How many times a day do you shower and shampoo while traveling?
 

I'm curious. How many times a day do you shower and shampoo your hair while traveling? Last trip in Switzerland I got a long lecture from a friend for doing it too often.... twice a day. I agree ..... especially when my bag is so heavy because of all the toiletries I'm trying to pack.

Um, are you serious? I must be a dirty girl because I don't remember a time in my life I ever washed my hair more than once a day. Often, I skip a day. NOw, for shower, it is a once a day thing. Why are you asking this? Did your friend accuse you of obsessive complusive disorder or something? I can say that washing your hair twice a day would be considered unhealthy and drying for your hair.

Yes, wtggirl, I'm serious and curious. I also would like to know if you take a shower only once a day, do you choose to do it in the am or before bed. I choose pm. because I feel dirty after all day out and about.

Europeans tend to think Americans over-do when it comes to showers and baths. I think it's strictly a personal issue and one we probably don't need to get into here.

What a weird question.

But it does remind me that someone once told me that there are two kinds of jobs -- the kind where you shower before you go to work and the kind where you shower when you come home from work.

Something tells me that the answers may divide by gender on this question. But the question does not seem odd to me, and especially after a full day of tramping around (city or countryside)... doing more walking more walking than you might customarily do, in full summer temperatures, a second afternoon shower feels great before supper.

And being a guy with short hair, including a second shampoo with it seems as natural as washing my face.

I think the notion of "too much showering" being "unhealthy" ranks right up there with ice in drinks or too much airconditioning as being "unnatural".

Do what you want; what feels good is nor more goofy than depriving yourself of what you would like to do.

Best wishes,

Rex

It's been many a long year since I needed anyone to tell me how often to shower and wash my hair (i.e., since childhood), and I certainly don't need other Fodorites to tell me. What possible difference will other people's bathroom habits make to your own anyway? If we all answered "once a week, whether I need it or not", would you reevaluate your personal hygiene?

Snort, Neil :D

Yes, tiaw, how often do you brush your teeth ?
Do you floss?
Will any of this improve your travel experience? LOL

LOL, well I would imagine if I made any comment rockhopper (from the US Board) and his mirror twin would come here and post something nasty to me ;;)

Tiaw, if I remember your other thread it is not just your toiletries that make your carryon bag so heavy.

Neil, Scarlett, too funny!!! And Rex, I agree one should do whatever they want to do..but I do find the question shall we say a bit odd!

Well at least Fodor's is never boring!

Showering once a day seems fine to me unless I'm in a tropical climate (& preferably then can take a dip somewhere); but washing hair is definitely every other day.

I wash my hair when it gets dirty. If you don't use gels and sprays and goop your hair will actually stay clean for up to several days. Of course if one is in smoky pubs or doing sweaty things - then every day might be necessary. One reason so many people "need" to wash their hair every day -- is BECAUSE they wash it every day. Too frequent washing dries the hair out and attracts static and grime more than hair w/ its natural moisture.

One reason many Asian and European women have such gorgeous hair is because they don't strip it of all the natural oils.

Neil, that last bit WAS amusing!

Actually I don't find this question particularly unusual or uninteresting. As for me, I get my hair washed, blow-dried, and flat-ironed once a week at the salon, no matter where I am, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Venice, Paris, and that generally suffices, sometimes I do it twice a week, but I never do it myself, as it's easier to pay someone to make it look really great rather than me spending the time and tiring my hands and arms to make it look not nearly as good. In Venice, I have a stylist I go to in Santa Croce, or another one in San Polo, Rome is always Salon Jean Louis David in the Campo dei Fiori,(JLD has about 8 locations in Rome-but I like the one at CdFiori) Florence same -JLD. Paris, Brussels-either JLD or Jean Claude Biguine. Obviously I save quite a bit of room as I take virtually no hair care products other than conditioner and my CHI brand flat iron which works just fine with the adapter plug and no converter.

As to showers, I frequently change my shower routine when traveling internationally-particularly if I'm traveling in the summertime-then, (and I did this this past August and early Sept.) I like to take a shower in the evening, before I go to bed, but generally it's once a day and only in the morning.

"...especially when my bag is so heavy because of all the toiletries I'm trying to pack."

OK, now I am curious: just how much does shampoo and soap actually weigh?????

Once a week, Neil?
I'm like the late great Elizabeth 1st and have an annual bath.

Seriously, can you imagine what it would be like having a bath in a freezing cold castle in those days? She probably had her bath in front of the fire, but even so.

I thought you might enjoy some French bathing highlights from last Sunday's Brit paper, the Telegraph.

"one in 10 of the French population uses soap regulary, while one in 25 admits that they never shower or bath, and one in 33 say they never brush their teeth."

Let's face it. If some idiot with a clip-board asked you how often you used soap or changed your underwear, you'd either say twenty times a day or once a year.
The French are taking the mickey.
Who tells the truth in those surveys?
I remember a very elderly lady being asked about her favourite TV programme.
She told me, giggling that she'd said that she loved watching wrestling.

It depends. On where I'm at. I shower/wash my hair twice a day, once a day or every other day. It just depends on if I'm in London, Paris, or Rome.

as often as I need to.

Thanks for the historical insight, Billygoat - no wonder Elizabeth died a virgin. But then, I suppose nobody smelled any better, certainly not the working class. Which reminds me of the time the great Dr Johnson was upbraided by his wife with the words "Doctor Johnson, you smell!" The author of the first English dictionary replied "No, Madam. You smell; I stink."

For reasons nobody knows, in Australia and New Zealand English persons are known as Poms, or Pommies. I've heard many a drinker croak on entering a pub on a hot summer's day, "Bloody hell, I'm as dry as a Pommy's bathmat!"

I believe that Pom stands for 'prisoner of her/his Majesty'; referring to the first British settlers in Australia. I'm sure they didn't take a shower daily.