Rupert wrote:
"Alan Holmes" wrote in message
...

"Mike Lyle" wrote in [...]
Actually, we use soap far too much. I once lived on intimate terms
with a family who only ever used soap for hands and emergencies.
They did use deodorant, though sparingly, and were all as sweet as
nuts, and had lovely skin. It was interesting to see the way water
behaved on the children: it went into well-defined globules, as on
waterproofed cloth. I don't suppose it would take too long for our
skins to get back to normal if we gave up soap for bathing.

So, what do you do, just stand under the shower and rub your hands
all over your body in the hope some of the dirt will come off?

Alan


Yes that's about it -and most if not all the dirt will come off,
however most of the body oils will not be removed.
You could use soap ( the stuff that forms a scum in hard water)
instead of the modern detergents.
Removing *all* body hair also helps :-)
As an experiment try washing your hair for the next few weeks in
plain warm water and report back to the group with your findings.

We don't often actually _get_ much dirt on our bodies anyway. I'm
soap-addicted myself, but any beautician will probably confirm that it
does more harm than good except where genuine hygiene is concerned. The
things plain water won't shift aren't an everyday problem for most
people, and when they do appear it's usually on limited areas.

--
Mike.