We’ve come so far in history to a point where we couldn’t imagine our hygiene being compromised. We have body wash, face wash, hand soap, shampoo, and all sorts of things that have us feeling and smelling fresh. This made me think, before soap did everyone stink?
Good news: the world before soap wasn’t the toxic smelling wasteland we imagine. In fact, before soap hygiene still existed in various ways. Clay, sand, and ash were used for hygiene before soap was available. While this might not be the most pleasant way of hygiene for smelling good, it worked. They work well to remove dirt and oils from the skin. Also, water and baths still existed. So, water was used as a form to clean in the past before soap as well.
