3 ms·

About a year ago, after reading some material (I think posted on HN) I decided to stop using soap on my body, for the most part. I have long hair, and I've str

About a year ago, after reading some material (I think posted on HN) I decided to stop using soap on my body, for the most part. I have long hair, and I've struggled with dandruff in the past, so washing it with shampoo and conditioner seemed to be the only way for a long time. But for the last year, I get up and do a relatively quick, hot shower. I use a tiny bit of soap between my legs. For the rest of my body, and especially my scalp, I vigorously scrub with my hands and fingernails. My hair, scalp and skin have never been more healthy. I produce notably less body odor now. So...I have been and remain a clean person. But now I'm not using substances that'll kill most everything on the surface of my body. And this has been a very good thing.

Frondo 11y ago
In my experience with a pair of friends who have gone the "no more soap" road, it isn't that they produce less odor (quite the contrary, and to the detriment of their careers, I'm really a bit sad to say), it's that they get accustomed to their odor.
toasterlovin 11y ago
For dandruff, I can highly recommend a mechanical solution (as opposed to a chemical one). The thing which has worked for me is a scalp scrubber. My barber explained dandruff to me as skin that has sloughed off of the scalp, but which hasn't come off the head yet. So you shampoo your hair, then scrub your scalp while the shampoo is still in your hair, this fully loosens the old skin (dandruff), which is removed along with the shampoo when you rinse. This has worked shockingly well for me and I only have to do it about once a week. The best part is that scalp scrubbers only cost $2. You can Google "scalp scrubber", but this is what I mean: http://www.completesalonsupply.com/scalpmaster-shampoo-brush-purple/?gclid=CLS6oZPrvcoCFYJEaQod0hIMNg http://www.completesalonsupply.com/scalpmaster-shampoo-brush...

Frondo 11y ago

In my experience with a pair of friends who have gone the "no more soap" road, it isn't that they produce less odor (quite the contrary, and to the detriment of their careers, I'm really a bit sad to say), it's that they get accustomed to their odor.

toasterlovin 11y ago

For dandruff, I can highly recommend a mechanical solution (as opposed to a chemical one). The thing which has worked for me is a scalp scrubber. My barber explained dandruff to me as skin that has sloughed off of the scalp, but which hasn't come off the head yet. So you shampoo your hair, then scrub your scalp while the shampoo is still in your hair, this fully loosens the old skin (dandruff), which is removed along with the shampoo when you rinse. This has worked shockingly well for me and I only have to do it about once a week. The best part is that scalp scrubbers only cost $2. You can Google "scalp scrubber", but this is what I mean: http://www.completesalonsupply.com/scalpmaster-shampoo-brush-purple/?gclid=CLS6oZPrvcoCFYJEaQod0hIMNg http://www.completesalonsupply.com/scalpmaster-shampoo-brush...