Over the past six weeks, Nicky, 42, has cut her daily routine, and all the products associated with it, out of her life altogether. Yes, for 40 days and 40 nights, there has been no showering, no hair washing, no teeth cleaning and no deodorant. She was, in effect, seeking to find out whether we are all simply wasting our money in the name of vanity. 

    By the end of the fourth week, something extraordinary happened. Nicky noticed that not only was she physically feeling better than she had done in a long time, her skin had begun to glow. At the same time, a persistent cyst on her eye disappeared. Aside from that, her skin looked fresher and brighter than it had for a decade. 

    “I'd never want to do anything like that again because not washing affects your friendships, family relationships and self-confidence,” she says. “Thank goodness I work from home, otherwise it would most likely have had a detrimental effect on my career. 

    “A bar of soap, organic shampoo and conditioner, and a basic moisturiser are all I need now. I no longer wash my hair every day and I no longer feel self-conscious if I'm not done up to the nines. While I wouldn't suggest anyone else takes things to the extreme that I did, they can rest assured that when it comes to their beauty routines, less is more.” 

    在过去的六个星期，42岁的女性尼奇做了一个极端的生活体验：彻底抛弃所有美容化妆用品。整整40个白天40个黑夜，她不洗澡、不洗头、不刷牙、不用任何除臭剂。她想看看，平日在这些东西上面花的钱是否只是满足了虚荣心。

    实验到了第四周，非凡的结果出来了。她不但感到身体状况比以前好，皮肤也有了光泽。同时，她的眼睛囊肿也消失了。皮肤看上去比12年来任何时候都要健康。

    然而，实验也让她吃了不少苦头。她说，“我再也不会干这样的傻事了，不洗头不洗澡影响朋友关系、家庭关系，也打击自己的自信。幸好我是在家里工作，否则说不定工作都丢了。”

    “我现在只用肥皂、有机洗发精和护发剂，再加一点润肤水。我不再每天洗头，即使不打扮得光鲜无比也不会觉得有什么不妥。虽然我不会建议别人也象我一样极端，我还是想说，在美容护理上面，越简单越好。”