I have saved every shampoo and soap from every hotel I have stayed in for the last 20 years, and except for the occassional replacement for the extra set I keep in my toiletry kit, I haven't used any.
I have literally hundreds of these single serving versions, plus mouthwash, shower caps, shoe polishing rags, toothbrushes, etc.
I also bought a book on soap and candle making, it's in one of my bug out bins, I recall glycerin being a prevalent ingredient but forget where it can be obtained off grid.

Ok,

Here's what I've tried.
#1 Stainless steel. I bought a 'stainless steel' bar of soap for hunting (it destroys scent). I thought "This is too good to be true". I was wrong.
The stuff works! For two months straight I used it on my underarms (Why are you eating while reading ETS posts?)....
My wife had no idea I had stopped using soap. You have to wash each armpit for 1 minute each BUT it killed all scent.
Suppose any stainless steel would do but I couldn't find a comfy substitute. I tried a spoon but the shape was irritating. The stainless steel 'soap' doesn't even irritate the skin. It is smooth!
During testing the only weakness I found with the stainless steel soap was that it didn't remove gasoline or garlic scent. Obviously, it couldn't do anything about oily messes.

#2 Ok seriously....stop eating now. Just because you guys don't know me...I can tell you the following:
Having tried the stainless steel soap (currently discontinued as real soap is faster and I can buy it)
I met a friend who said he never showered. Now I'd lived in the bush with the guy for a week and he didn't smell. I asked him how he did it. He said live stress free and just rinse with water daily. Soap isn't magic. He said he thought it a waste of resources to use shampoo then add back in oils with conditioners. If you just use water the oils aren't removed but the dirt is, plus your oil levels go down after awhile.

So, a year and a half ago I stopped using shampoo. It took hmmm I think a few weeks before my hair didn't look like I'd stop using Shampoo (I was living in the bush at the time). I found it really was nice. Now I look like my hair has a bit of shine, but it isn't oily, or smelly. In fact, my wife has no idea that I stopped (yes we sleep/etc and live together). She asked at first and I said I was trying a natural conditioner. I didn't elaborate. Just wash your hair as if you had soap. If I every get a super dirty I do use shampoo (it isn't a religion) or before I get haircuts (mostly so I don't ever get asked about it). If my wife and all my friends haven't noticed I'm sure most people will be safe. As a plus my face doesn't dry out in the winters anymore. Let it be know that my skin was neither oily or dry before this experiment.

#3 Silver shirts. XSCENT hunting shirts. THEY WORK TOO! (I don't sell them or have anything to do with them)
They cost about the same as a regular shirt (don't get synthetics). It is basically a cotton shirt with nanosilver bonded to it. The X-scent brand (I'm 90% sure I spelled it right. ) Didn't lose the silver with repeated washings (lab tested). You can wear the shirts for a week (day and night) and ask your wife to smell the armpits and she will have no idea. If I did that with a normal shirt I'd be up on murder charges. After 1 week it does smell hmmm not bad, but old.
Like an old book or old leather. As a plus, the shirt kills bacteria (that's how it works). So I know people who have a rag of the stuff and use it instead of chemical hand sanitizers.

Just my two cents. Hope you never need the above stuff!



Not a hippy,

-NIM

I use a stainless steel "bar of soap" to just about eliminate fish odor from my hands. Never thought about trying it elsewhere or otherwise.

NIM. Great post! I'm bathing by everyday rinsing only too for several years, but still using a little bit of shampoo for my hair. I'm acquainted with the shampoo conspiracy theory too, but had no chance yet to spend a week or two in the woods to re-grow my natural hair The steel and silver stuff is also very interesting. Found the even more sophisticated fabric - Bamboo Carbon & Nano-Silver.

Hi Alex,

Thanks for the link. Just be really careful with the nano-silver.
Check the supplier and see if they have done independent testing.

Probably 90% of the nano-silver products lose some of their silver with every wash. This causes two problems #1 it doesn't work as well with each wash. #2 Nano-silver (while safe for humans) is absolutely deadly in lakes/river ecosystems.

Since all of my water goes back into lakes I wish to be very careful in the products I use/buy.

NIM

Can you provide links to studies in which this has been observed/shown?

Thanks-
Pete

Here's one article: Silver Nanotechnologies and the Environment by Samuel N. Luoma. (Dr. Luoma has emeritus status at USGS, after 34 years as a project chief with the agency and 15 years as a Senior Research Hydrologist.)

Sue

While it may turn out that the statement is correct, this report does not support the statement, in fact it seems to somewhat refute the statement. It raises many important questions that most likely should be investigated, but it clearly is too early to make a blanket statement that nanosilver is: “#2 Nano-silver (while safe for humans) is absolutely deadly in lakes/river ecosystems.”

From the report:

“There are no examples of adverse effects from nanosilver technologies occurring in the environment at the present.”

“Silver concentrations in natural waters, even those contaminated by human activities, range from 0.03 to 500 nanograms/liter (ng/L). Even substantial proliferation of silver nanotechnologies is unlikely to produce pollutant concentrations in excess of the ng/L range.”

“Silver is highly toxic to bacteria, and that toxicity seems to be accentuated when silver is delivered by a nanoparticle.” Based upon this, bacterial concentrations would be the first to be affected and should act as the canary in the mine. To the best of my knowledge, there are no studies that support or suggest that the microbial load in any waterway has been affected by nanosilver to date. If anything most waterways have had an increase in bacterial loads due to poorly functioning water treatment plants and an increase in run-off due to urban/surban development.

“No known cases exist of people or the environment being harmed specifically by nanomaterials
or nanosilver.”

Scientific investigation is critical when evaluating the impact of any compound on the environment. However, merely raising the question of the potential/possible impact should not be construed as an indictment or proof that a compound is adversely affecting anything, no less the environment which extremely complex.

Pete

I did make a pretty strong claim eh? Ok, let me clarify. There is a great deal of research that silver in ecosystems is dangerous and deadly to certain organisms.

See:

http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/nanosilver
"In one new experiment, Furgeson, a professor of pharmaceutical sciences, exposed zebrafish embryos to silver nanoparticles in a laboratory, and found that some died and others were left with dramatic mutations.

“Some of the fish became extremely distorted, almost making a number nine or a comma instead of a linear fish,” he said.

The nanosilver caused malformations in their eyes, swim bladders and tails, and some developed fluid around the heart that causes congestive heart failure, according to the study, which was published in August in the nanotechnology journal Small."


or this link
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080406175050.htm

"If you start releasing ionic silver, it is detrimental to all aquatic biota. Once the silver ions get into the gills of fish, it's a pretty efficient killer"

Just do a quick google "nanosilver damage lakes"

It is my personal position that...

I will not use a 'new' product UNTIL it has been proven to be 100% safe for the user and the environment. For example, I feel it is irresponsible for GMO organisms to be created and let loose in the environment . Prove they are safe first.

It is for this reason that Nuclear Reactors in Canada use 15 years old components by policy. If they don't have a long history of the products ins/outs they will not use it. It would be too dangerous.

As the data is heavily indicating toxicity of silver nano particles I will not purchase a product that sheds them. Why would I risk damage to the environment AND buy a crappy product that gets worse with time?
-NIM