Hacker News Reader

Comment by ecmascript | Hacker News Reader

Are you saying you haven't showered for four years and don't smell?

I am sorry, but I do not believe you. What the author is saying is not to use soap, not to avoid showering.

Yeah people are notoriously bad at noticing odours they are acclimatized to (anyone who's given up smoking, been to a convention, or talked to someone living in a smelly area can attest to that).

That's not to say they couldn't smell fine without daily showers but a smell will certainly build up over time. Some might be lucky and it won't smell particularly objectionable but you will smell and will smell stronger over time.

They need to check with someone they don't live with(so they're not used to it) and that someone will need to be willing to be blunt with them.

I've asked my parents too, who I only see 3-4 times a years, and they said there's no smell. And I trust they wouldn't lie to me about something like this. For obvious reasons I haven't brought up the question with people I'm not as close to, like coworkers.

Yes, that's what I'm saying. Believe what you want, but I've pointedly asked multiple people and I trust that they wouldn't lie to me. Just wanted to add a data point to the discussion. I'm not saying that what I'm doing would work for everybody, but I am saying there's some truth to the general idea of less harsh cleaning of one's skin.

Apparently, people didn't really wash themselves during the renaissance era because they thought it spread disease. And they smelled awful.

https://blog.sylvaine-delacourte.com/perfumes-history-renais...

Reply on news.ycombinator.com