Title: What Hygiene in the Victorian Era Was Really Like | Dusty Old Thing
Headings: What Hygiene in the Victorian Era Was Really Like
What Hygiene in the Victorian Era Was Really Like
Using the Bathroom
Taking a Bath
Washing the Hair
Personal Odor
Oral Care

Content: Before shampoo was common, people just used soap, which often left the scalp and hair very dry. Sometimes pure ammonia was used to clean the hair! Is it any wonder then that oily pomades were used so frequently during this era? Personal Odor
In the days before lotions and deodorants were common, people had only a few options to cover the scent of B.O. or old clothes. Women with plenty of money could buy perfume or cologne, however it was cheaper to buy a scented powder. This was also quite good for absorbing wetness. For men the most common scent was bay rum, a unique smell that most people today have never gotten to enjoy (though they do still make it). The spice-and-perfume-infused rum was invented for exactly the purpose of masking body odor by sailors in the 1500s. Via/ Flickr
For the people who couldn’t afford these luxuries, keeping clean was the only other option to avoiding a stale smell. Women used dress shields to protect their clothing from underarm sweat, but they also didn’t wash their outer garments ever.