No Soap/Shampoo and Recent Developments

I decided a month or so ago to take the plunge and stop using soap and shampoo to wash myself with. I still use soap on my hands throughout the day to keep them clean, but soap no longer touches my body, nor does shampoo. I went this route after reading about other Primals going the no soap/shampp route and thought why not. I have had some remarkable changes that can not be attributed to my move into Primal eating alone.

Before and during my Primal lifestyle change my scalp had this strange sort of cradle cap thing going on, which was disgusting to say the least. Luckily it was not noticeable unless your hands were actually running through my hair, but I love the feeling of hands through my hair and scalp massages, meaning that while I loved it I refused it because I was afraid of what my wife would think. Regardless of if she felt grossed out or not, I felt grossed out for her. Since I have put down the shampoo bottle, by scalp does not have this problem anymore. I feel a whole less self-conscious, amazing what something as small as scalp issues can do to one's emotional health.

The other skin problem I had was this strange rash across my chest, back, and arms. Almost like a precurser to acne, but it never got as bad as real acne does. Anyways, much like my scalp problems, I did not want my wife to have to come in contact with this so I tried not to ask for back rubs and back scratches as much as possible. I changed detergents, changed soaps purchased all natural soaps from health food stores that were even safe to drink. Nothing helped. Except for not using soap at all.

I know it sounds crazy, but it worked.

"But you smell, don't you?"



I ran around outside for a good 3 hours with my kids and family on Easter Sunday and after retiring indoors, I was curious and smelled myself due to how much I was sweating. Nothing. My sister watched me smell myself and told me that I could borrow some deodorant if I need it. I told her that I did not stink, and explained about how I no longer use soap or shampoo in the shower. She was, understandably, disgusted and wrinkled her nose at me, but after she smelled my pits she told me that I smelled just a little and nothing like she thought I was going to smell like. She commented that I smelled like a guy who had been sleeping all night long, not like a guy who had been up 8+ hours and just spent the last 3 outdoor, in the heat, and was running around.

However, on the note of my smell, my wife commented this morning that I smell when I come home, due to the working out I have been doing at work. I was confused by this since I do not feel like I changed my workouts any, but as I was showering, it hit me: My workouts have not changed in that my weight use has not changed, but they are becoming more and more furious. Before I would do maybe 5 or 6 sets of reps with 150lbs for my biceps and triceps in about 10 minutes... now I do the same amount in 1 minutes time which makes me sweat like crazy. This means that my daily routine has been compromised, normally shower in the evening right before I leave for work, but if showering in the morning keeps the peace and ensures that my wife will want to cuddle with me in bed while I drift off to sleep, so be it.

Also, one more tidbit on the smell... the groin area, as men and women know, tends to get rather sweaty throughout the day with no fault of its own. When I used soaps, the smell was rather strong, causing me to want to wash there before any private moments with my wife, killing the spontaneity. Now, however, no matter how much I work out or how much I sweat, there is no stale smell and what little smell there is is barely noticeable.

So yeah, I'm not changing my lack of soap/shampoo use any time soon.

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