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?
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
Related articles (on this website)
- Shampoo and soap for bathing in salt water? More tips (more responses, and many readers comments including a discussion on shaving legs aboard)
- Staying pink in a blue world, by Clare Collins
- Lipstick Sailor, by Lanea Riley
- Beauty and Da Boat, by Gwen Hamlin: Keeping ourselves looking good is not so hard, but it’s different! (Admiral’s Angle column#20)
More info
- Visit the Savon de Mer website: www.savondemer.com
What do you use for bathing and shampooing in salt water? Leave a comment below or email us: kathy@forcruisers.com
More reasons to keep some Johnson’s Baby Shampoo aboard:
- you can use it to wash the glass of your diving mask (it won’t 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 is the case on a boat.
Generally:
To find out about the best local products that are suitable for salt water (especially the best dishwashing liquid), ask the fishermen!
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.