baymule

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tortoise

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Update: I'm at 8 months without using body wash (and other conventional hygiene products). I haven't been using oil on my skin for a few months either. I noticed my legs are shiny! I've *always* had dry scaly skin and keratosis pilaris rubra. The kp is barely there!

DH still hasn't noticed any odor. No issues with underarm wetness since stopping wearing clothes that jam up into armpits and wick moisture.

I stopped shaving underarms to see what would happen. With deodorant, shaving was mandatory or I would stink! Seems to be completely optional. No issues with odor or wetness. I suspect underarm hair prevents moisture from wicking onto clothes, but I haven't done a good test of that suspicion.

My current routine is curly girl approved hair conditioner and hair gel, and avocado and/or jojoba oil on my hair occasionally when it gets frizzy. Soap for washing hands. And sometimes soap for washing feet since I go barefoot most of the time. I use a cream of tartar and lemon juice scrub on my face weekly. I like to put jojoba oil on my face too. I usually brush teeth with just rinse of water. Since eliminating sugar in my diet, my mouth stays nice and fresh and I don't get morning breath unless I cheat and have sugar or artificial sweetener. I use baking soda if toothbrush + water isn't enough, like in the days after having something sweet. If I notice any body odor, I put baking soda on my armpits. When I first started that was several times per day, but now it's just when I go a few days between showering. Since leaving my underarm hair to grow, I started using a nail brush to scrub my underarms to exfoliate the skin.
 

Beekissed

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I'd love to try this! Do you use a brush of some kind to wash your body? How long did you do this before you noticed it was working and there was no sweat stink? I've been thinking about getting that boar bristle body brush for bathing and experimenting with using no soap, just to see what happens.

It's encouraging to know that your legs are shiny...speaks of good, healthy skin cells there.

Been using the Curly Girl too and am starting to see some curl definition but it's slow. Today was the first day it REALLY looked good when I awakened but it's 97% humidity this morning, so when I walked the dogs it turned into a rag.

I found I can't pineapple at night as it stretches out my curls, but I can wet my hair down, reapply some leave in, follow it up with a gel and sleep on it that way. During the night, the moving around in my sleep seems to break the cast and it all comes out looking great by morning.

The silk pillowcase has been wonderful, not only for my hair but for my face...I sleep on my stomach and the left side of my face mostly, so would often get up in the morning with a big crease and fluid pouch under that left eye, a crease by my nose, etc. that just wouldn't work out during the day. The silk took care of all of that.
 

tortoise

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I used baking soda for any odor, otherwise I would have smelled terrible at first! It was only a couple days of applying baking soda a few times a day before everything settled. I was surprised how quickly it worked!

I did skin brushing at first, but don't think it's necessary for me now.

I've been told that sleeping on wet hair = split ends. When I stopped sleeping on wet hair, I stopped getting split ends! So watch out for that. I don't pineapple at night. My hair isn't long enough!
 

Beekissed

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I used baking soda for any odor, otherwise I would have smelled terrible at first! It was only a couple days of applying baking soda a few times a day before everything settled. I was surprised how quickly it worked!

I did skin brushing at first, but don't think it's necessary for me now.

I've been told that sleeping on wet hair = split ends. When I stopped sleeping on wet hair, I stopped getting split ends! So watch out for that. I don't pineapple at night. My hair isn't long enough!

Mine isn't either. I sleep pretty much on my face, so even with wet hair, it doesn't really get mushed on the pillow much. It actually looks the best right after I wake up than it does the rest of the day...go figure.

No split ends in this hair...stopped using hair dryer years and years ago, stopped coloring years ago and now I've stopped the occasional curling, so the ends are healthy as they can be...now, just to get the rest of it to grow.

Thanks, I'll try that baking soda trick! I love a good experiment...got a few already going, so why not add another?
 

Beekissed

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I tried cowashing the other day for the first time, but definitely can't do that...my head was itching horribly by the next day and broke out....had scabs where it broke out and I was scratching it so much... that was gross. Could be this conditioner, so I'll try it again when I am done with this and got another.

Today is day 4 hair and it's looking and feeling great~not greasy, not dry, no itching, good curl definition~so I think I'm getting the hang of this method. I guess, after doing this for a couple of months now, something just clicked...I finally have a routine that's working.
 

tortoise

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I tried cowashing the other day for the first time, but definitely can't do that...my head was itching horribly by the next day and broke out....had scabs where it broke out and I was scratching it so much... that was gross. Could be this conditioner, so I'll try it again when I am done with this and got another.

Today is day 4 hair and it's looking and feeling great~not greasy, not dry, no itching, good curl definition~so I think I'm getting the hang of this method. I guess, after doing this for a couple of months now, something just clicked...I finally have a routine that's working.

oh my! That product sure did not agree with you! That sounds awful! I have not had that reaction to anything, thankfully! I have trouble with curl definition on subsequent days, but I can get a full 10 days between washes if I want to! LOL! I don't want to! I brush my hair out of my face when I'm gardening and it gets dirty!

So happy your routine is working!
 

Beekissed

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oh my! That product sure did not agree with you! That sounds awful! I have not had that reaction to anything, thankfully! I have trouble with curl definition on subsequent days, but I can get a full 10 days between washes if I want to! LOL! I don't want to! I brush my hair out of my face when I'm gardening and it gets dirty!

So happy your routine is working!

10 days!!!! :th I can only aspire to that. When I go out to work, that hair has to be pinned up or I'll just smother....too hot to do otherwise. Had it up all day and took it down to find I STILL had good definition, shine and softness. Don't know what's up, but I did something right for once...now, to remember what I did, exactly. :confused: :D
 

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