So, let's get straight to it…
Question of the Week... *drum roll please*
The topic? Armpits!
What do you naturals do to keep your armpits smelling lovely and fresh? What deodorant do you use? Any tips to keeping the smell and sweat at bay? Or do you simply not care about using a natural deodorant? Or not care if you smell a little?
Do you shave your armpits? Why or why not? Ever thought about it?
Tell me the story to your armpits. ;)
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I shave because I noticed the smell is worse with hair. I'm still searching for a deodorant that will hold up at work where I sweat a lot. :( I use more than one type at a time, usually a roll on first like crystal or naturally fresh, then a solid like toms. Even this doesn't hold up for me at work unless I'm constantly applying...so if anyone here has any suggestions....
ReplyDelete-TheNeedleSlave
I use a natural vegan deodorant that used to be from Spa Therapy and now is part of the line of Rachel René on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/RachelRene?section_id=11018039
ReplyDeleteThe good thing about these is that you sweat but you don't stink! And given the fact that antitranspirants can be linked to breast cancer... I'd rather not risk it!
-TheNeedleSlave, that's what I do too! I only just started using the crystal though and I've heard it can take months for it to work but apparently afterwards it works like a dream... apparently ;)
ReplyDeleteI tend to not wear t-shirts that fit closely to my pits haha. :P in the mean time still exploring to find something that can stand up to the "sweatier" days.
Rhi, I think I'm gonna have to try the deodorant And the essential oil is a brilliant idea! I've used some herbolution body sprays to help with the smell, same kinda idea, but the clothes idea sounds easier heheee.
I'll have to look back into Spa therapy. I know I've tried them once before but there was one ingredient in there that I didn't agree with so wrote them off. :P not sure if it's changed though as that was a couple years ago.
^That's good to know Bianca, I didn't know it took months for the full affect, I was going to write it off into my "did not work" list. Perhaps ill give it another try and see. Although there is a spray at my local health food store I wanted to try with pretty much the same ingredients as crystal I believe, the worker there said it was their best selling...can't remember the name but it was scentless and clear and red letters for the label. I went with their "staff favorite" last time (naturally fresh, which has a questionable ingredient I've been meaning to look up, and parfum.), but I was willing to try it if it meant not stinking at work. There are better deodorants out there though, IMO.
ReplyDeleteI've been so fed up with stinking at work that I actually used my boyfriend's super unnatural deodorant the last few times...despite being allergic to aluminum... I haven't used unnatural deodorant since I was 15 before doing that! Ugh. As you can see, this is a big issue for me.
Rhi- essential oils in the wash never helped me scent my clothes... :( Maybe because I mixed it with my homemade laundry soap? What type of essential oil do you use?
-TheNeedleSlave
Rhi, that makes a lot of sense! I've sometimes sprayed my clothes too haha.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely in the same boat where I would really like to find something to help with smelly pits. haha. :p but definitely still unwilling to compromise my health. Fortunately I live in a town where there are genuinely smelly hippies EVERYWHERE which make me feel better if I don't smell the greatest one day. haha
I also use Spa Therapy, but find that certain scents work better and last longer than others. There was a new kind on The Kind Life website a few weeks ago that I wanted to look into too but haven't yet.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thekindlife.com/post/beautify-your-underarms-for-summer-with-geodeo
oh yeah! I forgot about that company, gotta check em out!
ReplyDeleteaaaaand I just realized they sell it at Walmart...and I just came from there. Damn. I wish I had checked their website before I left :/ haha!
ReplyDeleteI started to do some digging and came across this blog article:
ReplyDeletehttp://thehairpin.com/2010/10/my-quiet-mostly-disgusting-adventures-with-natural-deodorant
Essentially you can skip the entirely article where she vents her frustrations towards natural deodorants and read the last sentence that Soapwallas (an Etsy seller) deodorant has changed her life. I clicked the link to Soapwallas shop and found a completely natural, and VEGAN deodorant. I think I'm going to try it and put it to the test.
I think it has a lot to do with body chemistry though, whether a certain deodorant is going to work or not. Most people are saying that soapwalla is amazing and works better than even some unnatural deodorant, a few said it made their BO worse (though one said that and then went on saying they began rubbing it in really well and now it works great), and some have had skin reactions, though one said they had skin reactions and believe it was because they were overapplying. I dunno, I think its worth a try!
-TheNeedleSlave
haha I hate going to wal-mart and I was just there too haha :P I only go there when I HAVE to and try to make sure anything I need from there I get all at once so I don't gave to go back :p not sure our wal-mart would carry it though, we're so small
ReplyDeletesometimes I'm a lil weary of etsy sellers due to you're just relying on their honesty for ingredients. But you can usually tell if there are chems or not cuz ppl will have reactions to it. I'll check it out, definitely curious! :)
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, totally depends from person to person and their body chemistry when it comes to deodorants, which is what makes finding a natural one that works extra tricky tricky.
funny story... the week before our wedding I was looking for a new deodorant and got recommended this one by a girl that worked in the store so decided to try it. I unfortunately tried it for the first time as we were leaving Edmonton to make the 9-10 hour drive to Nelson for the wedding. I was in a car with four other people, squished in the back between my brother and best friend. I STANK! It was soooo bad! It amplified my BO times a million! I felt sooo terrible. I even tried to wash it off numerous times but it would not stop the smell. it was insane! Lesson learned. It took a couple days to wear off too--fortunately I was stink free by the wedding lol.
^very true. I did think it was odd some people had a skin reaction to something being claimed as natural...but then again it could be due to someone being sensitive to essential oils/certain vegetables? I wonder if it would be too offensive to ask the seller to photograph their ingredients to prove that they are actually using natural ingredients? Or provide some other way of proving it? I wonder if there is some at home test you could do to see if there was chems in it??? Hmmmmmmm....
ReplyDelete-TheNeedleSlave
for sure, my husband is hypersensitive to lots of natural essential oils and random things. Whenever I try a new product I have to wait and see if he gets hives :P
DeleteAh, now that I read more I guess it has baking soda in the mixture (aluminium free baking soda I would hope) which would explain why people may get a skin rash if they are using too much. I made my own deodorant for awhile and got irritated from the baking soda in it, but there was a lot of baking soda in it, and I was using a lot. I eventually learned how much was too much.
ReplyDeleteI guess she has lupus as well and that's why she started making her own body products... But like you pretty much said before, you can't believe everything you read...
-TheNeedleSlave
well there you go. If you know the person's story then it's usually genuine :) I still buy lots of handmade body products off etsy and just trust that they are good, but I do usually look into the company a bit more first to get the right vibes first. I like to trust my instincts haha :)
DeleteI would love to use the deodorant Terra Naturals that you use, but I cannot find it in the stores and I cannot buy it right now online, so I have been using baking soda. It keeps me dry, it keeps me from sinking, and it doesn't cause cancer. :)
ReplyDeleteI meant to say "stinking".
DeleteI've never used baking soda for some reason. It sounds so easy and simple haha. If it does the trick then why not?! :)
DeleteI like to make my own! I mix two parts baking soda to one part cornstarch and mix it together with melted coconut oil. Add 2 drops of tea tree oil, and I pour it into an empty deoderant container that I'd completely used up. It solidifies again in 1-2 days at room temperature, and it stays solid as long as your room isn't too hot. I never stink or get damp, but i always wait 5 minutes before putting on a shirt to wait for it to get absorbed :)
ReplyDeleteAgain, no cancer, no smell, no sweat :)
that sounds wonderful! Maybe that will be what I try next. I'm just about out of my current deodorant and would love to be able to make my own! Do you find it a pain to make or pretty quick and easy?
DeleteOh, it's so easy. You can do it in under ten minutes. If you have sensitive skin, you can use lavender oil instead of tea tree
DeleteIs alcohol as ingredient bad for armpits?
ReplyDeletenot as far as I know. Might depend on the type of alcohol though?? :P
DeleteI would like to add that making your own deodorant is really easily, affordable, and fun. Warning though: sometimes the coconut oil can stain clothes, especially whites. Plus the whole coconut oil liquifys at a certain temp, so you either have to refrigerate or keep your house the right temp. (So it doesn't make a good travel deodorant in the summer time) And you may have to adjust the baking soda amount used to avoid negative skin reactions. And lastly make sure if your using an old deodorant container that there are no holes in the bottom-- I made a big mess once. I'm going to make my own soon here again because I'm about fed up with natural on the market deodorants. I remembered the only reason I didn't like homemade deodorant was that it leaves a powder residue (baking soda) behind, and wasn't ideal for short sleeve black clothes. Otherwise it worked really well.
ReplyDeleteJust recently I tried another method for work, and it worked for about 4 hours, I should have reapplied..but I didn't and I was smelling horrible at the end of the day! I was so embarassed. What I tried was a crystal deodorant, and then a salve of cocoa and shea butter mixed with tea tree oil, lavender, and patchouli over it. It's good for four, maybe five hours of labor intensive work, and THAT'S IT. It does last 8-12 hours when I'm just home not doing much though.. probably 5-8 hours on a hot day with little physical activity.
I still haven't tried soapwalla. I've thought about it, and the price kind of gets to me.. I know a soapmaker personally (my SIL Niki @thecleanhippiesoapco) and I rather just ask/pay her to make me a batch of deodorant to my specifications, since I know she has all the ingredients+ some on hand.
Oh and I'm thinking about doing something similar to this recipe but with baking soda..maybe as an alternative to coconut oil. However, I do know Niki tracked down some coconut oil that wouldn't stain clothes, so ill have to talk to her to see if she still has some on hand. I might still want to rid the coconut oil because of the temp/liquid thing... Or I might ask her to make me two separate batches and see which I like more. Anyways, the recipe:
http://www.theeverythingsoapblog.com/2012/03/recipe-best-natural-deodorant.html?m=1
-theneedleslave
I'm definitely going to have to take some time and try making deodorant I've decided! So I can share with my readers how it turns out too haha. ;) Thanks for all the input lovelies!
ReplyDeleteI have come back, lol, to express my joys in obtaining the perfect homemade deodorant recipe!
Delete4 T. arrowroot
1 T. Baking soda
1 3/4 T. Virgin Coconut Oil (melted)
Essential Oils as desired (I used about 3/8 teaspoon of Lime EO...lime+coconut=amazeballs)
With this ratio you end up with a dry putty of sorts. Not too much baking soda that it will irritate, dry enough that the risk of staining light colored clothes with the coconut oil is greatly reduce - WORKS BETTER THAN ANY NATURAL STORE BOUGHT DEODORANT. Its way cheaper too, and only takes about 5 minutes to make. I really hope you give it a try!