Hygiene, hippy style

So I have a decently odd hygienic routine. Let me preface it with the fact that my skin is decently sensitive and my hair is uncommon for my ethnicity.

People are kinda mind-washed into thinking shampooing every day is beneficial for you. In high school, I began to shampoo once every 2 days as opposed to every day. I noticed a decent improvement in my hair; it was stronger, curlier, generally well moisturized without as much dandruff and oil. However it wasn't all great. My dandruff was still a problem and my scalp still itched. I didn't think much of it until I began to read up on what shampoo contains and what it can do to your scalp.

Modern shampoos have sulfates in it. It's great for lather, however it dries up your scalp just as well. This is why after 1 day of not shampooing your hair gets really oily; the scalp is freaking out cause you took all its oils away. Shampoo companies realized this and made conditioner. Basically you're putting oil you stripped away back into your head and paying them twice. Genius business model I must say.

After I learned this I wasn't mad at the shampoo companies and ready to picket their doorfront. It's not their fault I was misinformed. I just looked for alternative shampoos. I currently use Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap bar. It's a super versatile soap that can be used to clean anything. It contains no sulfates and is olive oil based. As a bonus it's all American produced and is all natural. However the main selling point to me was the fact that there were no sulfates. The one I'm using has no fragrance and has lasted me over 8 months and I probably have another 4 months left in it. When I began to use the shampoo bar, I noticed immediate improvement in my dandruff. It still existed and still does today, however it is much more manageable and less noticeable. I was still shampooing every other day.

Then I shampoo'd less. I figured that my head didn't need the constant distressing of the soap since my scalp was so sensitive. Started out with every 3 days, then 4, and now I only shampoo 4 times a month. My hair does not smell. It is not weighed down by oil. It is soft, strong, and healthy. I still rinse every day with the hot water from the shower because there can still be dirt and such in the hair follicles, but I don't spend a particularly long time with it.

As a side note, I also do not use face wash every day. I do still get pimples; probably the average amount. However it is a bad idea to strip your face from all the oils its producing, just like its a bad idea to strip your scalp of those same oils. I still continue to lotion every day. I use Vaseline face and body lotion for men, however I am looking for an alternative soon since the lotion doesn't hydrate particularly well.

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Fall Clothing

Now that we've transitioned into Fall (and soon Winter), the fabrics and colors that I've been wearing have changed. Here's an example of my Fall uniform so far. It's missing a jacket though.

I think it's important to have a good pair of casual boots. Mine aren't too high and are in a nice versatile color. It's a suede brown on top of a brown sole. The henley is there for warmth, and the jeans are my Marc Jacobs x Wranglers that I've been wearing since April 2010.

(shirt - gifted from Hong Kong, henley - Mossimo from Target, boots - Sebago Beacon, belt - Banana Republic, jeans - Marc Jacobs x Wrangler, wallet - Jack Spade, key holder - gifted from Italy)


Fall fabrics generally are heftier and more substantial than Spring/Summer. Here are a collection of pants that I've been wearing in the fall. Corduroy is a generally Fall only staple, as it looks pretty silly in the Spring/Summer months. Wearing corduroy is a lot like denim, break it in and let it wear. It does deserve more washing though as it picks up more lint and hair than denim.

(from left to right, starting from the top, H&M cotton 5 pocket pants 2011, Uniqlo made in China selvedge regular fit 2010, Trovata slim fit corduroy 2009, Marc Jacobs x Wrangler)