary parts - Ivory, Kirk's, Irish Spring... If I don't have time to shower, I use rubbing alcohol under my arms to clean, then use Speed Stick deodorant.

I have tried all kinds of natural deodorants but nothing worked well enough. I also use baking soda sometimes for deodorant. Mostly I just use the Speed Stick. Some days around the house I go without.

I find I get worse BO at certain times in my cycle when estrogen is higher.

 

[milk_lover]

I shower every other day with slightly warm water on my body and slightly cold water on my hair. I often use magnesium oil as my deodrant but when I sweat, it still smells! I am trying to find the best deodrant without the harmful chemicals. Any suggestions?

 

[Barry Obummer]

Me too. My odor goes through natural deodorants like a hot knife through butter. Definitely a waste of money. I had this invention idea: Armpit diapers. Like some type of harness around the arms that has an insert for some type of absorbent material that can be discarded and changed multiple times daily. Probably more for someone with hyperhydrosis though.

 

[lindsay]

I shower every other day with slightly warm water on my body and slightly cold water on my hair. I often use magnesium oil as my deodrant but when I sweat, it still smells! I am trying to find the best deodrant without the harmful chemicals. Any suggestions?

Before I every discovered RP, I quit using deodorant because my husband was commenting on the aluminum content and he had quit using it himself. So I decided to give it a whirl. Basically, the first month upon not using deodorant, you get really bad BO and sweat and it's really difficult to tolerate. Then, after a month or two, it seems like the system has detoxed (or something) and perspiration is not so bad. I never actually wear deodorant anymore. When I shower, I do wash my armpits with soap, but we buy this nice stuff made with Coconut Oil. My husband noticed his skin was less dry after using the Good Soap (that's the brand). I don't use anything under my arms, deodorant wise. In summer it's more difficult, but I actually like sweating - makes me feel better. I just bought a good witch hazel to cleanse certain areas when I need. Hoping that will help. You can make deodorant - it's suppose to be pretty easy. Something like CO, baking soda and essential oils.

 

[tara]

Basically, the first month upon not using deodorant, you get really bad BO and sweat and it's really difficult to tolerate. Then, after a month or two, it seems like the system has detoxed (or something) and perspiration is not so bad. I never actually wear deodorant anymore.

There was an article, linked from here somewhere I think, to a study showing that the bacterial balance in the pits changes over time depending on deodorant use or non-use. Using deodorant favoured a higher proportion of the stinkier bacteria. After extended time with no deodorant, the balance eventually favours the less stinky ones.

You can make deodorant - it's suppose to be pretty easy. Something like CO, baking soda and essential oils.

I use that most days. Occasionally, if I'm out for a long day and exercising close to people, I use an unperfumed commercial deodorant.

 

[Mmmaurshmallows]

I always showered every other day with soap. Now, due to my brain/energy problems, I find I can get away with showering or bathing 2x a week (with natural shampoo and a little natural soap) without any problems. Every morning I also take a 'bird bath' (wash pits) and use baking soda and essential oils. I don't feel I've suffered any ill effects of less showering (less drying and chlorine...more natural oils too!) I still look and smell good when I leave the house.

 

[squanch]

I shower every other day with slightly warm water on my body and slightly cold water on my hair. I often use magnesium oil as my deodrant but when I sweat, it still smells! I am trying to find the best deodrant without the harmful chemicals. Any suggestions?

I also use magnesium chloride as deodorant, but it only works if I keep my armpit hair trimmed short (6mm). If it's longer it will start to smell

Also to answer the original question:
I shower every day with lukewarm water. It's more of a short rinse really...
No soap/shampoo whatsoever

 

[Rafe]

Man Who Hasn't Showered in 12 Years Makes Us Question Everything We Know About Cleanliness
See David Whitlock, who hasn't showered in a dozen years. The articles are really adverts for his body spray. It's nitrosomonas, which you can get much cheaper by running into other peatarians in the aquarium aisles. I read his patent application for this and it's for the processing. Interestingly, it was a good source for all of the possible ways NO (ammonia oxidizing bacteria yield NO) he proposes are positive and also maximized by ancestral cultures. I've been meaning to return to that paper and read it from what I'm convinced of now.
I rarely use soap. I take warm baths with sodium bicarb for stress relief (first think in the morning in winter). I sweat easily & enjoy it most of the time. For work I still often use a full-on antiperspirant, but only 2 or 3 days a wk. For me, I like human beings that smell like human beings.

 

[Diokine]

There was an article, linked from here somewhere I think, to a study showing that the bacterial balance in the pits changes over time depending on deodorant use or non-use. Using deodorant favoured a higher proportion of the stinkier bacteria. After extended time with no deodorant, the balance eventually favours the less stinky ones.

I definitely noticed this. It switched from the heavy onion "classic BO" to a more peppery and musky smell. Disruptions in metabolism can cause it to stink more, I've found.


Regarding showering, I think that stopping the washing of my hair and body with soap every day did a lot of good for my skin and testosterone production. I used to have pretty bad dandruff also, along with probably some of the worst skin you could imagine. Since getting the metabolism in order, the dandruff has completely gone away and my skin is excellent except for the occasional comedone from metabolic disruptions. I take at least one shower a day, but I just rinse off and don't use soap or body wash hardly ever (except on my feet.) I also don't wash my hair for two weeks on average.

No dandruff, no smell.

 

[milk_lover]

Before I every discovered RP, I quit using deodorant because my husband was commenting on the aluminum content and he had quit using it himself. So I decided to give it a whirl. Basically, the first month upon not using deodorant, you get really bad BO and sweat and it's really difficult to tolerate. Then, after a month or two, it seems like the system has detoxed (or something) and perspiration is not so bad. I never actually wear deodorant anymore. When I shower, I do wash my armpits with soap, but we buy this nice stuff made with Coconut Oil. My husband noticed his skin was less dry after using the Good Soap (that's the brand). I don't use anything under my arms, deodorant wise. In summer it's more difficult, but I actually like sweating - makes me feel better. I just bought a good witch hazel to cleanse certain areas when I need. Hoping that will help. You can make deodorant - it's suppose to be pretty easy. Something like CO, baking soda and essential oils.

There was an article, linked from here somewhere I think, to a study showing that the bacterial balance in the pits changes over time depending on deodorant use or non-use. Using deodorant favoured a higher proportion of the stinkier bacteria. After extended time with no deodorant, the balance eventually favours the less stinky ones.


I use that most days. Occasionally, if I'm out for a long day and exercising close to people, I use an unperfumed commercial deodorant.

However I haven't put any chemical deodorant for over three months, so the OD should stabilize by now when I sweat, but that's not the case for me. The odor is not very bad when I sweat but I'd like to eradicate it if possible. I might try CO and baking soda next.

I also use magnesium chloride as deodorant, but it only works if I keep my armpit hair trimmed short (6mm). If it's longer it will start to smell

Also to answer the original question:
I shower every day with lukewarm water. It's more of a short rinse really...
No soap/shampoo whatsoever

I make sure I cut my armpit hair, which grows very fast, every month. The last six months I haven't used any soap (except when I do number 2--on my hands) and shampoo and I feel more than OK. Actually no more dandruff and my skin is a good condition. It could also be from the increased vitamin A.

 

[Elephanto]

Few things relax me more than a warm shower. I think if we tend to philosophize and contemplate life in the shower, it's because we feel at ease and unstressed. Floating in a body of water is also great for muscle relaxation. And if one is trying to minimize stress through diet, supps, lifestyle as most people who get interested in Peat in the first place are, trying to avoid showering is really absurd.

Oh and that guy who doesn't shower and use bacteria instead looks absolutely disgusting and is probably filled with endotoxin which increase inflammatory cytokines which in turn probably made him as bald and ugly as he is. Of course that's just anectodal but usually people who are into this kind of mindset look very bad. Ever seen an animal not washing itself ? It's instinctive for a reason.

 

[Such_Saturation]

I think if we tend to philosophize and contemplate life in the shower, it's because we feel at ease and unstressed

It's because the thyroid isn't good enough to bring the brain up to temperature except during those few minutes a day in the warm water.

 

[DaveFoster]

Twice per week.

 

[keith]

I shower every other day with slightly warm water on my body and slightly cold water on my hair. I often use magnesium oil as my deodrant but when I sweat, it still smells! I am trying to find the best deodrant without the harmful chemicals. Any suggestions?

I have always been a person who sweats a lot, and I stink if I don't use deoderant. Even using regular commercial deoderant, I would always stink after 10-12 hours. I tried using natural stuff, and it didn't work at all, but I found the perfect solution for me, you may want to try. My recipe is just 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1/2 cup cornstarch, and 2/3 cup of coconut oiL I melt it all together, in a small pot, pour it into a glass jar when thoroughly mixed and free of lumps, and cool it (to solidify) in the fridge. You can add essential oils if you like; I don't bother as I have sensitive skin. This works better than any commercial deoderant I have ever used. I just rub it on by hand. It gets a little messier in summer when it melts, but still works just as well. I can now go two days without odor, although I normally still shower daily.

 

[milk_lover]

I have always been a person who sweats a lot, and I stink if I don't use deoderant. Even using regular commercial deoderant, I would always stink after 10-12 hours. I tried using natural stuff, and it didn't work at all, but I found the perfect solution for me, you may want to try. My recipe is just 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1/2 cup cornstarch, and 2/3 cup of coconut oiL I melt it all together, in a small pot, pour it into a glass jar when thoroughly mixed and free of lumps, and cool it (to solidify) in the fridge. You can add essential oils if you like; I don't bother as I have sensitive skin. This works better than any commercial deoderant I have ever used. I just rub it on by hand. It gets a little messier in summer when it melts, but still works just as well. I can now go two days without odor, although I normally still shower daily.

Thanks! seems easy to make. Will get the ingredients tomorrow from the supermarket. Virgin CO should be ok, right?

 

[Barry Obummer]

It's because the thyroid isn't good enough to bring the brain up to temperature except during those few minutes a day in the warm water.

I think you are correct. It certainty feels that way. Putting my face inches from the woodburning stove feels mighty good. I think I need my own personal mini sun to orbit around my head.