I Don’t Wear Deodorant

And I smell GREAT! Actually, I just don’t smell at all, which can be better than smelling great when you live with someone who has a lot of fragrance allergies (my mother).

I have been going No-Deo for about 2-3 weeks now, whenever I woke up on the crunchy side of the bed, but a little after starting No ‘Poo. No-Deo takes a lot more bravery, at first.

I wanted to blog about it from the start, but I was afraid it wouldn’t work out…it did take me until about 3 days ago to get the right solution and now I smell like nothing, and i’m proud of it!

Why I Don’t Wear Deodorant

1. Deodorant might be harmful to you…

Did you know that commercial deodorant has aluminum and parabens in it, and that these ingredients may be linked to breast cancer and alzhiemers?  This isn’t just propaganda on the natural news front…this junk increases your risk for both diseases. Do a little googling and pay close attention to the way things are worded. When the government and medical community are “sure” something is not a risk…they state that plain and simple. But check out this article:

What the American Cancer Society has to Say

Read it carefully. You’ll see how in the beginning they say “All of these claims are largely untrue” yet all throughout the rest of the article they never once state “____ ingredient in deodorant does not cause cancer”. Instead they say “no clear link has been found”, “we don’t yet know what this means”, and “more studies are needed”.

That’s not good enough to convince me that deodorant is perfectly safe.

Think of it this way. If there were two apples in front of you and one is guaranteed safe but the other may increase your risks for cancer, which would you eat? If they both taste the same, why would you pick the riskier one?

Making your own deodorant works just as well as commercial deodorant, maybe even better for some people, but it doesn’t even have a chance of harming you! **The one exception are people with very sensitive skin or a coconut allergy. If the homemade deo recipe I post makes your underarms red or itchy, add more coconut oil and less baking soda.**

2. Antiperspirants are unnecessary

We perspire for a reason. Yeah, our bodies are supposed to do it. It regulates our body temperature and acts as a means to flush out toxins and all that jazz. From my experience, commercial deodorant/antiperspirant actually made me perspire MORE than going No Deo!

3. Save some MOOLA!

Sure, maybe it’s just $3-$8 every two months, but every little bit counts!

4. Say goodbye to pit stains

Raise your hands, everyone. How many of you have tossed white or light-colored shirts due to unsightly pit stains? These stains are created when your sweat mixes with the aluminum salts in commercial deodorants. When you go no-deo, armpit stains become a thing of the past. Good riddance!

No Deo, What About the B.O.????

Going No Deo doesn’t mean you don’t put SOMETHING in those pits. For the first 2-3 weeks I tried using GeoDeo brand vegetable oil based, aluminum free deodorant.

It kinda sucked. After 3 minutes…I would stink. So I started putting coconut oil on before, and reapplying in the afternoons. That wasn’t so bad, but I did have a lingering scent of sweat.

So finally I made my own deodorant. BINGO!!!! This is AMAZING! I smell like absolutely nothing, even after a day of wearing a sweater, carrying carseats, and shopping on the weekend after thanksgiving!

Not only do I have no B.O., but I noticed I sweat a lot less. I think that’s also because my pits are done detoxing. More about that in the next section…

Natural Deodorant Recipe

The basic recipe is as follows:

• 8tbs coconut oil
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 1/4 cup arrow root powder (may sub for cornstarch).

Optional: 1 drop of essential oil…i’ve seen tea tree oil and lavender recommended. It would definitely have to be something you are not sensitive to, and it is not necessary to keep the stink away. I didn’t use an essential oil and I am enjoying the sweet smell of nothing!

I originally found this recipe on PassionateHomemaking, you may find it elsewhere in slightly varying quantities.

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, combine the arrowroot powder (or corn starch) and baking soda, mixing very well. Add in coconut oil (it’s solid at room temperature) and mix thoroughly.

I mashed it all together with my hands and the whole thing took less than 2 minutes to make.

Now you can pack it into an empty deodorant applicator and use as you would any deodorant, or scoop it into a glass jar (mine’s in an Earth’s Best jar) and apply by hand.

What’s Next?

Before things can get better, they sometimes get a little worse: you may experience the stinky armpit detox as your skin rids itself of the commercial deodorant. I so did not believe in armpit detox. I had gone 24hrs without deodorant before and had never experienced true stink…but going No Deo, it happened.  Most people who switch to No Deo go through a detox period ranging from 2 days to 3 weeks. Do not let this deter you!

You can stave off the armpit detox by

• Washing your armpits with soap and hot water right before your first application of No Deo. Really let them soak up the hot water, it will help remove the aluminum residues.
• Adding more fruits and veggies to your diet. The healthier and more natural your diet, the shorter and less offensive your detox period will be.

Trust me…smelling like a sock for two days of your life is worth lowering your risk for cancer! And everyone’s detox is different; yours will hopefully be less stinky than mine was.

Once you’ve made it through detox…

Enjoy your No Deo, without the B.O.!