UK: This is a strange topic and a short one post but I strongly sense that the contents are true and useful to those who question the status quo and like to try new things. You may have heard of Mathew Parris. He is a longstanding Times journalist and a former member of Parliament. He has a brain and he thinks a bit out of the box, which appeals to me. This is what he writes in The Times today on ‘Rules for life’. You know what I mean, some basic rules on making life better or more liveable.
This is one of Parris’s tips:
“Don’t use shampoo. I’ve used a vigorous wash with warm water alone for decades, and never get greasy hair or dandruff. Detergents strip hair of natural oils, forcing your scalp to pump out more. Stop this vicious circle and within a fortnight your hair finds its natural balance.”
Here is the clincher:
“Kittens and rabbits don’t get greasy hair.”
So true. It is a powerful argument. However, it will take a lot of self-discipline to wean oneself off a lifetime habit of using shampoo. And it is a very strong habit. Deeply ingrained in our psyche. And we like the feel of our freshly shampooed hair.
When you wash it using only warm water it will feel ‘wrong’ for a while; for about a fortnight according to Mathew Parris. I can see that. The question is: can people who want to try this feline tip push through that emotional barrier and come out the other side, shampoo-free and feeling right?
Cat fur feels and smells very nice if not superb without any human intervention with artificial substances which do indeed strip the natural oils away from the skin and hair strands. Cats are fastidious ‘autogroomers’ – self-groomers.
Domestic cats use saliva and the power of their spine covered tongue to keep their coat clean and their sebaceous glands functioning normally.
Some pages on grooming.
