Tip of the Day - Wear Deodorant
No, I’m not saying you smell. I’ve been reading You: Staying Young, and this is one of the health tips offered, so I thought it might be a good idea to talk about the difference between deodorant and antiperspirant.
Sweating is normal, natural, and good for you. It’s one of the ways your body releases toxins. Don’t inhibit it. Antiperspirant does just what it’s name says — it inhibits sweating — often through ingredients like aluminum salts, which may or may not be a health issue, depending on which reports you read.
Deodorant is the way to go. It lets you sweat, but helps stop odor by controlling bacteria growth in your armpit. The added bonus is that it’s easier to find a natural deodorant without a bunch of scary ingredients (like talc), than it is to find a natural antiperspirant.
Tom’s of Maine has some good deodorants, and Desert Essence deodorant uses tea tree oil to combat odor, although both contain propylene glycol, which is a petroleum derivative.
You can use a crystal deodorant, which comes in many forms, including an actual chunk of alum crystal that you wet before rubbing in your armpit. I haven’t tried The Crystal, but I have tried TCCD’s roll on crystal deodorant, and I really like it.
Care 2 has two recipes for making your own deodorant, and I can’t wait to give them a try.
The trick to wearing natural deodorant is to put it on IMMEDIATELY after you bathe. Make sure to wash your armpits well, dry them, and put deodorant on before you have a chance to sweat even the tiniest bit.
And only wear deodorant when you need to. If you’re out hiking or running or working in the yard, it’s okay to get a little stinky.
March 14th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
I feel like I am on a quest to find an effective and healthy deodorant! My husband had to tell me that I was a little stinky while using Kiss My Face deodorant, so I switched to Desert Essence. After reading this blog, I may have to switch again! I would love to know if someone has found the miracle deordorant. Al-please keep us posted on your homemade trials.
March 14th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Sigh. I’ve tried Toms and the crystals, but I just still stink! Maybe it’s just my body type, and my job, but I can’t seem to get off the antiperspirant even though I’m convinced it’s really bad for me. So, if you discover something fabulous, I hope you’ll share!
March 14th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
I, too, have had problems with all the healthy deodorants not being strong enough to stop my stink. I sweat more than any woman should, to the point where its almost embarrassing, which makes me feel like I need the antiperspirant, even though I know how bad it is. It’s not fair!
March 14th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Since the very idea of deodorant is unnatural (while stinking is perfectly natural), I wouldn’t be surprised if there simply is not a healthy, natural, and effective way to combat b.o. It takes all those nasty chemicals to get the job done because our body wants to do its thing.
But damn if walking around smelling like a locker room doesn’t make you a social pariah.
March 14th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Yeah, natural deodorant isn’t a perfect solution, and I’m not saying it works as well as antiperspirant. I will certainly check back with the baking soda recipe results and I hope anyone else who gives it a try will too.
March 14th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
[…] are some things I forgot to add to my post this morning that may help: 1. Drink enough water — if you are well hydrated, your sweat will be less […]
March 15th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Something you may want to check out:
http://ca.lush.com/cgi-bin/lushdb/catzoom.html?mv_arg=Deodorants&expand=Closeup
Although I haven’t tried their deoderants yet, I’ve always been happy with LUSH products, and I’m confident they would work.
March 16th, 2008 at 8:14 am
I’ve had success with Tom’s of Maine but the propylene glycol thing bothers me. Kiss my Face didn’t work for me (but I love their other products). I like the idea of the crystal the best, especially considering that you can buy it without packaging, but unfortunately my skin breaks out from it. Oh well.
March 16th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
I am amazed at how troubled we all are by smelling like people. I am old(61) so I should be stinkier, nes’ct pas? I use deoderant twice a week because I have it. My wife has never complained and I check regularly. By the way, I use it right after my showers, twice a week. Saves a lotta water!
I drink lots of water and lots of coffee, I am a pescatarian and eat fish once or twice a week. Try washing your pits twice a day.
March 17th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Ooh, I’ll have to give Lush a try — thanks, Sherri!
Susan — I was upset about the propylene glycol thing too. Tom’s worked pretty well. I’m sorry to hear that the crystal doesn’t work for you. I really like the TCCD roll on, although it’s not without packaging.
“Try washing your pits twice a day” — Roger, that’s excellent advice!
March 19th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
I tried a couple of the non-crystal natural deodorants and they didn’t work. The crystal does work at blocking odors, though not as well or for as long as conventional deodorants. I put it on immediately after the shower (when armpits are still wet). The only problem is that this can sting if armpits were just shaved.
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Unfortunately the Tom’s of Maine deodorant I tried made me smell WORSE. Actually, I often go natural (mostly because i’m forgetful) and hardly ever notice a smell, assuming I did shower that morning. But the Tom’s gave me some nasty B.O. - and I wanted so badly to like it! I would love a natch alternative that works! Anti-perspirant is my last bastion of mainstream chems. Is the “alum crystal” kind actually an aluminum salt?
May 8th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
[…] few weeks ago we talked about deodorant. Lots of people feel let down by natural deodorants, but the health risks associated with […]
May 10th, 2008 at 4:09 am
I’ve been using plain old baking soda for the past few months, and it works great. Some people use a shaker to sprinkle it on the armpits, but I just put some dry soda on my fingers and rub it on. It keeps me dry and odorless. I’ve heard cornstarch works too, if you get a reaction to the baking soda. Cheap, easy, and totally non-toxic!
May 16th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
I love the crystal deodorant. But I don’t have a big sweating problem.