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How To Take Care Of Your Fat Body – Fat Hygiene

This post may contain affiliate links. Affiliate links allow Fatgirlflow to earn commissions on products we recommend. All opinions are our own.

This post was originally published on Comfyfat.com. For those of you that don’t know, J (the owner of Comfyfat.com) is my incredible partner. Their blog focuses on in depth topics around fat accessibility and the intersections of gender and fatness. It’s an incredible resource and you should definitely check them out on their blog and on instagram!

Getting Down To The Nitty Gritty

Lets talk about fat hygiene. Embarrassing, right? I know! These are the kinds of topics that we like to keep private. Especially us fat folks who have learned to be ashamed of our bodies and the extra care they may require. But if we don’t talk about this and share our resources, how will we ever know what works best?

No more suffering in silence babes. I’ve been scoping out some hygiene products that my fat friends swear by. Here’s a list of must haves for fat hygiene:

Remedy Soap

Skin irritation caused by folds on our bodies is a total bitch. It can be itchy, odorous, and look sorta funny. Remedy Anti-Fungal Soap is made with natural ingredients like tea tree oil, mint, and Aloe Vera which work wonders for healing skin. You don’t have to worry about synthetic chemicals and such, so feel free to use this regularly on your whole body. Side note – if you’re not into feeling like you have a York Peppermint Patty lodged between your vulva (or other sensitive areas), perhaps avoid using this all up in your nether region.

Bathroom Hardware

Detachable shower heads are so great. Its important to be able to lift those rolls and scrub that body clean without leftover soap remnants which can cause skin irritation. Sick of cupping your hands and aimlessly splashing water in the general direction of your sweatiest parts? Wash it all away with full force and direct precision. You’re going to feel the cleanest you’ve ever felt.

I can’t describe how wonderful it felt to finally have a shower with a curved shower rod installed in my home. It can be so frustrating to have the shower curtain constantly stuck to your arms and body the whole time, in the most vulnerable moments! Having one of these curved shower rods makes my shower experience feel so much more comfortable. It can add up to 6 inches of room!

This one might not seem as obvious but I swear by it. A corner shower caddy helps organize all of the shit you like to clean yourself with into one space. Why is this helpful? Well if you’re like me and enjoy having options for shower products, you might notice them all piling up on the wall of the tub after a while. I dread those bottles toppling onto my toes because I just needed to lift my leg over the tub wall for a moment. Corner shower caddies really help organize an area where any extra space is a blessing.

Look I’m not exaggerating when I say, bidet attachments ARE LIFE CHANGING! I’ve heard numerous people now tell me that bidet attachments are the best additions they’ve made to their bathrooms and I absolutely agree. Corissa teases that now when we go on vacation the first thing we miss is not our dogs or our family… it’s our bidet. This product can turn any standard two piece toilet into a functional butt flusher. To get that extra clean feel and spend less on toilet paper every month, try out one of these bad boys.

Wipes

Sometimes its hard to reach! Bathroom wipes are getting increasingly popular in all kinds of households. You’re going to want something biodegradable and safe for septic systems. I find that Dude Wipes work the best for me and my fat ass. They’re fragrance free so I feel comfortable using them all over my body when I need to freshen up real quick. They’re also bigger in size which I find helpful. So, if you can move past the overt toxic masculinity involved in the marketing, they work really well. Important: wipes aren’t generally great for the environment even when they say they’re biodegradable. Bidet’s will save you so much money and the earth will thank you. But wipes are great when you’re traveling!

Long Handled Products

Listen, no doubt our fat bodies are bigger than thin bodies. If you’re like me and that also happens to be paired with a couple of short arms, it can be difficult to reach areas that we would like to give an extra scrub. Thankfully you can find all kinds of long handled products on Amazon like loofah’s, sponges, toe nail scissors, and even razor extension handles. My partner especially loves the super long washcloth shown above that you can shimmy around your body for a great clean.

Foot Scrubber

This hands free foot scrubber allows you to exfoliate your feet in the shower. It increases blood circulation and helps massage your feet which can feel really great after a long day on your tootsies. Toss some body wash in there to feel extra clean!

Natural Deodorant

Deodorant creates a barrier of film that seems to stop sweat from festering on your skin within the folds. Lift your rolls up and rub that shit right on in there. Try Crystal Essence if you’re concerned about putting products with aluminum under your belly and breasts. It’s natural, comes in various scents or fragrance free, and has a roll-on option which I highly suggest for easier accessibility to those hard to reach areas.

There are also spray versions that can help get in those hard to reach places!

USB Phone Fan

Summertime sweatiness bummin’ you out? Look at these cute little guys! These USB powered fans plug directly into your phone and run off of your phone battery. Feeling sweaty in a super inconvenient kinda way? Plug this baby right in and start cooling down. Its great because you totally have your phone on you at all times anyway.

Liners

These bra liners are genius! The boob sweat situation is real my friends. Tuck these under your bra on those potentially extra sweaty days. They’re machine washable! They also have disposable ones if you’re more into that sort of thing.

And guess what? They also have tummy liners for us folks who have rolls that tend to get irritated in the hot weather. Say goodbye to skin irritation and rashes this summer!

Are there other hygiene needs that you have that weren’t addressed in this post? Let us know in the comments below! Over on Comfyfat.com you can read about accessibility tools for gardening, outdoor sports, talking to your doctor, and lots more!

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Faith

Saturday 4th of November 2023

i’m so glad i found this blog! i’ve been overweight since birth (literally), and i’ve never had any hygiene problems until now (nearing adulthood). my main problem is sweating. i sweat SO MUCH for no reason, like i could be freezing and will still have sweat stains on my body. it’s gotten to the point where my soap isn’t helping with the smell. going to try out some of the recommended products. thanks for this blog!!m!

Kam

Tuesday 17th of May 2022

Hi I didn't really know who to ask about this and its kind of an embarrassing question but I feel comfortable asking you since you have answered most of my other questions through your posts, and I feel like you are very judgement free, so here it goes, I am a fat black person and I was wondering if I should shower daily or every other day, I have an active job in a kitchen and like to walk outside so I get sweaty but i don't really smell but I keep hearing different things like you should only shower 3 times a week or you should shower everyday, what is your opinion? Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask! Have a great day and thank you!

fatgirlflow

Monday 6th of June 2022

ultimately, you get to decide what fits your needs! I think you have to balance what you're capable of physically, what you have the emotional bandwidth for, and how necessary a shower is each day. It may not be an exact *every other* or *ever day* situation, ya know? I say shower when it feels right!

Lynn

Monday 18th of April 2022

I have a lot of the same issues talked about. You guys have given me a lot of information and ideas to try out. Thank You

Grace

Friday 6th of August 2021

great tips :) i’m realizing the first step towards meaningful health improvements is loving and caring for the body that i’m in.

Bethany Meisberger

Wednesday 2nd of June 2021

Can we have a serious conversation about how much it sucks to shave your legs while being fat? I hate it and I only do it a few times a year in the summer if I'm going swimming. Does anyone have any suggestions on shaving methods that would help me dread this process a little less?

Fancy

Thursday 28th of October 2021

@Bethany Meisberger,

I shave on my bed. Here's how: One spray bottle with hair conditioner, and enough water to make it sprayable; half and half would probably work. I use a new razor each time, which saves on nicks.

I place a clean dry towel on the bed, stretch my leg out on it, and use a moist washcloth to moisten my leg. I spray conditioner into my hand and rub onto my leg. I carefully use the razor upward, only once. I usually do a few inches across and use the wet washcloth to clean the razor. (Note- this will ruin your washcloth, so don't use one you like.)

Once I've done my entire leg, (you may have to stand up to do the back) I use the wet washcloth to clean the conditioner off, and check for strays. Then I rinse and twist the washcloth, dry that leg with the towel, and do the other leg.

I also use this method for underarms, although you have to use less conditioner as it makes the hair harder for the razor to grab otherwise. The great news is that the conditioner works like a moisturizer, and you smell great afterwards! Hope that helps!

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