Ok total history pleb here , uh how did humans keep fresh without shower gels and toothpaste , did they all smell all the time?
>>495675
They didn't, really. I mean I'm sure people bathed in the rivers and lakes, but those were pretty India-tier for most of history as is.
>>495675
Greeks for the most part cleaned themselves using olive oil, using water bath was a rare thing to the point of being a special occasion, that's for the lower class at least.
Current standards of hygiene were simply not obtainable for most of humanity, throughout most of history. Soap was expensive, running water was non-existent, and existing bodies of water were usually filthy.
>>496091
also soap that you can lather is a modern invention since you couldn't do that until they started adding coconut oil into soaps
most soap prior to the early modern era was little more than just animal fat and lye
>>495675
Current standards of hygiene weren't available to most people but many people tried to maintain a good appearance which also meant bathing and cleaning clothes whenever possible. This varied depending on location, period, and social status. Some cultures were pretty darn clean, and some cultures weren't. Tooth decay didn't exist anywhere because sugar consumption was hilariously low.
>>495675
Eventually you reach a point where you just smell human. They'd smell like sweat and grime, that you or I would probably find a little confronting but it's not like they walk around covered in shit and mud all day.
>>495675
>did they all smell all the time?
Yes, for the most part.
Bathing was considered to be dangerous even just as far back as the 1800s in many parts of the civilized world, because people were afraid of catching their deaths (instead of blaming germs and viruses, they blamed being immersed in water and getting too cold/too hot.)
They used perfumes, tinctures, dried flowers, animal fats, beeswax, and all sorts of things to help deter their "natural smells", which ranged from just the basic BO to smells from disease, rotten teeth, sinus infections, boils, skin funguses, etc.
That's why both men and women were encouraged to brush their hair a hundred strokes a night (to remove dust, dirt, insects, etc), and floor were strewn with hay, and in finer houses, herbs like lavender, mint, calendula, etc were mixed in with the hay or rushes. People hung herbs from the rafters as well.
How did the black plague spread so fast, you say? Why, lack of hygiene leading to rat infestations leading to flea infestations, of course!
There's lots of reading you can do on the subject of historical hygiene. Some of it is common sense, some of it is outrageous, and some of it is horrific.
>>496196
got any books you'd recommend?
>>496205
Hmmmm, well, not specifically off the top of my head. I'd have to look through my bookshelves and retrieve some info from the web, since many of the history books I've read I don't have anymore. But I'm sure you could easily google the subject and find a list of book to reference.
There's some really intriguing subjects, like how the first toilets worked (and how they were cleaned), all the hygiene superstition from the dark ages, and some of the horrifically fascinating hygiene inventions and applications from the industrial era (1800s - early 1900s). Historical hygiene is a pretty interesting subject, really.
People weren't disgusting and fat like OP.
>>496196
>Bathing was considered to be dangerous even just as far back as the 1800s in many parts of the civilized world, because people were afraid of catching their deaths (instead of blaming germs and viruses, they blamed being immersed in water and getting too cold/too hot.)
This is a myth.
>>496227
No, it's not.
>>496231
Reach for your sources, mister
>>496234
You first.
Hell, you only. I need to go to bed. I shouldn't be up this late as it is, I have an appointment first thing in the morning.
If you want to post your own sources that dispute my post, go right ahead. OP (or whoever) can research for themselves as well. IDGAF. Nighty night.
>>496240
>assertion
>challenge, request for citation to back up assertion
>no u
>>496240
I'm not with my books atm but here's some blogs
https://medievalreader.wordpress.com/2012/10/13/the-great-medieval-unwashed/
http://heidelblog.net/2014/06/fifteen-mostly-19th-century-myths-about-the-middle-ages/
http://www.sarahwoodbury.com/did-medieval-people-bathe/
>>496240
I'm not the other guy, but he doesn't have to prove a negative.
>>495675
Nah I'm sceptical all humans stank.
Women would have had a lot of time to figure out ways to keep reasonably fresh & clean. And this knowledge from mother to daughter. Whatever concoction of berries or leaves were used, they would have found a way.
Maybe the men didn't give a shit.
>>496240
>conveniently needs to leave when asked for proof of his claims
>>495675
If everyone smells like BO, than no one does.
For example, I know some people from India that don't use deodorants and shower more sparingly. They are completely unaware of how bad they smell when in the company of their fellow Indians, but everyone else can smell them
btw i'm not trying to be racist or bring up any /int/ memes
Bathing was extremely popular during the roman empire. The bathhouse visit was for many the highlight of the day and IT wasnt unusual to spend à couple of hours each dag there. This bathing culture didnt vanish just because the WRE did.
That being said, some cultures, such as sweden in the 17th century, almost never washed themselves in water as they thought it could be dangerous.
>>495675
>shower
They used to shower, some more than others but they used to, as example Muslims required to wash themselves up to 5 times a day and get a shower whenever they had sex. Sure other cultures that had water available would shower whenever they feel it.
>toothpaste
Food wasn't as bad as today, a lot of people had really white teeth since sugar was rare.
>>498206
>Filthy blonde men that just conquered your polish homestead have their way with you
You can also cover your body odor with the strongest perfumes you can get your hands on; breath-wise, you can chew some mint leaves or something.
