Shampoo and soap for bathing in salt water? More tips

WAC team — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:01:46 +0000

Question:

I am new to the cruising lifestyle and would appreciate your advice. I will be going to the Bahamas with my boyfriend soon and we plan to shower in saltwater in the cockpit then rinse in fresh water.

What soap works best for body washing in salt water?

What shampoo do you recommend for color treated blonde hair?

Pam Wall and Kathy Parsons responded here. Here are 3 more responses to this question from readers of Women and Cruising and many comments. Add yours!

Dierdre Wogaman

Dierdre Wogaman in the Bahamas

I use regular shampoo and conditioner on my hair.

To get extra conditioning, I place a shower cap on after the conditioner is worked in. By having the conditioner stay on longer with out dilution, I feel that it must be better for my hair. Rinsing my hair, after my body, comes last.

By using a sun shower, we use less water than using the pressure water from the boat.

When I color my hair, I do everything in the boat and then climb down into the salt water to rinse. Therefore, I can use plenty of water to rinse. The last rinse is done back on the boat so I can do it with fresh water. I have a black colored towel in case I have not gotten all the color out of my hair; that way it will not stain the towel.

I have found that the liquid soap is easier to use on the boat, than bar soap, as it leaves less of a mess. No worries about the soap bar sliding overboard either.

Sue Lamar

I have found that Joy dish washing soap and a bar soap by the name of Kirk’s Castle (coconut soap) is very useful in salt water.

Only ones I’ve found to soap up in the salt water.

Sylvie Branton

Wherever you are, ask the local fishermen or their wives!

They always know what is the best local soap (and dish washing liquid) for salt water.

2 more reasons for having Johnson’s Baby Shampoo aboard (see Pam Wall’s response):

you can use it to wash your diving mask’s glass (does not make your eyes sting)
it is gentle on your hair and so is ideal when you must wash your hair frequently (either with fresh or salt water), as we do aboard.

Shampoo and soap for bathing in salt water? Tips

WAC team — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 02:56:03 +0000

Question:

I am new to the cruising lifestyle and would appreciate your advice. I will be going to the Bahamas with my boyfriend soon and we plan to shower in saltwater in the cockpit then rinse in fresh water.

What soap works best for body washing in salt water?

What shampoo do you recommend for color treated blonde hair?

Pam Wall

Response from Pam Wall:

I have spent a lot of time out cruising where fresh water was at a premium, and especially in the Bahamas! You lucky girl to be going there!

I always washed body and hair in Johnson’s Baby Shampoo. It is the best thing to use for sensitive skin as it will not give you any bad reactions if a little is left on.

I would wash and shampoo on a lovely beach, or from the boat in the water, and then thoroughly rinse in sea water, especially your hair.

IT IS DEFINITELY BETTER IN THE BAHAMAS for anything!

Then after I was back aboard I would take an old milk carton and fill it only half way (to conserve fresh water!) and pour over my head and the dripping fresh water would go over the rest of my body.

This is all I ever did and it worked really well! As a matter of fact, when home and bathing in fresh water only, I found my skin got very dry, unlike when in the Bahamas using mostly sea water and a tiny fresh water rinse.

IT IS DEFINITELY BETTER IN THE BAHAMAS for anything!

There is a new wonderful sea water soap and shampoo on the market called Savon de Mer. It is supposed to be terrific, but I have not had the opportunity to use it.

Kathy Parsons enjoying that clear Bahamas water

Kathy Parsons throws in her two cents:

I usually wash my hair aboard in fresh water, but when I do shampoo in salt water, I just use my regular shampoo for color-treated hair.

I have to use more shampoo than in fresh water, but it’s simpler, and I assume it washes out my color less.

More info

Visit the Savon de Mer website: www.savondemer.com

The Women and Cruising Blog » Hygiene