Men Who Don't Use Soap, Explained

"I had dinner in Paris recently with a photographer friend, who said something that shocked me. We ate at a noisy and delicious brasserie called Le Vaudeville, where my friend shared stories from his front-line reporting in places like Ukraine, Gaza, and Afghanistan. Then he told me he hasn't used soap in years. How did this come up? He was telling me about a business opportunity he entertained."

"I don't use soap, he repeated. Haven't for years. I take a hot shower. The water is enough. He does wash his hands with soap and, in the cases where there's actual dirt or grime on him, will lather up. He does not shampoo his hair. I could've asked him a hundred more questions, but I realized it might get weirdly personal."

At dinner in Paris a photographer revealed that he has not used soap for years, despite a career involving intense movement and stress. He declined a business offer to collaborate on an artisan soap because he doesn't use soap. He takes hot showers and considers water sufficient, soaps hands and lathers only when genuinely dirty, and does not shampoo. He appears well-kept, does not smell, dresses stylishly, and maintains an active dating life. Additional reporting finds that a subset of people, including some celebrities, intentionally avoid soap, making the practice a notable personal-hygiene trend.

Read at www.esquire.com