5 Good Reasons to Pee in the Shower

Come on, we've all done it at some point. Yes, even you over there shaking your head!

But why I ask do people recoil in horror at the thought of peeing in the shower? Obviously, you're not going to do it in a communal shower - that would be weird, but in the privacy of your own home, why not? You don't have to tell anybody!
 
Here are some pretty good reasons why you should pee in the shower...
 

1. Saves Water
Flushing a toilet uses between 3-6 litres of water. What a waste!


2. Saves money
If you have a water meter in your home, you're probably aware of the benefits of using as little water as possible. And toilet paper isn't free either!


3. Saves time
Multi-tasking by peeing and shower at the same time saves valuable minutes when getting ready for work!


4. Cleans your bathroom
Urine from a healthy person is a sterile substance and contains urea, an ingredient often found in household cleaning products. There's urea in the daily shower spray product I use,  so you're not making the bathroom dirty by peeing whilst showering - you may actually be helping to clean  it!


5. It's bad for you to hold it in
You can potentially get a urinary tract infection or cause yourself permanent damage if you hold it in for too long when you need to pee. If you need to go, you should go!

 And if you still don't fancy it, you could always save water by showering with a friend  instead ;)

Fail #1 - "Natural" Deodorant

Well the trial of using the Fresh Apricot scented natural deodorant made by Tom's of Maine didn't go as well as expected.

It smells nice, but certainly doesn't keep you fresh and odour free for 24 hours as the packaging boasts. I would say 6-8 at a push, and only if you don't get hot or do any exercise.

It was an expensive purchase at over £4 but I was impressed with the environmentally responsible claims made on the back about sustainability, recycling and how the product contained no artificial nasties, no aluminium and how they source all the products.

The big problem for me was that after using the product for a week, the skin under my arms started peeling. I was a little surprised, because that's never happened before. I didn't appear to have a rash as such, but the skin kept peeling off leaving the remaining skin red and raw.

I had a look on the internet trying to find out why this might be. Various sources suggested that it might just be my body "adapting" while others suggested an allergic reaction.  I spoke to a friend who is an experienced complimentary therapist. She looked horrified and simply said

"If something takes your skin off, that's not a good sign!"

It reminded me of something my dad told me when I was younger - just because something's natural, doesn't mean it's good for you. Remember, stinging nettles are natural and so is Deadly Nightshade!

I finally went on to the website www.tomsofmaine.com and read the reviews on the product. It seems I'm not alone, and this rather unpleasant side effect is a known problem.

I'm a little disappointed, and for now I've switched back to my regular anti-perspirant. It may not be perfect, but at least my skin will be intact!

Going "Natural"

I went on the WWF website today out of interest to see how much my carbon footprint has changed since I last filled out the questionnaire a couple of years ago. It's definitely lower because I'm now a vegan, and I haven't been on any flights in the past 12 months, but I was disappointed with my score of  1.8.

The score basically means that I'm living as if I had the resources of 1.8 planets instead of 1.

Ideally your carbon footprint should be 1 or less.

Easier said than done.

As part of my new project, trying to live in a more natural and eco-friendly way, I've started looking for smart ways I can reduce my carbon footprint and protect myself from dangerous chemicals, without losing any modern conveniences.

I've been a fan of the Ecover range of ecologically responsible household cleaning products & detergents for years, but I've never gone as far as to change my toiletries. 

I've started gradually replacing all my toiletries with more natural ones that are cruelty free, don't contain any animal products, biodegradable, free from parabens and SLEs, and that have the least impact on the environment possible.

I've even started to use completely natural products such as virgin coconut oil and essential oils in my beauty regime, and I have to say my hair and skin are looking pretty darned good!

Every hairdresser I have ever spoken to has said that if you want decent, affordable shampoo, you're best getting a nice herbal one at the health food shop.

The likes of Pantene, Elvive, Tresseme etc are full of silicone and other slimy goop to make your hair appear shiny and "healthy".  One hairdresser told me she wouldn't wash her floors with the stuff! It was herbal shampoo, or proper professional  shampoo all the way!

Herbal it is then!

A sticking point for me however is deodorant (or should that be a sticky point?)

All the natural deodorants are aluminium free which means they don't stop you sweating.

The aluminium salts are supposedly harmful but without them, well, you sweat!

All well and good, but despite the old adage that "ladies only glow" sadly, I sweat like a horse in the Grand National. I just have to think about exercise and I break a sweat!

How am I going to cope without the trusty aluminium salts to avoid embarrassing armpit stains?!

I've purchased a deodorant stick made by Tom's of Maine which promises that I'll feel "confidently fresh all day!" Hmm, well we'll sees about that.  I'm not brave enough to try it at the office just yet.

I'll let you know how I get on...