#i say i dont use any products on my hair including shampoo and conditioner and no one can wrap their mind around it :/

[fxggotclown]

i have to wash my hair brush and comb regularly or i get very so so so upset .

[sweetpeas-silver]

Hair care advice please?

I grew up with people who never taught me anything about hygiene or taking care of my body (ie, everything I learned was of my own accord. Everything.) and people who also have straight hair. Barely a wave going on.

I have curly hair (I think?). A few years ago, my hair was blonde and straight with a small curl up at the ends, but as Im getting older its become much darker and curlier throughout, and therefore, maintaining it has become a little harder than just brushing it out.

Now, I LOVE my curls. Id say they usually look like a 2B or 2C from what I looked up, but if I learned how to take care of them I think they could be 3A (but not coily, I dont think)

So, whats my issue then???

I KNOW I'm not treating my hair and scalp right, and I don't know who to ask for help on it, so I thought tumblr would be a good start. Previously I've watched short videos or read through articles and tips for hair, but then I face three Big Problems.

I'm incredibly low income, and maybe get the chance to spend money on myself, let alone personal or pricey products, a few times a year. Almost everything I've seen that relates to hair-care includes a handful of expensive shampoos or diffusers, and I just can't afford that, and I won't be able to for a long time.

Second: oils. Oils are something I thought I could try, like coconut or olive, because my household has those. But I'm also autistic and HEAVILY aversive to that feeling being and STAYING on me. So that didnt. It didn't end well.

Which leads into number three, I wash my hair almost every day of the week. I cant stand the feel of dirt or even the littlest but of grease, so every morning I wash it, shampoo and conditioner. I know thats not good for my hair. I do, and i'm trying to train myself out of it, but not washing it on the weekends or on Wednesdays.

Big point is, I need affordable advice on managing my hair, if anybody has any. I've considered buying a bonnet for at night, or using a strainer as a stand in diffuser(??) but I just don't really know what to do. If using oils really does work, or drying it with a cotton shirt rather than towel does, I'm willing to make those adjustments, as long as other people have good reviews of it.

Thank you for any advice left, it's deeply appreciated :)

[diversion-reine]

UNIVERSITY CHECKLIST

no caps intended

I’m no university expert, especially as i’m not even old enough to go yet but the whole aspect of uni really interests me, and after doing some research, i think i could actually give some good tips for any university freshers. whether you’re struggling with packing, or need ideas for a personalised dorm room, here is a checklist for stationary, dor ms, clothing, essentials and any other tips.

Dorm Rooms:

in your first year, you’ll be living in the dorm halls with other students, so making your room as personalised and comfortable as possible is important. make sure to check if your university or halls allow you to decorate with accessories, before doing so to prevent any misunderstanding. 

-links included-

duvet, duvet cover, bedsheets, pillows, pillowcases (no links)

mattress protector - soft,anti allergen

throw blankets - ocean, solar system 

coat hangers - plain white

door stop - whale, hedgehog

cute cushions - nutella,’avacuddle’,succulent, marble

personal photos

rug - rose garden, cactus on pink

fairy lights - festoon bulbs, curtian line string lights

candles - seychelles signature, colour dripping, cactus, avacado

books - my not so perfect life - sophie kinsella, remember me - sophie kinsella, larchfield - polly clark

purse/cards/id/passport/important documents

clothes basket - water pages, 

floor shelving unit - simple, three cube

wall tapestry- microbes, thunderclouds

electrical products

laptop/computer/phone/tablet/camera

chargers for electrical devices

earplugs/speakers - rose gold, beats, hex aqua speaker

alarm clock - black led, message board alarm

usb tv stick - amazon fire 8gb, chromecast

power extension chord (it’s recommended for you to buy one that has surge protection such as this one)

desk lamp - gold satin, rose elegance

memory stick - 16gb, 64gb

Kitchen

living in halls requires you to share a common room and a kitchen with a few other people, and it comes in handy to be prepared. check what the uni provides to ensure that you aren’t buying unnecessary products.

NO LINKS BECAUSE THESE CAN BE EASILY BROUGHT AT ANY SUPERMARKET OR HOMEWARE STORE.

coffee maker

hot drink products (teabags,coffee grains,hot chocolate)

Tin opener

Bottle opener

Corkscrew

Wooden spoons or spatulas

Masher

Mixing bowl

Measuring jug

tupperware

cutlery (essential)

crockery (bowls,plates,mugs,glasses,cups)

Bathroom

some itemsfrom this list such as shampoo or shower gel could be brought when you get there, to make the suitcase load a little lighter

shampoo,conditioner,shower gel,shavers etc 

toothbrush - rechargable electric, sensitive teeth

toothpaste and holder - cubi holder, mist holder, stugvik

washbag - hi-kawaii whale, hedgehog design

medication (paracetomal,ibuprofen,allergy tablets,flu tablets,any other personal medication)

towels - egyptian cotton, patagonia towels

plasters - blister, waterproof

febreeze (ofc no link)

face wash,cream,makeup,other beauty prouducts

makeup wipes - johnsons, simple

hair brush (can be brought at primark, or any large supermarket)

mentrual items (pads or tampons)

Other accessories

these are decorations or other useful items you may need that don’t come under any specific catagory. 

reusable tumbler cups - milkshake design, ‘hello lovely’

makeup holder - three piece mirrorred set, midmade boxes

smartphone vase (link)

document tray (link)

plants - modern potted succulents, air planters, faux nematanthus

bunny ear pencil holder (link)

wooden phone holder (link)

style tile calendar (link)

Stationary

this is an important part of university, because most of your free time will probably be spent doing essays, projects, presentations or research. you could easily buy these items when you get there, but with some less common items, it’s best to be prepared.

pens/pencils/rubbers/sharpeners/ruler (basics)

washi tape - sakura, mosaic nature

paper clips - marshmellow, teardrop

post-it notes -  granite/marble, ‘fruity’

diary/journal - plant, ‘things i’ll never say’

stapler - chicken, panda

binder - pink and black set, rose gold 

highlighters - stabilo original, sharpie highlighters

dont forget....

lighter or matches for your candles

batteries for any electrical devices that need them

hair dryer/hair straighteners/hair ties/bobbles

backpacks/bags for carrying books around or going out.

Thankyou for reading this, and possibly using the links. i know this is a little late for the whole back to school era but it’s only been a month since so i’m not too late. anyway, i hope you enjoyed and don’t forget to follow & leave suggestions on ‘send a post’

photo credit: unknown

social medias 

twitter: @alxnarowland

instagram: @alana.saffron

wattpad: mukeidkk

alternative instagram: @senpairowlxnd

[spreadyourwingsc]

Just because im bored af

Spotify, SoundCloud, or Pandora? spotify

is your room messy or clean? in between

what color are your eyes? brown

do you like your name? why? yeah, its mine.

what is your relationship status? just broken up

describe your personality in 3 words or less enthusiastic, anxious, determinated

what color hair do you have? black

what kind of car do you drive? color? white, ford escape

where do you shop? forever 21, h&m...the such, whatever i like

how would you describe your style? simple

favorite social media account? instagram probably

what size bed do you have? twin

any siblings? just one

if you can live anywhere in the world where would it be? why? somewhere in Europe, idk

favorite snapchat filter? i dont use snapchat

favorite makeup brand(s)? i dont wear make up

how many times a week do you shower? like ten times?

favorite tv show? dont have any

shoe size? 6

how tall are you? about 5′1

sandals or sneakers? flip flops

do you go to the gym? nope

describe your dream date...amusement park.

how much money do you have in your wallet at the moment? not much

what color socks are you wearing? im not wearing any socks

how many pillows do you sleep with? two

do you have a job? what do you do? not now.

how many friends do you have? very few

whats the worst thing you have ever done? not talk when i should have and lie idk

whats your favorite candle scent? i dont use this

3 favorite boy names Shane, Keith, Kaysen

3 favorite girl names Cassidy, Shane, idk

favorite actor? right now Rami Malek

favorite actress? Angelina Jolie

who is your celebrity crush? right now Ben Hardy

favorite movie? I dont have one in particular

do you read a lot? whats your favorite book? i dont. i should.

money or brains? both mate.

do you have a nickname? what is it? people call me by my last name.

how many times have you been to the hospital? too many to count.

top 10 favorite songs oh my god. let just say my latest playlist includes  Pink, Queen,  The greatest showman

do you take any medications daily? i try not to

what is your skin type? (oily, dry, etc) dry

what is your biggest fear? lose my parent, not accomplish my dreams, to be raped.

how many kids do you want? i dont.

whats your go to hair style? afro

what type of house do you live in? (big, small, etc) 4 bdroom condo

who is your role model? my parents

what was the last compliment you received? “But she has something great, whatever you need to be done, she’s going to do it”

what was the last text you sent? it was a gif reponse

how old were you when you found out santa wasn’t real?i dont know

what is your dream car? just a car is the dream

opinion on smoking? its relaxing

do you go to college? yeah

what is your dream job? live show production

would you rather live in rural areas or the suburbs? city.or the beach

do you take shampoo and conditioner bottles from hotels? sometimes?

do you have freckles? no

do you smile for pictures? yes

how many pictures do you have on your phone? 1,522

have you ever peed in the woods? kinda

do you still watch cartoons? if they are on

do you prefer chicken nuggets from Wendy’s or McDonalds? mcdonals

Favorite dipping sauce? honey mustard

what do you wear to bed? pijamas

have you ever won a spelling bee? no

what are your hobbies? lately: reading on watppad, singing a lot, being depressed and watching movies.

can you draw? if i try

do you play an instrument? yeah

what was the last concert you saw? a Pink’s tribute?

tea or coffee? coffee

Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts? Starbucks

do you want to get married? eventually

what is your crush’s first and last initial?  AD

are you going to change your last name when you get married? not sure

what color looks best on you? black.

do you miss anyone right now? hell yeah

do you sleep with your door open or closed? closed

do you believe in ghosts? yeah

what is your biggest pet peeve? bugs and germs

last person you called` probably my mom

favorite ice cream flavor? chocolate

regular oreos or golden oreos? reg

chocolate or rainbow sprinkles? chocolate

what shirt are you wearing? just a chirstmas themed one

what is your phone background? a surfer and a shark

are you outgoing or shy? depends

do you like it when people play with your hair? no

do you like your neighbors? i dont mind them

do you wash your face? at night? in the morning? both

have you ever been high? yeah

have you ever been drunk? yeah

last thing you ate? bread with eggs and cheese

favorite lyrics right now “whatever you want” from Pink

summer or winter? winter

day or night? night

dark, milk, or white chocolate?  darkk

favorite month? october and december

what is your zodiac sign? libra

who was the last person you cried in front of?  i dont know probably my mom

[ratthewrodent]

Ok, I love lifestyle bloggers but to be honest I can never really trust their reviews of things because there's just no way I can be that motivated, consistent, organized, or self-sacrificing. But oh lordy do I try.Here's some of the "zero waste"/ "buy it for life" / "Environmental" things and hacks I've tried and how they compare to the normal products I would have used. 5/5 is going to be exactly as good as a normal product.A disclaimer- I am a young, able bodied adult woman with no kids, no allergies, and non-sensitive skin. I'm also going to be referring to products very generically, because many I bought locally but have identical or similar items all over the market. Also there will be TMI for things like body care and butts and stuff so... yeah.Saftey Razor (5/5) - I genuinely don't know how disposable razors managed to so thoroughly usurp safety razors, it is a marvel of marketing. I bought a super cheap safety razor ($20ish) and a 5 pack of blades because I was nervous and yeah there was a bit of a learning curve but not more than normal shaving? I'd say the biggest difference is the fact that pressing harder doesn't change anything and if your shave isn't close enough you need to switch angles instead of just going over and over again. I am not a patient shower-er and I have not yet cut myself. I've used it to shave every area except the Brazilian wax area. No razor burn to be seen (but again I have non sensitive skin). I dispose of the blades first in any old plastic container or can I'm getting rid of anyway before the trash, but that process may be more difficult with children who have access to bathrooms.I could see how blade removal could be difficult for folks with shaky hands, and obviously self harm triggers from the blades are present.Shaving Cream Bar (4/5) - Not as satisfying as a foam, but equally as effective. Docked a tiny bit for being very slippery to handle, especially when on its last legs. Also tough to spread around bikini areas.Cardboard Tube "natural" deodorant (2/5) - I really wanted to like this one more because I loved the smell and the idea of it, but these suckers are fairly expensive and I also seem to like,,,, crush them???? I am not raging hulk of a person as far as I know but these suckers just have not managed to keep their whole shape and "push-up-ability" for me. Also I'm a real sweaty bastard and while it smelled nice it was not workday capable without a re-application. All in all it was just too much money for a semi-crushed nice smelling stick for me to buy again.Old tee-shirt cotton pads (4/5) - I was shocked, shocked I tell you, with how well this ended up working for me. I was completely unwilling to actually sew a hem around the squares I cut from a no longer wanted cotton shirt and so I felt crazy looking at these stupid little fraying bits of scrap cloth. But I put them in an old tissue box and they blended right in with my bathroom. Applying products to the squares and then my face is exactly as good feeling as a standard disposable wipe. I used a different small basket I already had for dirty ones so I could wash them in larger batches because my morning process does not leave room for me deal with them one at a time because my life is a mess sometimes.Washing them is... a process. At first I tried hand washing but then drying was not happening and my partner did not deserve the punishment of tiptoeing through a bathroom with like 50 cotton squares just around. Also cat hair got on everything. Eventually I ended up with the solution to use a mesh bag (like for bras) and added them to my laundry load that way so they dont get lost.Honestly I would try this one if only because you have nothing to lose. You're getting rid of the tee shirt anyway, rub your face with it first and see if you like it!Silicone period cup (4.5/5) - I really like mine and it takes a bit of practice, but I'd say it's well worth the learning curve. Once you know how to do it you can pop that sucker out, wash it and pop it back in in less than 3 minutes tops. Holds like 8 hours of blood no problemo.Old clothing "paper" towels (2/5)- I wish this worked for me as well as the bathroom squares did. But between the cats and my general messiness old clothes were just not absorbent enough to clean as well as my actual wash rags. I may just have shitty clothes though.They did work well for very specific instances like wiping up a spilled drink on a flat surface, but not enough for me to be willing to have a basket of old shirts just sitting in my house.Bamboo Travel Cutlery (0/5) - No shade if you like these but they were garbage to me. I bought them because I was tricked by green-washing and cool advertisements and I wish I had just packed a normal fork.Bar Shampoo/conditioner (2/5) - While these technically did a job, they did not work for me and my partner (and we share shampoo). He has thick curly locks and the shampoo and conditioner in a bar was just not able to permeate without some very meticulous showering and we are not meticulous people. Our showers are 10 minutes give or take, and we needed something more simple. I am also a clutz and would always drop them, losing whole dollars of shampoo at a time.Some crazy shampoo/conditioner that a local hippie delivers to me in a metal tin so I only needed one reusable pump (5/5) - Hell yeah! I can't really do a good recommendation on this one because obviously not everyone is as lucky as I am to have a zero waste shop in the same city as they are. But here is my plea - give your local hippie shop owners a chance, do some intensive googling for local businesses and you may be pleasantly surprised at what you find! (by the way, if you're in the Tacoma area A Drop In The Ocean makes my shampoo)Bidet (5/5+) - Honestly I tell people who arent zero waste to get a bidet. Just get one, they're so good. Mine was like $30 and it only shoots cold water and it's still the best thing that's ever happened to me. I still use toilet paper with mine but now it's like one square at a time for drying purposes.Cast Iron Pan (5/5) - Im in love with my cast iron. It just sits on my stove and I cook everything on it. That being said, I've never managed to get it truly seasoned to be non stick on its own, I add a lil oil to it for that. I also literally dont know what all these crazy care instructions on the internet are. My father used a cast iron for 40+ years and he cleans it with water, sometimes a little soap if it's uber gross and it's literally fine. I've seen him re season it once. Not a good pan for people who have muscular troubles with their hands though, these bad boys are pretty heavy.Also side bar: Advice about cast irons online is terrible it's all so pretentious and frightening to read if you don't have background knowledge but I swear, it's super simple. All those people using big words and crazy continuous care are just like, high on their own knowledge or something.You clean the cast ironyou rub that bad boy with some vegetable oil or criscoyou throw it upside down in the oven at 375 for an hour and let coolBAM all done. It is now seasoned forever. If for some reason you feel the seasoning getting thin somewhere (maybe because you're like me and accidentally left it in soapy water overnight because I'm a sinner) Just do step 1-3 again.A mason jar instead of a reusable cup (0/5) - I dropped my bag because I'm a moron and it fucking exploded because it's glass, maybe 5/5 if you're not a moron but I'm unwilling to attempt again.Keepcup TM (1/5) - Very cute but the lid stopped working after I kept putting boiling hot drinks in it. My friend's still works fine so maybe it's a fluke, but I didn't get another.A $2 reusable starbucks cup (4/5) - Because I broke every other cup I guess. I also beat the shit out of it with no visible damage so far, including microwave, freezing, dropping and dishwasher. They are pretty thin though so I use a knit cozy so I can hold it when hot. Also doesn't seal shut.Cutting open the bottle of my swiffer cleaner so I could refill it (5/5+) - Only thing that makes my swiffer worth it. The seal is a lie, there's threading under there. The instructions linked are a good way to do it, but I literally just hacked at the edge of mine with a knife until it came off. I refill using a cleaning concentrate and it works equally as well as the original cleaner. Throwing in that I got a reusable swiffer pad set of three as well and they work great too. Just throw them in with the laundry when they're dirty!Powder Toothpaste (1/5) - Again, power to you if you can use this. My teeth felt clean but I also wanted to barf while using it. I did use it all, which I am proud of, and I did gag every time, which I am not.And finally...A metal reusable straw (3/5) - It's fine I guess. I cant really take it places with me but it's nice for when I drink at home.I am so sorry this got so long. I don't know what happened. Quarantine is just so boring. Hopefully maybe other people can leave honest reviews of them trying to live normal lives with zero waste products too and add validity to this monstrosity or maybe just point out things I missed or something. via /r/ZeroWaste

[k0galgadotsexscenez4-blog1]

Photo Credit: Fashion and Beauty Blogger: Hrishitaa Sharma at Kromakay Salon Identification been wanting to colour the hair in gorgeous shades of caramel and golden since a while now. Yet my apprehensions about the harm, will it suit me or not, is it going to be worth it and hundred such queries never let me take the plunge. Therefore since my original locks colour was light brown-ish, I relied on the sunlight giving me some organic highlights (admit it, you choose to do that too! ). Till whenever could I have done that, right? So I mustered some bravery and got set to check out it off my wishlist. After a lot of research about where to go for hair coloring, I homed down to Kromakay Salon (read the evaluation here) and booked an appointment with the Director and Originator Kanta Motwani. Shes furthermore the woman behind many celebrities hair transformation like Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Twinkle Khanna, Kriti Sanon to name a number of. Apart from being a total pro shes also a warm person. She could tell I used to be nervous and made sure that I got comfortable by speaking about the process with me. She furthermore suggested some pretty shades that can complement my epidermis. I instantly knew the hair transformation is in great hands. Kanta along with innovative stylist Sonal (the girl behind Esha Guptas beautiful golden locks) were spots to transform my locks. Check out the images to know the procedure: Fashion & Beauty Tumblr: Hrishitaa Sharma meets along with Director Kanta Motwani in Kromakay Salon All Hair Partitioned In Sections Applying Colour And Wrapping It In Silver Foils An excellent Blow Out Kanta Motwani Styling The Final Result While the 2-3 hour process was taking place, I saw my shot and asked Kanta all the burning up questions Ive had regarding colouring my hair. I realize it wasnt the usual hair and facial salon gossip sesh but it really was helpful. Im sure they are all the questions every first timer would have. 1 . There are many misguided beliefs about colouring your hair, one of these being; if youre taking a swim chlorine water will change the colour of your hair is it accurate? Its not a myth. Chlorine will always make your hair change colour due to the chemical reaction. The chemical will react together with your hair, if your hair can be porous, damaged or bleached. If you have any blonde locks and you swim in chlorinated water your hair will get damaged and dry and dis-coloured. 2 . What is the degree of harm your hair faces when it is colored? It doesnt get damaged at all, if you use the right colours and right product. You have to assess your hair. A good hairstylist always examines the condition of locks to see if it can keep back the colour. The hair colouring procedure opens up your hair cuticle as well as the colour gets deposited. The colours are good and also include sheen to your hair. Therefore dont worry much about the harm. 3. But there are misguided beliefs like your hair gets really rough/dry after you colour hair. How to curb that? The aftercare has to be correct. Therefore use the right shampoo and conditioner to maintain the colour. Tend not to expose your hair to sunlight, it will damage your hair. four. So a conditioner is really a must after colouring hair? Yes, whether you colour your hair or not a conditioner is a must as it closes your hair cuticles and causes it to be smooth. So its just like a finishing product. 5. Therefore people say that some colours only suit certain epidermis toned people, is that accurate? Its true. You have to you should be comfortable with what youre putting on. If you want blonde hair as well as your skin tone is very sallow, then you definitely just have to add a warm sculpt to your blondes so it appears nice. The colour of your locks should highlight your skin sculpt and features. A proper discussion from the hair stylist prior to getting your hair coloured is extremely recommended. 6. Are there any particular trends that have recently show up when it comes to hair colouring? Umm, these are just terminologies termed by hair artists, some people call balayage a colour dissolve. Some use the term reverse balayage depending on the placement of the particular co...

[alysonsbeautyreviews]

This is gonna be my first beauty review here! (So please excuse me while I sort out a format) A little background is that my hair naturally is a dark blonde, but was previously dyed by other brands, as well as bleached. It was a light copper color when I dyed my hair. I also only wash my hair 2x a week. No rinse or anything between, maybe a light amount of dry shampoo, if my hair is too oily A little information about the hair dye is it comes with a bottle with needle nose opening, a metal tube, a conditioner, gloves and instructions. You mix the contents of the tube and the bottle and (since this one is red) it begins to turn orange. (Which can be frightening if your dyeing for the first time or hate orange like I do). I had a friend help the first time I used this product since I was not well experience with doing it myself. (Turns out neither was she) however after mixing the contents we noticed there was no traditional heavy dye scent from the ammonia and such. It was a light scent and it didn't bother me at all. It is a very liquid formula in comparison to some others I have used, which does both aid and hinder the person using it. I noticed that it made it very easy to place in the hair and was very forgiving and made it easy to apply evenly. It states to leave in hair approx 25-30 minutes, I love dark hair for me and wanted it darker and left it on for 35ish minutes. Now time for the rinse out right? Well DONT BE AFRAID! They do say to wash your hair with shampoo! And you should! They want you to rinse your hair and when the water runs clear, wash your hair with shampoo, which is not something I was used to. It probably is stated because when you rinse, your hair clumps together. It rinses at about the same rate. Then come conditioner. The one they include you are to towel dry your hair and then apply the product and rinse out. It has a weird scent. It smells manly in a way, which is pleasant at first but does NOT GO AWAY. Which is very irritating after about hour into it and you can still smell all day. BUT it does make your hair very soft and supple. Final results? There was multi dimensional color, with lots of shine (if it weren't for my roots and eyebrows, it might look natural). My hair was very soft and looked great. It has very good staying power. My fiance and I commented about the surprise it lasted so long and was so dark. I was very happy with the results and they now have a customer for life. Now, no surprise, I did have color loss on the ends of my hair, but it also a very damaged area for me, and it did look better than any dye I had used up until this point. After my shower I realized I had dye all over my face that sad orange and it faded after a couple days. (Spoiler alert) the second time I dyed my hair I had no staining to my face as I used a face scrubber for the face and scrubbed my scalp knowing I wasn't going to lose color on my hair. FOLLOW-UP I have done a redye for my roots, and I had the same great results following their root touch-up instructions. My ends also went back to the same great color. TL:DR Pros: scent was light for the dye, ease of use, shine, multi dimensional color, liquidity formula (forgiving) Cons: seems daunting for first time user, scent of the conditioner, liquidity formula (messy af) Overall a 💎9/10. Great product in my book!

[viralhottopics]

You’re Probably Showering Way Too Often

Did you shower this morning? Yeah?

Gross.

Ok, I confess, I showered this morning too. But I feel pretty weird about it.

That’s because of surprisingly compelling argumentthat regular showers AKAthe harsh, scalding scour of essential oils and organisms from your skin is bad for your health, your scent, and the balance of life on your body.

But it’s a difficult subject to write about, because there isn’t a body of research to point to that can tell you exactly how often you should cleanse yourself, or with what methods.In fact, thisposed a problem for even writing this article; the original premise, a clear answer to the question “How often should I shower?” just does not appear in any of the available research.

What does exist is a growing body of evidence to suggest that our shampoo-scrubbed lifestyles, along with a number of other factors, are damaging a complex system science does not yet fully understand: the human microbiome.

Showering too much can mess with your skin, and even the way your body functions

The microbiome is the collection of bacteria, archeae, viruses, and other microbes that live in and on your body. We know that these little foreign crittersare deeply important to your health. Without them, your immune system, digestion, and even your heartwould lose function or fail entirely.

It might make sense to understand the microbiome as a parallel and complementary organ system intertwinedwith the bulkier bags of wet tissue we typically understand to make up the human machine.

But researchers say the state of the science only offers a small slice of the full picture of the role our microbiomes play in our lives.

(Part of the problem? There’s little in the way of a focused effort to fund research into the subject, with grant structures siloingmicrobiome investigations into other, narrower specialties. The result isthat it’s difficult for interested scientists to launch coordinated, multi-disciplinary studies.)

There’s compelling indirect evidence to suggest that showering damages your microbiome on your skin, which in turn damages your skin health.

At the broadest level, it’s fairly clear that indoor, urbanized and sterilized (crudely: Westernized) living leaves people with less complex and robust microbiomes.

A study of the people of Yanomami village in the Amazon, who had “no documented previous contact with Western people” found their skin, mouths, and feces hosted the richest complement of bacteria in any human population examined until that point a complement that included antibiotic-resistant species, despite no known contact with antibiotics.

And it’s well established that a shower with shampoo and soap strips your hair skin of much of its microbe complement, as well as necessary oils which the cosmetic industry then attempts to replace, using conditioners and moisturizers.

Further, there’s good reason to think that the common skin conditions of everyday life, like acne, emerge from disruptions to the normal microbiome.

What to do about the stink

All those dots in a row sure look like an arrow pointing toward the conclusion that showering too often is a bad idea for your health. But there’s no published research that I’m aware of drawing a clear, bright line between them.

(If I’ve missed something, I expect I’ll hear about it soon via all-caps notes in my inbox, and I’ll update accordingly.)

Part of the problem may be that it’s difficult to assemble a large enough body of subjects willing to skip showering for a long period of time to conduct a high-confidence controlled study. Instead, the published science on shower-skipping is mostly a stackstories of self-experimentation.

These stories, anecdotally at least, answer the most important question about shower-skipping: What to do about the stink?

Here’s the problem: Some of the bacteria that make up your microbiome excrete nasty-smelling chemicalsthat add up to odors wafting from your body’s folds and creases. Stop rinsing them away, or killing them with deodorant, and things could get pretty gross.

Still,shower skippers say that problem only exists because our microbiome is so disrupted in the first place.

The most prominent example is probably James Hamblin of The Atlantic, who published an essay in June 2016 explaining is decision to gradually give up the daily scrub.

“At first, I was an oily,smelly beast,” he wrote.

But the theory goes that your body adjusts to the new shower-free normal, and your renewed, recalibrated microbiome smells a lot more pleasant if a bit more earthy than Old Spice.

That seems to have worked out for Hamblin:

I still rinse off elsewhere when Im visibly dirty, like after a run when I have to wash gnats off my face,because there is still the matter ofsociety.If I have bed head, I lean into the shower andwet it down.But I dont use shampoo or body soap, and I almost never get into a shower…

…And everything is fine. I wake up and get out the door in minutes. At times when I mightve smelled bad before, like at the end of a long day or after working out, I just dont. At least, to my nose. Ive asked friends to smell me, and they insist that its all good. (Though they could be allied in an attempt to ruin me.)

Is a shower-free lifestyle actually healthier?

While it’s not entirely clear that people like Hamblin are healthier than the rest of us (that is such a fuzzy concept), there’s certainly no clear reason to think they’relesshealthy either. And, as he points out, they sure do save a lot of time, water, and money getting up in the morning.

If you decide to cut down on your showering, or start skipping it entirely, it’s probably a good idea to avoid being around people you want to impress for a while.

Hamblin spoke to Julia Scott, a journalist who documented her own transition to shower-free living for The New York Times Magazine. Scott used products from a company called AOBiome intended to promote a healthy skin microbiome, and found that she smelled of onions for a little while, at least to some of her friends, while her body adjusted.

She also found that just a week of showering at the end of the experiment destroyed her newly-cultivated colony entirely.

So here’s the deal: I’m sold on the idea that scrubbing soap and cosmetics into my skin every day is probably a bad idea. But if I’m being honest with you, I’mnot brave enough to switch over to a shower-free regime just yet.

In the meantime, I tweeted at Hamblin asking him if he’s kept up his no-shower routine, but he hasn’t responded.

–

If he does, I’ll ask him what he smells like.

Read the original article on Business Insider. Copright 2017.

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