I had been contemplating bathing this morning anyway. Even before Nick said I had to.
As I stepped into the shower to perform my ablutions, I cheerfully announced that I hadn't washed my hair since Thursday night. The man I love, the man who showered twice yesterday, grimaced.
The truth is, I was dirty. I mean, I'd showered mid-day Friday after I worked out. But, lacking both the time and the inclination - my hair is so dry in the winter - I hadn't washed my hair. I'd only lifted weights, so I hadn't gotten that sweaty. Plus, once my hair got long enough to pull back, I discovered the joy and convenience of the low ponytail. Looks professional at work; hides its unwashed nature.
But beyond the knowledge that I'm helping out my dry skin and hair, I cannot precisely explain my occasional and utter delight at arriving at the point of filthiness. Not feculence or putrescence. Just a satisfying level of griminess.
It is rare that I can pull this off, and I revel in it.
One cannot manage it on a weekday, nor on a weekend with social obligations. You can really only do this when you're not leaving the house - and preferably not even removing the fleece jammies you got into Friday night. It has to be timed when not only do you not have to look nice, but you have no reason to have to be clean.
For me, I think, this is true decadence.
And the horrifying truth is, I could've gone a whole nother day, or at least waited till after I went running this afternoon. Definitely tonight, as Sunday is sheet-washing day, and nothing feels better than getting into clean sheets superclean.
But for the protestations of the man I like to call my husband, plus the fact that I need to venture out to Target, I most certainly would have waited.
There is a certain decadence to not washing... :-)
ReplyDeleteThis is part of why I shave my head and/or keep my hair short. It's a lot easier and less time consuming to keep clean, which makes the whole grooming process that much easier.
oh gosh, i love not being able to shower for 2 or 3 days at a time and then just lavishing myself with nearly scalding water and a scratchy but soft loofa bubbling with yummy soap! i have really thick hair, so it gets oily fast, but if i know i'm not going to be able to hit up a shower for a while, i put it in braids.
ReplyDeletethis actually was my case for the past 3 days, and i finally showered today. of course, my excuse is that i was on a train for the past 2 days, and by yesterday night, i was just too tired and lazy. but the shower this morning...pretty close to orgasmic, haha :)
VVK - And actually, now that I think about it, decadence means decay, doesn't it? So it's kind of true.
ReplyDeleteI consider chopping all my hair off about every other week. But the pulling back, for me, is even more convenient. My hair needs a lot of product when it's short.
LuckyLys - Yes! It feels sooo fantastic after all that time to scrub in hot hot hot water.
I wish I had think hair - I feel like my friends with thick hair can hide the dirt for longer.
If I'm not planning to leave the house for a few days, i honestly don't see the point in washing my hair. Sometimes it DOES get a bit out of control though . . .
ReplyDeleteoh I do love that too.. I miss my hair being long enough to pull off the low ponytail. I've got thin hair and it gets oily at the roots. (Though dry shampoo and some texturizer can work wonders.) It is a form of indulgence to lay around in your pjs, snug as a bug in a rug and probably dirty as one too :)
ReplyDeleteWinter dries out my skin something awful. But 2 days is my limit for non-washing. I just can't stand it.
ReplyDeleteIf it makes you feel better, my hair stylist tells me NOT to wash my hair everyday. Really, you're just doing what the experts say. Nice work!
ReplyDeletei too was resigned to the "i need to shower" feeling this morning. i LOVE not showering more than people should... M has been known to shower 2x a day regularly and i caught him in a 4 shower day once (the thought of which makes my skin itch). the mornings when i wake up and can smell my skin (you know, that smell your oils make that is YOUR smell) that's when i know it's shower day, like it or not.
ReplyDeleteand hopping into fresh sheets all clean is great! i second that!
ps. my point is i don't think there's anything wrong with not shower... i use the rationalization that i'm doing my skin and scalp a favor anyway, plus conserving water and saving clean clothes for days when i'm actually going to leave the house : )
The only time I can really get away with not showering is if I'm sick, and then it feels SOOO good to be clean (and healthy) again. And I only wash my hair every other day, it just doesn't need it that often.
ReplyDeleteI've recently learned that, on days when you want to skip shampoo, you can still condition it and style as usual. I've tried it a few times and it works well for me.
ReplyDeleteI didn't wash my face or brush my teeth at all yesterday (until bedtime, that is), nor did I put on a bra or any form of proper clothing. I walked the dog in blue, fuzzy slippers...twice. He was very embarrassed at the state I was in.
Yay! I'm not alone! I, too, love to wallow in unkempt hair and fleece jammies when I know that I'm not venturing far from the house. It's a form of therapy, I think, to realize that the family will love to be around me even without all the shampoo-frou-frou!
ReplyDeleteI went from Thursday to yesterday morning. And I loved every second of it.
ReplyDeleteSome days it's just nice to not have to go through the washing, the lathering, the rinsing and shaving and moisturizing, etc. Since I live with a houseful of people who always seem to expect me to be clean and presentable when they need me to venture into public to fetch or drop off or whatever, it's rare that I get to totally grime out. But oh, when I do. Heaven.
ReplyDelete