Taking showers everyday is very American and unnecessary

[csziggy]

32. When working on the farm I had to shower daily

Hard, manual labor when it is hot, dry, or dusty makes it mandatory to take a shower. There were times when the water rinsing off my body was muddy, especially after mucking out stalls or mowing pastures all day. And there were days when I was literally covered in shit - and other biological materials.

Now that I don't do that kind of work, I find that I still need to shower at least every 48 hours or I begin to react to my own sweat. If I don't use deodorant or if I need to shave my armpits, I smell in as little as three hours. And if my armpit hair is longer than a quarter of an inch, washing does not remove the smell that accumulates in the hair.

I can tell the difference if I don't stay clean - my skin gets irritated and I break out. Even with the drying type of soap I must use (because of my allergies to fragrances and ingredients in other soaps) my skin is softer and obviously healthier when I shower every 24 to 48 hours.

If I don't wash my hair every other day, it is an oily, stringy mess and my scalp breaks out. It does get too dry if I wash it every single day for weeks on end. I usually skip washing my hair a few times a week to let the natural oils refresh it.