Photo 20/20
What I've Learned From Giving Up Soap
Meanwhile, I've embraced a much lower-maintenance beauty routine. Maybe it's the product of being married with a kid and having way less time to call my own (and fewer people to impress). I shower once or twice a week -- sometimes with body wash, but more often with just water. Not even my husband can tell a difference.
I've also given up antiperspirant and switched to an all-natural deodorant. This isn't the first time I've tried aluminum-free deodorant, but it is the first time it's worked.
But I can't quit face wash -- or shampoo. Beauty products beget more products, I've learned. Because I'm back on makeup and sunscreen, I need a cleanser. Within that first week of re-introducing face wash and foundation, I broke out all along my forehead. Amazing, considering that I went a month without soap and stayed pimple-free.
Saddest of all, my scalp psoriasis that was symptom-free for weeks has returned. The no-poo method turned out to be too little too late for my super-saturated strands. And I'm just not motivated enough to endure another month of greasiness while my scalp adjusts.
The good news for those who aspire to a more natural state of hygiene: Mother Dirt makes a preservative-free shampoo and cleanser that won't kill off the good bacteria. So you don't actually have to endure the squalor and stink of giving up suds.
So why haven't I returned to my Paleo beauty routine? Because even though it felt liberating as hell to roll out of bed and walk out the door, I work in the beauty business. Every day, gorgeous new products pile into the office, begging to be tried. Do I need all of these elixirs and baubles? Definitely not. Are they the secret to the most youthful skin of your life? Jury's still out. But do I want to use them anyway? More than I care to admit. Still, it's nice to know they're optional.
To find out more about our experiment -- and see more pictures -- follow me and Jessica on Instagram at @jilleprovost and @siremj.
