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What are the Different Types of Personal Hygiene Products?

Felicia Dye
Felicia Dye

Body cleansers are one of the most important categories of personal hygiene products. Additionally, shampoos are important hygiene products that are used to clean the hair. There also are a wide range of products designed specifically for feminine hygiene needs. Many items are available to address the needs of foul smelling feet as well.

One of the most common categories of personal hygiene products is body cleansers. There is a wide range of these items, which allow various personal preferences to be accommodated. For example, some people may prefer bars of soap. If so, they will be able to make choices such as whether or not to buy glycerin based, hypo-allergenic, or organic soaps.

Soaking feet in warm water with Epsom salts, tea, or essential oils can soften the skin in preparation for filing calluses.
Soaking feet in warm water with Epsom salts, tea, or essential oils can soften the skin in preparation for filing calluses.

Some people may prefer to cleanse themselves with body wash. There is also a wide range of these products with a wide range of scents. Options include choices of gel- or cream-based products. It is possible to get such products that also act as scrubs, meaning they will likely contain mildly abrasive ingredients. Both soaps and body washes also may be medicated to address issues that are not successfully handled with normal cleansing products.

A stick of deodorant.
A stick of deodorant.

Shampoos are personal hygiene products that also offer a wide range of options. These items are often formulated to be used with specific types of hair. For example, there are shampoos designed to treat dandruff, to reduce breakage, and to provide volume to limp hair. Many people are particular about the ingredients in the shampoo that they use. For this reason, it is common to find that items are marketed with emphasis on special ingredients, such as fruit extracts, olive oil, and provitamins.

Many people choose to use body wash instead of soap for their personal hygiene.
Many people choose to use body wash instead of soap for their personal hygiene.

Deodorants are personal hygiene products that are much more popular in some societies than others. These products typically are used underneath the arms. If they contain antiperspirant ingredients, the products can help prevent a person’s armpits from sweating. If the product is solely a deodorant, a person may sweat, but the product will help eliminate the odor.

Feminine wipes.
Feminine wipes.

There are some personal hygiene products that are designed specifically for females. Feminine washes, for example, are similar to body wash, but they are to be used externally in the vaginal area. If a woman wants to freshen up throughout the day, there are feminine wipes, which are pre-moistened towelettes for the vaginal area. Furthermore, if a woman feels that she needs to address her internal feminine hygiene, she can get a douche. This is a solution that is generally sold in a special container which facilitates cleansing the vagina internally.

Soap is a personal hygiene product.
Soap is a personal hygiene product.

A wide range of hygiene products for the feet are also commonly available. These include foot soaks, which are usually beads or powders that are dissolved in water. The feet should be inserted and left resting in the mixture for a period of time. Foot powders and foot sprays are two products that can help eliminate and prevent foul odors and prevent the sweating that often causes this problem.

Discussion Comments

KoiwiGal

@croydon - I actually think that children should be taught more about bacteria and the different purposes of them, so they don't develop that kind of worry. We have more bacteria cells than human cells in our bodies, no matter how many lotions and potions we slather on ourselves.

The science behind a lot of personal hygiene products is actually quite suspect. I think sometimes people are treating a problem they don't actually have.

croydon

@Mor - I guess the answer there is to figure out a way to get those bacteria to survive our habits. The ones that produce bad smells seem to do all right in spite of the many kinds of personal hygiene products we all use, so there must be a way to nurture the other kind.

I get kind of freaked out thinking about deliberately cultivating bacteria though, even beneficial ones. We get taught for so long that the point of washing is to get rid of all of those little parasites.

Mor

I read a really interesting article the other day about how one of the reasons we get body odor in the first place is that we wash away the bacteria that prevent it from happening in the long term. It was about a scientist who had noticed that horses would roll in a particular kind of dirt when they were sweaty and speculated that it was to collect this kind of bacteria.

He was trying to develop it in the lab so that it could be put into personal hygiene products.

The journalist who was writing the article had tried cultivating his bacteria on her own skin, although it meant that she couldn't wash with soap for a long time and she said it seemed to work. Even though she only washed in water alone, and not hot water either, she didn't develop a bad smell. But it was too difficult to maintain it, as she was just too used to using body wash products and missed having hot showers and baths.

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    • Soaking feet in warm water with Epsom salts, tea, or essential oils can soften the skin in preparation for filing calluses.
      By: Jan Andersen
      Soaking feet in warm water with Epsom salts, tea, or essential oils can soften the skin in preparation for filing calluses.
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