SHTF Hygiene

[noobiechickenlady]

Straight razor? Near my girl parts? OMG.

Warmed beeswax and some sort of cloth to yank it off with. You'd be good for several months, if you could get past the first round of "YEEEOOOUUUCH". I think I'd rather be hairy, myself

During a primitive camping trip one year I discovered that sand makes a great skin scrub. Wouldn't use it on my face, but gently scrubbing with sandy water gets a lot of dirt off, without even using soap. Helps with the funk, too.

On the funk issue, most of the folks who don't make soap will be funky themselves and probably wouldn't notice anyone else's funk I can vouch for the baking soda & lotion thing too. Doesn't keep me from sweating in the southern heat, but cuts waaaay down on the funk.

DH trims his nails with a pocketknife. I bite mine.

 

[Emerald]

Has anyone tried growing bouncing bet/soapwort? works ok and kinda grows wild around here.
Over in the Pacific states don't they have Indian lilac? the blooms can be used like soap and dried for later use too.
And when my last razor gives out--I guess my hubby will just have to get used to the yeti look!

 

[freemotion]

Really, ladies, if you are spending every waking moment and every ounce of energy just trying to obtain water, food, clothing, and shelter, will you really care if your legs and pits are hairy or if you smell? Natural birth control!!!

 

[dragonlaurel]

Look up sugaring. It's like waxing but an option if you don't have beeswax. Shaving less often slows down the regrowth too and it's less coarse.

I guess this is a good time to tell one of my secrets. Look at a gardening by the moon type calender/almanac. The days they say to weed the garden are also the best times for getting rid of unwanted hair. It really slows down the regrowth process for me.

 

[Shiloh Acres]

I didn't even think of shaving. Honestly I only do it a few times a year, usually. I don't know if it grows slowly because I don't shave often, or age , or what. I remember I was a hairy little monkey as a teenager, LOL. I used to look at the dark hairs on my arms and think about shaving them, but I never did. Now the hair on my arms is thin and blonde. The hair on my legs is not noticeable if I wear shorts, though I don't have that silky feel.

I could put back a large package of disposables and get by for the rest of my life at this rate.

I gave up aluminum deodorant years ago. I didn't know the stones had aluminum. Sigh. If that's true, I guess it would explain why they work as an anti-perspirant for me. I use them in conjunction with a natural lavender roll on. But I usually only use deodorant on Sundays or if I'm getting dressed up and going to town, so only a few days a month. Showering works for me otherwise.

I'm going to have to try the baking soda and lotion though. I don't need deodorant for a few years or more -- it lasts so long. But I like using baking soda so I have to see how that works.

 

[ChickenToes]

According to this, crystal deoderant doesn't have aluminum in it. It has 2 different types of alum, potassium alum and ammonium alum. Apparently these types are very safe.

http://www.thecrystal.com/faq.cfm

I tried sugar waxing and it does work really well, I don't even think it was all that painful. But my hair grows so fast that it's not worth it. I'm talking within 2 weeks my hair is growing back in. Sigh.

 

[FarmerChick]

you "could" live without all that stuff

the people before us sure did ---as did the native americans etc etc etc

all ya need truly is a way to brush ur teeth, even using a rag and water freshened with herbs is good enough in a pinch. Rag baths....bath in a small tub of water or a creek etc.

and truly if the "SHTF", depending on the scenario, my armpits are the last thing I am worrying about and my fingernails WOULD be short from chewing them to the nub from worry lol

 

[big brown horse]

Threading is the way to go if TSHTF.

 

[SKR8PN]

Really, ladies, if you are spending every waking moment and every ounce of energy just trying to obtain water, food, clothing, and shelter, will you really care if your legs and pits are hairy or if you smell? Natural birth control!!!

Not if EVERYONE had the same hair growth and smelled as bad as everyone else......

Desperate times call for desperate measures, or........
A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do!

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Thanks for the info, Chicken Toes. I hadn't had a chance to look it up. I was going to be surprised if it DID have aluminum, but they sometimes slip in changes in the health food store brands and you find chemicals you don't expect in them. Gotta read the labels not just once but KEEP reading them if you don't want that stuff.