00:00 Hygiene practices have been on this planet for as long as there's been life.
00:06 Even those initial single-celled organisms felt icky when they got dirty, so they made
00:11 shields and developed mechanisms to kick out unwanted guests, such as bacteria.
00:17 Animals are surprisingly clean too.
00:20 Especially pigs, out of all animals.
00:22 Turns out they're particularly good at keeping their space tidy.
00:26 Domestic pigs, for instance, pick a spot for their toilet business that's a good distance
00:31 from where they eat or sleep.
00:35 Humans have a long, and at times icky, history with hygiene too, which can be traced as far
00:40 back as our ancient cousins, the Neanderthals.
00:44 There's evidence that even over 60,000 years ago, they seemed keen on keeping their pearly
00:49 whites in good shape.
00:51 Two fossilized Neanderthal teeth tell the story through some weird grooves, which were
00:56 obviously made by something pointy, like a toothpick of sorts.
01:01 Then there's Venus of Willendorf, this tiny ancient statue, around 25,000 years old, discovered
01:08 in Austria.
01:09 Its whole purpose remains a mystery.
01:12 Scientists don't even know if it was an art piece or if it had some spiritual significance.
01:17 But it does give us some indications on ancient hygienic practices.
01:21 Now there's no way to confirm, but those bumps and grooves on the statue's head might
01:26 represent braids.
01:28 Scientists have no idea how often people washed their hair back then, or if they used any
01:33 specific cleaning products.
01:35 But the fact that they put some time into a hairdo shows an extra bit of care that other
01:40 species might not have.
01:42 In all fairness, the likely culprit for prehistoric hygienic practices might've been lice, unfortunately.
01:51 Even further back in time, we meet the Egyptians, who surely take the crown for ancient self-care
01:57 practices.
01:58 In fact, according to the Greek historian Herodotus, around the 5th century BCE, the
02:04 ancient Egyptians were the cleanest and healthiest bunch around.
02:08 Why so?
02:09 Because they made sure to bathe twice a day to steer clear of health problems.
02:14 Spiritual leaders in particular took cleanliness seriously, shaving their entire bodies every
02:19 three days and having two baths during the day and two at night.
02:24 Wow.
02:25 Know what should also be taken seriously?
02:27 Liking this video and subscribing to this channel, which doesn't take nearly as long
02:32 as an ancient Egyptian bath.
02:34 Meanwhile, ancient Egyptians also didn't just rely on water.
02:38 They used perfumes to stay fresh.
02:40 They also had these natron soaps that were scented and had properties like fighting bacteria
02:46 and fungi.
02:47 These natron, which is a mineral salt, was used in mouthwash solutions too.
02:52 These people chewed on parsley and similar herbs to keep their breath fresh.
02:57 Egyptians back then went even as far as developing one of the first deodorants.
03:02 Ancient texts suggest putting a scented bread concoction under the arms post-bathing.
03:08 People also mixed an ostrich egg with pulverized tortoise shell and used it as an ointment
03:13 to ward off unpleasant odors.
03:15 Women, especially the wealthier ones, shaved their heads with flint or metal razors, choosing
03:22 wigs made from human hair to shield their skin from the sun and avoid lice.
03:27 Those who kept their hair natural often used hair extensions or wigs secured with beeswax
03:33 and resin.
03:34 There were even women who wore perfume wax cones on their heads that would slowly release
03:39 a delightful scent during the day.
03:42 Woo, coneheads!
03:44 Let's now move towards the north a bit and check out the ancient practices of the good
03:49 old Romans.
03:50 Sure, the Babylonians and Assyrians were the first to sort of invent the toilet.
03:56 That's because they crafted areas with too short walls and a little gap for the business.
04:01 And then they just let the debris flow into the canals along with their bathwater.
04:06 But it wasn't until the ancient Romans that these toilets became a common widespread device.
04:12 The less well-off households went for a barrel as their toilet, just dumping the stuff from
04:17 their chamber pots into it.
04:19 Public toilets were popular too, at times even big enough for over 50 people.
04:24 Imagine having a chat about commerce and marketing with other professionals while, uh, doing
04:29 your thing.
04:30 You wouldn't be wrong.
04:31 In fact, that's what the Romans did.
04:33 And that's where the phrase "to do one's business" comes from.
04:40 Did the ancient Romans use toilet paper?
04:43 No, they didn't.
04:44 But they did supposedly use a sponge on a stick called a tersorium to tidy up after
04:50 completing their potty time.
04:52 There's evidence you'd often find these devices in public bathrooms, but how exactly
04:57 they were used is still a bit of a mystery.
05:00 It's not like we sell toilet paper with detailed instructions these days either.
05:04 However, the hefty sponge might've been a reusable contraption.
05:09 Some say it was dipped in a little water and vinegar, did its job cleaning, and then got
05:13 rinsed or dunked back into a bucket of salt water or vinegar for the next person to use.
05:19 Hmm, I think I'd rather be first in line or wait for a new sponge.
05:24 Probably one of the most important ancient inventions when it comes to hygiene were the
05:28 Roman aqueducts.
05:30 These sophisticated engineering marvels were designed to transport fresh water from distant
05:35 mountain sources to cities.
05:37 This meant ancient Romans always had a reliable supply of clean water.
05:44 The medieval times have this reputation of being some of the smelliest in human history.
05:50 But if we look at the data, it wasn't that bad.
05:54 People were advised to keep it smooth, getting rid of unwanted hair by either shaving or
05:58 plucking.
06:00 Another technique was to put together a mix of crushed needle seeds and vinegar and slather
06:05 it on the skin.
06:06 Think of it as an ancient body scrub.
06:09 As for hair, doctors suggested washing it, but not too often – just once every three
06:14 weeks.
06:15 The preferred method?
06:16 A good scrub with water and herbal blends.
06:19 Daily hair care involved combing, sometimes with powders made from sweet-smelling flowers
06:24 like rose petals.
06:26 For laundry duty, our medieval ancestors tossed clothes and linen into a tub, river, or stream.
06:33 To really amp up the cleanliness, some added wood ash to the water.
06:38 Women often took laundry to rivers, where they would stomp on clothes or beat them with
06:42 a wooden bat until they were done.
06:44 In fact, the washing enthusiasm got so intense that it led to some serious public health
06:50 issues.
06:51 One story goes that in the 1400s, an English city put a ban on washing clothes at town
06:56 conduits because it became such a mess.
07:03 When it comes to laundry, though, people that lived through the Victorian era really overdid
07:07 it.
07:08 For starters, it was a multiple-day project.
07:11 Manuals then suggested letting clothes soak overnight as the first step.
07:16 The next day, it was a complete process of soaping, boiling, rinsing, drying, starching,
07:23 and ironing.
07:24 Sometimes they even had to repeat these steps.
07:26 To keep whites looking brand new, women had various stain removal options.
07:32 For instance, sour milk was said to work wonders in removing iron rust.
07:37 Every wash also involved a "bluing" stage.
07:40 White clothes were boiled or scalded with water that had a touch of blue dye.
07:45 This made yellowing clothes look whiter.
07:47 Interestingly, you can still find bluing products for laundry today.
07:52 Another manual gave tips on bleaching clothes.
07:55 Cotton could be bleached by soaking in buttermilk or adding turpentine to the first wash.
08:00 Muslin fabric needed a chemical mix after the initial soap boil, followed by sun-drying.
08:09 At about the same time lived one of the most beautiful women in history, Sisi of Austria.
08:15 She became renowned for her personal hygiene and self-care routines.
08:19 Her most recognizable attribute was this thick chestnut hair with an incredible length, down
08:25 to her feet.
08:26 It took her 3 hours per day just to manage it.
08:30 Every morning she'd have a cold bath, a massage, and then she'd sit down in a chair
08:35 for hours, letting her hairdresser do her job.
08:38 Sisi's skincare regimen was equally as outrageous.
08:42 Obsessed with keeping wrinkles at bay, Sisi put crushed strawberries to her hands, neck,
08:47 and face.
08:49 She also slept with a custom mask on, lined inside with pieces of raw veal.
08:55 The woman also spent time in warm olive oil baths to keep her skin soft and, for everyday
09:00 bathing, she used distilled water.
09:03 Sisi also made it a habit to sleep without any pillows, because she believed it would
09:08 benefit her skin.
09:10 Kind of obsessive, wouldn't you say?
