Queen Isabella of Spain --- Gross.

downing

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Queen Isabella of Spain, one of history's most famous rulers and sponsor of Christopher Columbus' voyages, bragged that she took only two baths in her entire life -- when she was born and when she got married. Of course, hygiene standards have improved in 500 years

Ughh.. I don't think I can do that , twice in her life?! :-o
 
LOL.. saw that at Dear Abby's column today, too.

You have to admit, she wasn't the only one who did this.. I've heard people bathing only once a year. So she probably had better hygenie than anyone else back then? ;)

Does anyone know why people hardly bathed back then?
 
:-o EWWW!! I wonder if she was smelly.. That's NASTY!!!

I bathe, brush my teeth, pamper myself EVERYDAY!!!
 
I've seen this tidbit before on a poster in my high school History teacher's classroom. It had several other facts such as Sigmund Freud was afraid of ferns, Marylin Monroe was the Nebraska Artichoke Queen, Catherine the Great kept her hairdresser in a cage, King Louis XIV owned 481 beds, George Washington played marbles, and tons of others I forgot
 
Diana Spencer, aka Princess Diana, wasn't fond of bathing when she was a young child. She just hated having her hair washed and would often entice her younger brother Charles into playing hide and seek games so the nanny couldn't find them to bathe them. It was really interesting to read this in Morton's biography.
 
Did you know Queen Elizabeth I (daughter of King Henry VIII) bath once a year?

The reason because she beleive the bath could spoil her skin. She use powder all the time...
 
Cookie Monster said:
Diana Spencer, aka Princess Diana, wasn't fond of bathing when she was a young child. She just hated having her hair washed and would often entice her younger brother Charles into playing hide and seek games so the nanny couldn't find them to bathe them. It was really interesting to read this in Morton's biography.


Interesting, I didn't know that Diana was not fond of bath... :eek:
 
Liza said:
LOL.. saw that at Dear Abby's column today, too.

You have to admit, she wasn't the only one who did this.. I've heard people bathing only once a year. So she probably had better hygenie than anyone else back then? ;)

Does anyone know why people hardly bathed back then?

I heard from one of my Spanish teachers that in Spain, they were afraid of water back then (which was scarce in Spain anyway). I think they thought it was bad for them.
 
my friend went to Beligum for student exchange program, she could not bath no more than 2 times a week. I asked her how the world can she tolerate that. She said well baby powder, no shavnig under armpits or shave legs. EWW!
 
downing said:
my friend went to Beligum for student exchange program, she could not bath no more than 2 times a week. I asked her how the world can she tolerate that. She said well baby powder, no shavnig under armpits or shave legs. EWW!

:confused:

This is a new to me because baby powder is not known to Europe but cream... There´re very common of Europeans use body lotion or cream instead of baby powder. We also use cream lotion on our babies. I think it´s an exaggerately what your friend told you. What´s wrong with that sink, she can wash to clean herself or what? I use sink to wash my face, neck, armpits, arm and private part EVERYDAY and then cream my body. What´s wrong with that? It look like that your friend has no idea how to use sink to wash herself or what? Honestly, I really has NO idea what earth your friend talking about. Excuse me for saying this.

I use shower once a week instead of everyday and also depend on hot weather to make me feel dirty or dirty work, etc. then use shower more often.

Bath? I use bath for winter time to comfort my stress instead of summer time...

Of course, we (Europeans) shave our armpits and legs.

Why should we bath EVERYDAY?
Did you know that bath everyday cause to dry your skin?
 
Cowboys in old days rarely get a bath. I knew some people take bath once a week because of limit water here. so they come here and swim in our pool to wash themselves off. grrr.

I can see why diane hate bath when she was a child, I was same way. I always fight my mom to bring me to bathtub. I was terrified of it for some reason. I remember my hair always in knots and dirty hands and face. Lol. Loved to play in the dirt. Now I take shower everyday, sometime twice a day.
 
Liebling:-))) said:
Why should we bath EVERYDAY?
Did you know that bath everyday cause to dry your skin?

Yeah I know and we have hand lotion to keep them mositure. I live in arid area, my skin still get dry without bath.
 
Liebling:-))) said:
Why should we bath EVERYDAY?
Did you know that bath everyday cause to dry your skin?

But if I don't shower or bath everday, my hair will become OILY and out of control. The conditioner is my lifesaver! It is embarassed because if I decide to skip shower/bath or whatever, the next day my hair look like I haven't bathed in months!

Not my skin. (looking at her hands) I shower every morning to control my wild mane (and to MOLD it for the day so I look good!). Although In wintertime, the aridness in the city will cause everybody's skin to dry. (stocking up on lotions)

Sorry to be :topic:


GUYS: remember in the past, there was no pipes that deliver water straigh to the sink's facuets in your bathroom. So the pain of carrying buckets of water and then BOIL it for a lukewarm bath... And the nearest water is probably MILES away. Water is preferred to be drink, boiled for food, etc. Their health wasn't great either (BLACK DEATH, ANYBODY?!) so... it was realized later that it is GOOD to be super-clean! ;)

The worst thing about old civilizations in the past is PEOPLE DIDN'T BRUSH THEIR TEETH! (shuddering!) How could they kiss eachother with dirty teeth and bad breath?!? They didn't exactly have a mouthwash just to dismiss away their halitosis.
 
Liza said:
LOL.. saw that at Dear Abby's column today, too.

You have to admit, she wasn't the only one who did this.. I've heard people bathing only once a year. So she probably had better hygenie than anyone else back then? ;)

Does anyone know why people hardly bathed back then?

I'll hazard a guess...I suspect several reasons. First, water wasn't coming from spigots like we have today. You had to go to a well of some sort. "Clean" water was scarce and it wasn't "wasted" on hygine often. Then again, nobody realized what germs were in the water and if it looked clean then they drank, cooked and washed in it. Also, nobody probably thought that being clean assisted with keeping germs at bay and keep one healthier. I guess as well the "smells" we associate with unwashed people (such as the homeless and believe me it isn't pleasant) was commonplace and nobody thought about it.
 
Yes in the past they would go to the lake and bathe in it .. thats why they dont bathe often as the water is too cold.. I dont know about in the winter time.. but like one of u said carry water in the bucket from the well or creek miles away to the house can be hard on u especially snowy and cold weather? jmo i dunno.. ha..

yes i noticed that if i take shower every day my skins would get dry.. i have to use lotion to keep it moisturized.. i cant see myself not taking shower every day.. thats gross.. i have to stay clean.. ewww.. lol.. disgusted now.. ha.. but if they said water is limit and have to do what we can.. i guess i will do what liebling do.. sound simple and better than nothing.. better than NOTHING! lol.. :)
 
i can only go 2 - 3 days without bathing thats my limit ... my third day i usually take one at night no matter what time it is.
 
gnarlydorkette said:
But if I don't shower or bath everday, my hair will become OILY and out of control. The conditioner is my lifesaver! It is embarassed because if I decide to skip shower/bath or whatever, the next day my hair look like I haven't bathed in months!

Not my skin. (looking at her hands) I shower every morning to control my wild mane (and to MOLD it for the day so I look good!). Although In wintertime, the aridness in the city will cause everybody's skin to dry. (stocking up on lotions)

Sorry to be :topic:


GUYS: remember in the past, there was no pipes that deliver water straigh to the sink's facuets in your bathroom. So the pain of carrying buckets of water and then BOIL it for a lukewarm bath... And the nearest water is probably MILES away. Water is preferred to be drink, boiled for food, etc. Their health wasn't great either (BLACK DEATH, ANYBODY?!) so... it was realized later that it is GOOD to be super-clean! ;)

The worst thing about old civilizations in the past is PEOPLE DIDN'T BRUSH THEIR TEETH! (shuddering!) How could they kiss eachother with dirty teeth and bad breath?!? They didn't exactly have a mouthwash just to dismiss away their halitosis.

I understand what you mean about how bathing is a must everyday. It's the same for me. I dread it when my hair looked oily and were limp as noodles so I ensure I wash my hair everyday.

Well, hot water baths were used exclusively by the upper crust and the well off people, but the poor had to contend with body wash or dip in the nearby river etc.

I remember reading that family made it a big deal everytime they've had a bath. The father goes first because he's usually dirtier. Then the kids and then last, poor mom. *shuddering* looking at the dirty water.

I recall vaguely that the church didn't encourage people to bath for some reason.

As for not brushing their teeth. Those who could afford would have purchased tooth powder. Who knows if it was ever effective!
 
Still Nasty! I wonder if women change their underwear everyday??

I always wear clean underwear everyday after baths... I am no stinky!! :mrgreen:
 
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