Hello. Let's talk about skin, we have all got some. It's that stretchy stuff which covers our bodies. According to my Human Biology folder, (1962) page 81, the function of the skin forms a boundary between us and the environment, acting as a protective layer against friction, bacteria, water, heat, and cold. It also helps to keep our temperature constant in spite of changes in the temperature of our surroundings. Pretty clever eh!.
Here on page 79 is my diagram of the components which make up the different layers.
Today, I scrubbed the skin all over my body while I soaked in the bath. These are the torture cleaning implements which I use. I like to remove all the dead skin. I start with my feet. Lying on my back I pull one knee up to my chin and work my way up the leg with this rough stone thing. The knee gets done, then the upper leg as far the bum cheek. Repeat the same procedure with the second leg.
For a final rinse off I lie back down in the bath and have a bit of a swish about. All nice and clean, and the dead skin all removed. You may have noticed that I didn't mention my face. I wash my hair over the full bath of clean water, (no soap added), and wash my face, before I get in.
Now what I want to know is how can you give yourself a full body scrub in a shower? I had showers at the hotel, but all they entailed was a soapy sponge and reaching as far as my little arms could stretch to around the middle of my body. My back didn't get done, forgot to take the brush, but there was no way that I could balance on one leg on a slippery surface to scrub my feet and below my knees.
It baffles me when people say they they have a shower every day, which usually entails dispensing half a bottle of shower gel into the palm of your hands and smearing it around all the crevices of your body then rinsing it off. Unless you have got sandpaper on the palm of your hands, I don't call that getting properly clean. And how do you wash your feet in the shower, that's what I would like to know, especially when you have soap running down your face and have to keep your eyes clamped tight shut. Do you wobble about on one leg and hope you don't slip?
Shower cubicles are so darn small. Drop the soap and you have to bend down and go scrabbling about for it. You have to remember where you put the towel when you reach for it with your eyes closed. You open the shower door and it's cold in the rest of the room so you try and dry yourself within the confines of the cubicle, or step out onto the bath mat and rub yourself like crazy before you freeze to death.
Give me a bath anytime so I can have a good soak and a good scrub to get rid of the dead skin, then I feel clean. Albert has the right idea.
Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip
I have a shower but never use it; it has a 'cup' to put soap in and a handle to hang shower gel but it is in my opinion a waste of water. I use the bath once a week for a soak (other days washing in a basin of water which gets re-used for cleaning the tiles etc) and have a pumice stone for hard skin on feet, a long-handled brush for back, and the best investment was a loofah which has lasted for years. The bath water is of course re-used. I can't cut toenails standing up in a shower - can anyone? The skin is the heaviest organ of the body, so I'm told, and I treat it to moisturiser after a bath whether I like the product or not (Xmas gifts usually). Amanda
ReplyDeleteI Love Having A Nice Long Soak In The bath but now because of knee problems its showers for me . I all ways wash my hair separately because if I wash it in the shower I all ways get soap in my eyes and mouth , can't keep my mouth closed I suppose lol
ReplyDeleteI usually do what you`re doing in the bath once a month, but do have showers in between as well. I use a loofa on a stick in the shower to reach the back and under the feet, too. It works for me as we have a shower above the bath tub.
ReplyDeleteShowers leave you very clean because you aren't left wallowing in any dirt. People use a flannel or sponge to wash with not their hand and so exfoliate or get clean with that. It is very easy to get clean in the shower. All the things used in the bath can be used in the shower too. That said, I prefer baths. Ideally I would have a bath and then shower off. I never have soap running down my face as I wash my face in the sink afterwards and don't put soap on my face anyway. Most people probably shower in the bath rather than a cubicle as well.
ReplyDeleteI think it is a personal choice, no right or wrong. I'm sure people who shower every day are ultra clean!
Hi. I can't understand the saying, 'wallowing in any dirt'. I wallow in a bath of CLEAN water when I get into it. Lie back and relax and read a few pages of a book while topping it up with more CLEAN hot water.
DeleteWhen the water has cooled a bit and I am truly soaked, I then scrub up, and GET OUT.
You caused a giggle! I think you may be doing it wrong. ;>)
ReplyDelete"...but there was no way that I could balance on one leg on a slippery surface to scrub my feet and below my knees." and, "... especially when you have soap running down your face and have to keep your eyes clamped tight shut..."
First, the slippery surface; when Hubby was having trouble with his balance in someone else shower/bathtub we placed a hand towel on the floor of the shower for him to stand on. Water in your face; turn with your back to the shower head and/or take your hand and wipe your face like you do when you get out of a swimming pool. Washing feet; most of the showers/bathtubs I have used in the USA have little ledges to prop you feet on to wash them. Also the more modern shower/tubs also have hand rails to hang onto. Of course, I just bend over to wash between my toes if I'm in a shower without the ledges.
Word of caution: as we age our skin becomes fragiler so you may want to ease up on the pumice stone and any hard scrubbing you are doing.
Hi. Yes, I think I maybe scrubbing a bit too much.
DeleteMost of us in North America either don't have a bath or have one that's too small for an adult. Mostly, we have showers with very small tubs for kids, so you can't soak. I have gloves of a raspy material that I wear to scrub. I put soap slivers & ends into the palm so that I have sudsy, raspy gloves to scrub top to bottom. I can sit on the stool in the tub to scrub feet. Back gets scrubbed by hubby - an advantage of the shower - or a loofa that's 3 feet long with hand loops on either end. You do the twist in the shower!!!
ReplyDeleteI hate showers, so have the original claw foot tub in my house. When I must take a shower, I feel like I am being punished for something. I wash my hair in the sink, wash my face, and get into the tub. I don't know the answers to your questions.
ReplyDeletepparsimony
I have a full bathtub with shower. I use the shower daily. I can scrub my back with a facecloth or with a brush. I can clean my feet in several ways: 1) put some soap on a face cloth, stand on it and "wipe" the feet back and forth or 2) sit on the side of the tub and scrub and clean the feet specifically. This also allows me to wring extra water out of my hair if I've washed it that day and to "dry" myself with my washcloth so my towel doesn't get so wet when I get out. I also keep a plastic tub in the bathtub. When I'm showering it fills up to give my feet a good soak. Sometimes I add epsom salts and tea tree oil to it. It all works quite well. I much prefer a shower to a bath but we are all different. To address the slipping issue, I keep a long plastic mat on the bottom of the tub so there is no slipping and falling. I would love to take out the bathtub and redo the bathroom with a stand alone shower with seat in it. But that is just a dream.
ReplyDeleteI don't like baths as a rule. I once saw a comedian describe it as 'sitting in a puddle of your own filth' and that put me off!!! Showers every day for me.
ReplyDeleteI recently saw someone used a scrap piece of fake lawn to stand on in the shower and rub their feet on it to give them a scrub.
ReplyDeleteMore than 30 years ago, I had terrible problems with my skin. I was itching all over, I had red and white splotches at my legs and arms. My dermatologist told me to stop showering daily, to wash where necessary with a washcloth and to have a bath once a week, or if this is not possible, a very short shower with a good soap, not with shower gel.
ReplyDeleteSince then, I hever had any problems with my skin.
Pumice stone mainly for paring callous on the feet down. That means fifty layers of dead skin Much to harsh for just one layer dead skin Ilona, ouch! you must have good skin to endure that punishment lol.
ReplyDeleteA slightly firm rub with a flannel or a Scrunchy and the towel on a daily basis shed dead skin. Lots of home made scrubs you can make or buy from the shops if you can afford too. Using a body brush or back brush in circular motions is another. Lofahs are good too.
Have just read the story of Rocky which moved me deeply. How wonderful that you stood by him all those years and, in the end rescued him fully. I despair of humans who ill treat animals and who while they don't want an animal , see it as property that is theirs to do with as they wish. Thank you for giving Rocky life and love and your story explains why had you were careful with the facts of his life. You are indeed a lovely person. Jan Bx.
ReplyDeleteGive me a bath any day, I love a good wallow! There seems to be a total obsession with showers these days, I really don't understand it, I'm sure everyone's washing TOO much, it can't be good washing away all those natural oils all the time, not to mention the cocktail of chemicals ... no wonder everyone's dying of cancer etc! We have a shower but it's only ever used for hair rinsing, or rinsing out the bathtub.When my family visit they seem to spend an inordinate time in the shower every morning such that it's virtually lunch time by the time they're ready to do anything else. Utter madness!
ReplyDeleteYou can't beat a good wallow, Sue. I don't understand the obsession with showering every day, unless the person works down a coal mine, or on a council refuse tip.
DeleteA daily shower doesn't have to take an hour tho I certainly know people that spend far too much time under the shower every day. I'm in and out in 5 minutes or less and focus on those parts that need it.
DeleteAn interesting subject this that only you'd probably only discuss with others that share your bathroom or closest friends lol. I used to bath as equally as I'd shower but for two years 2006/8 I had massive balance problems due to a damaged balance nerve. It was difficult to do anything really without help, my head spun when lying down. So I showered because I could just about manage to stand upright, wash myself and hair with help,without moving about too much. If you've ever suffered with vertigo it was like that but it never went away. I'm much better now after balance exercise's to retrain my brain but I still prefer a shower to a bath. Lots of sponge type products for dead skin removal and I always use a neutral lotion. I'm not a bubbles and candles sort of girl so don't stay long in the bath anyway. I do like having the radio on too. I'm loving your random subjects Ilona x Rae x
ReplyDeleteRae: I agree with you. I have had attacks of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo which is a disorder of the inner ear which causes short attacks of spinning sensation when your head is placed in certain positions. The spells come and go over time and can go away altogether or return again and again. The Epley Maneuver helps but does NOT make the balance problem go entirely away. A therapist helped me tremendously with Vestibular Exercises to retrain the brain however most people have never heard of this and look at you in a odd way. I too now only wash my hair in the shower. I am terrified to ever go back to washing my hair in the sink. Do you continue to do the exercises? I do but not to the extent that I needed to in the beginning.
DeleteIlona sorry to hi-jack your blog but not very often you find anyone who knows what you are going thru with this awful balance problem.
Yes, I read in the bath, it's lovely and relaxing.
ReplyDeleteHi Ilona,I love a good shower, I shower twice a day, a quick rinse before going to work and a good scrub using my loofah gloves and lemon myrtle soap at night. It is stinking hot here at the mo and a good cool shower is just wonderful. I have showered twice a day for as long as I remember and I wouldn't feel right going to work without a quick shower in the morning. I rinse my very short hair in the shower of a morning as well. I am quite flexible and am able to reach my back from the top to the bottom with my soaped up loofah gloves and balancing is not a problem when washing and scrubbing my feet, it's just second nature. We are all creatures of habit and I have never liked a bath, when we were growing up in Gympie, Dad built our home and built the biggest "shower room" you have ever seen, it had a proper glass door on it and my sister and I would be in there for ages, especially in stinking hot summers. I'll take a shower over a bath any day.
ReplyDeleteFi
Bath for me too with a lie back and soak time. DH scrubs my back and it's only soap and water to get me clean.
ReplyDeletexx
Funny. I love showers en hate a bath. (laying in you own dirt in cooling water brrr...) While showering you have clean en warm water all the time. Mind you, I don's shower every day. Two times a week is enough. It's bad for your skin to shower every day. There is no right or wrong it's just personal.
ReplyDeleteIlona you are really funny! My mother was the first person in our street to have a bath installed in 1955. In the 1960's when I was at primary school, my neighbours kept their tin bath in the yard and brought it in for a bath once a week. They had a geyser over the kitchen sink and filled it from that. They sat in the kitchen with the cooker on and the oven door open for warmth. You had to walk through the kitchen from the living room to go outside so they put a blanket on a clothes horse round the tub for privacy.
ReplyDeleteI have reverted to some old primitive ways these days. I only have a bath if I have been gardening and need a good soak, but as a rule I find it quite hard on my knees getting up and down and my bath is really tiny. I'm only 5ft tall and I can't stretch out in it. I used to shower alot but have cut down, prefering a strip wash night and morning. I go swimming once a week and use the sauna, showers and hairdryers. I take my shampoo. I've recently started soaking my feet in a bowl of hot soapy water and realise how good that feels, now I know why my parents did it. If I'm in the shower I bend down to do my feet or rest a foot up on the side of the bath as it is not a seperate shower cubicle. I read in a recent local history exhibition that it was popular to marry in May or by the end of June because people traditionally had a bath once a year for may day, so they were still fresh at the wedding! It is a family joke now that I have a bath on 'high holy days'.
I only like baths if I am already clean and just want to relax and soak. For cleaning I prefer a shower. I have a sea sponge that I rub with soap and it makes a nice lather, I also have a back brush and a small brush I use for my feet. I wash my hair in the shower as well. I can't imagine getting soap in one's eyes or mouth, just keep them shut for goodness sakes! I shower and wash my hair every other day. I have an oily scalp so I need to do this. I moisturize my skin after the shower and have no problems.
ReplyDeleteWe had a geyser over the Victorian bath when I was a child. I clearly remember our neighbours having baths in front of the open fire in the front room. I don't have a bath as sitting in the water (and with shampoo running into it) I get all sorts of infections and have had a lot of ops to clear out my tubes. I have a strip wash in front of the sink. I never use soap on my face but my Mum (96) has only ever done this and she has a good complexion. i don't use deodorant either. I have no hair at all on my legs/armpits so no shaving is needed. Natalie
ReplyDeleteI have always thought, that (what I have read) the Japanese way of pre shower/bathing/soaking/intermittent showering/more soaking
ReplyDeletewas possibly the cleanest/best way to do it all..
I have read that traditionally the Japanese would have a large tub, filled with hot water..First they would shower/scrub all over, and have a wooden seat in the shower to sit on while they attend to this or that....Then they would soak in the large hot tub. Apparently also getting out to re scrub and hose off in the shower, then soak again, the maybe more work in the shower.
it all does sound like a lot of work (this traditional way), and I suspect it may not be much in practice these days..but,
I do like the "idea" of a vigourous shower first, scrubbing in the shower with a sturdy /no slippy seat to sit on..then get in a hot tub and soak
however, have said all that, I have no seat in my shower, I find it tough/impossible to wash feet in shower. I don't find it convenient...Drop this, that/ get soap in eyes, etc..
I bath...
but I "like the idea" of sturdy place to sit in a large shower and lots of scrubbing first, etc...
You could try sitting on a plank of wood placed over the bath edges, it works for me.
DeleteBath every time for me too. I love reading in it with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine ;)
ReplyDeleteI don't understand the need for scrubbing, unless you've been doing some really dirty work. I just wash - gently - with soap, then rinse (always a shower, never a bath, UGH), dry and moisturise all over with sorbolene. My skin is perfectly fine & nobody complains that I smell!
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