No Soap

[kevin_standlee]

I bought some shampoo today. This may sound commonplace, but I think it's the first time in about twenty years or more than I've done so. During that time, I have generally traveled enough that taking the remainder of the various unused shampoo and unopened bars of soap with me from the many hotels in which I've stayed has kept me in soap and shampoo, particularly as I'm not all that fussy about the types of soaps and shampoos that I've accumulated over the years. Indeed, not only has it been sufficient, but some years back I donated a box of unopened hotel soap and shampoo to charity because I had so much. Had I not done that, I wouldn't have run out this week; however, the COVID-19 shutdown has meant that we've traveled almost nowhere for most of the past two years, and I've finally run down the shampoo supply. Not the soap just yet, but the bottom of the box is visible.

Technically, I'm not completely out of shampoo, but I'm keeping one small container handy should I need to travel to places where shampoo and soap are not provided, such as in case I might have to make a trip to the office in the Bay Area (I hope not, but life is unpredictable) and live out of the Rolling Stone for a few days. Showers they have, but soap is my responsibility.

Comments

[delosharriman]

After years of struggling with dandruff, using all manner of medicated shampoos, et cetera, to no effect, my father found one that worked for him : "DHS Clear", which is mostly used by pharmacists as the base for making medicated shampoos. It contains the same basic ingredients as most shampoos out there, but no perfumes, dyes, et cetera. I've taken to using that as well. It's a trifle pricey, but I find a little goes a long way, so it balances out.

[kevin_standlee]

Yeah, I bought one of the no dyes/no perfumes shampoos, which took a bit of searching around the shelves and cost more than the other stuff, but while I tolerate all of the various hotel soaps pretty well, I don't need the extra stuff.

OTOH, Lush sells shampoo bars that include clove and cinnamon oil, which I rather like, so I might buy a couple of bars the next time I restock on my after-shave ointment.

[delosharriman]

I found that Suave sells a line of kids' body washes with various colours & scents, but the one with the baby seal on the bottle is clear & as close to perfume-free, et cetera, as products that cost quite a bit more.

For a while now, I've been shaving using oil rather than soap, but I may have to go back to soap. Most of the shaving oils out there (it seems to be much more common in Europe than here) are kind of tutti-fruitti in scent, & I don't like the way they make my skin feel. One particular brand seemed to contain quite a bit of clove & eucalyptus, with a pronounced astringent effect, & that really worked for me, but it seems to have gone off the market.