Did you know that the French use less soap compared to other countries? A LOT less. While it may seem like an oddity, there are actually several reasons behind this cultural phenomenon. In this article, we’ll dive deep into why the French’s soap usage is lower than other countries, with statistical evidence to back it up. We’ll find out why there is no soap in France.
For years, the French have been the subject of jokes and stereotypes about their hygiene habits. From the pungent smells of the Metro to the dubious reputation of the traditional French “bath,” the image of the unwashed Frenchman has long persisted in the popular imagination. Does the Paris Metro really stink worse than the New York subway? Is there any truth to these claims? And if so, what does it mean for individual health and hygiene on a wider scale?
Understanding Soap Usage Amongst the French:
Firstly, it’s worth examining the reality of French hygiene practices. While it’s true that French bathing is a little more common today than in previous generations, it’s also worth noting that there are still vast differences between French and American bathing culture.
Statistical evidence shows that on average, Americans use more than eight times the amount of soap as the French. Unlike Americans, the French often don’t believe in daily showers, opting instead for an occasional quick wash or sponge bath – the same usage prescribed in the 1700’s. The use of soap during these actions isn’t always necessary, and they may be especially opposed to cleaning underarms and intimate areas. They may rightfully feel that merely rotating their bodies under cold running water for 60 seconds is adequate protection against offense.
A survey found that only 47 percent of French took any kind of daily bath. We probably don’t really want to consider how many of the remaining 53 percent took even took a weekly bath. We certainly don’t want to know what was washed therein.
The newspaper Le Figaro recently gave some other numbers: While the average Briton uses 3 pounds of soap annually and the average German 2.9 pounds, the average Frenchman uses 1.3 pounds — 1/3 as much — meaning four to five cakes of soap are made to stretch out over an entire year. What’s more, 40% of French men, and 25% of women, do not change their underwear daily. And, based on surveys and toothpaste sales, Le Figaro estimated that only 50% of the French brush their teeth daily — which is even more disgusting.
Tthe Sofres polling agency, the Committee on Health Education, the Federation of Perfume Industries and the Organization for Oral and Dental Health, found that the share of French households with a shower or bathtub has risen from 29% in 1962 to 94% now. The obvious problem is that these updated bathrooms apparently tend to be for show, not showering.
The statistics are reinforced by a comment by an anonymous (French) Saint Cloud General Practitioner: “For many of us,” he said, “the deodorant spray is a tool of the trade that is as important as the stethoscope.”
Once I was in Epcot at the French pavilion. Of course, they were showing the movie ‘Impressions de France’. They’ve been showing the same movie for about 50 years, so you know it’s a good one. Anyway, some actual French-speaking people wandered in, and I subsequently had to move to the other side of the theater. Perhaps they should update the movie to illustrate and teach the far-western bathing practices.
Mentioning the stink factor is very offensive to the French, who take real pride in being different from everyone else, even when it comes to hygiene. For example, France has a long tradition of perfume-making and fragrance, which has historically been used as a (possibly inferior) substitute for soap and bathing. Hence the term, “…smells like a French whorehouse.” We all need to consider these factors when deciding whether to summer in Paris or Minnesota during July. Minnesota has a lot of people of German descent, and for some reason they are all clean as the driven snow. That’s weird — since Germany shares a border with France. The same surveys quoted above found that residents of Germany were more than twice as clean as their French counterparts. Though no Europeans can match up to the spotless Americans, at least many are making an effort at it.
Studies have certainly shown that French people use less soap on average than other cultures. However, they also tend to use more perfume and fragrance, which can supposedly mask or change the perception of odor. Interestingly, research has shown that odor perception is heavily influenced by cultural norms – what smells bad to one person might be considered normal or even pleasant in another culture. That’s why Americans should be very careful when mapping out their travel plans. I mean, it’s a real crime to stink almost anywhere (exception below) in America, so we need to be even more aware that not everyone in the world thinks as we do. There are reasons as to why they are soap-free in France.
From a health perspective, the science of hygiene tells us that a regular 20-minute immersion in a steaming torrent of boiling water is sufficient to burn our skin off and destroy most bacteria. To Americans, his is crucial to maintaining a healthy glow and preventing the spread of illness. Unfortunately, the American government was infiltrated by French radicals during the hippie uprisings of the 1960’s. This eventually led to efforts to restrict the flow of American’s hot water when the government mandated the first communistic low-flow shower heads. Real Americans got to work with their hacksaws, ensuring that the sizzling water continued to spew from their shower-heads at a rate of at least ten gallons per minute.
As more and more wealthy Americans “go commie” and try to emulate the French, they install tankless water heaters. These supposed earth-savings appliances all have one thing in common: they deliver a limitless flow of lukewarm water. This may work in Miami in August, but you’re going to freeze your ass off anywhere else. Most American proles refuse to put up with this. Their families demand 200-gallon gas fired heaters with the capacity to deliver enough scorching-hot water for an Egyptian army platoon stationed in Antarctica. They feel the Bill of Rights should also have included the right to unlimited boiling water.
Biology & Environmental Factors:
The French try to palm all this off on biology. They claim that they have fewer apocrine sweat glands than Americans…even though many Americans are descended from those persons that originally hailed from France. These glands are responsible for creating the kind of sweat that has an odor. Since the French supposedly have fewer apocrine sweat glands, they feel they don’t need as much soap to eliminate foul smells.
According to the French, France has a relatively cooler climate, which means less sweating overall, and less need for soap. These are only theories that probably would not hold up if anyone was brave enough to investigate them.
The hardness of water, especially during the winter months, can also affect soap usage. In some cities in France, the French say that hard water is prevalent, which affects the lathering and cleaning properties of soap. In America, if you have hard water, the first thing you do is get a damned water softener.
The Business of Soap Production:
According to a 2019 study by Eurostat, France is one of the leading soap-producing countries in the European Union. The country’s soap production industry is primarily centered around Marseille soap, which has been produced in the region since the 17th century. These fine soaps are often used as cake decorations, consumed like candy, or used for juggling.
If you want to grab a bar of fancy French soap that you can display or put in a drawer or your pocket like the French, try this. Yes, it’s actual French soap — the real, pure stuff — none of your American-type Lifebuoy or Dial soaps containing all those important bacteria and stink-fighting additives.
Conclusion:
So, there you have it, a comprehensive look at why the French use less soap than other countries. Cultural habits that value quick soap-free plain-water rinses over full-bodied, extended, hot lathering showers, biology, and environmental reasons such as saving the earth, all point to the possible explanation of this cultural habit. Additionally, the business of fancy soap production in France, the products used to freshen up drawers and closets or to display in the living room, also plays a significant role in France’s limited soap usage.
Modern French people also believe that withholding the use of soap from their bodies may play a large role in limiting climate change. Though these ideas are quaint, they are sometimes held by people in other parts of North America – like the west coast from just north of Los Angeles, stretching all the way to just south of Ketchikan, Alaska. This band of people went far-left Francophile in the 1960’s, successfully emulating the French bathing customs, and reversing the bathing habits of Americans which were acquired over the last 300 years.