For so very many years now, we’ve been hearing about the
dangers of commercial deodorants. Research has shown that daily use of
deodorants containing aluminum and parabens can increase our risk of cancer…
yikes! Seems like a very good reason to skip our traditional deodorant and try
out something natural, right? Yet somehow, although I’ve removed most all other
chemical personal care items from my life, I was hesitant to give up my old
deodorant, for fear that I’d end up stinky and embarrassed. I did try switching
to Tom’s of Maine natural deodorant once, but it made me break out in a rash
with the first use. Damn sensitive skin! So I switched back, because at the
time my desire for sweet-smelling and rash-free pits won over my chemical
fears. No, I am not proud of this vanity! But now, finally, a good 10-15 years
after I first heard of the dangers of deodorant, I finally decided to take the
plunge, and give up traditional deodorant for good!
Now, let me just begin by telling you that I embarked on
this little experiment during the month of July in New England, when temps were
in the 80’s to upper 90’s! It was quite a chance to take, but I figured if I
could find something that kept me fresh in this weather, it had to be good,
right? Also, it happened to just be when I ran out of my regular stuff. So… The
Man of the House agreed to support me in this adventure, and promised to (very
nicely, of course) let me know if things got… unpleasant. So the experiment
began!
Day 1: I found a recipe online which looked easy…plus, I
already had all the ingredients on hand (Hello, Simple Living Shopping List!)
This particular recipe was made with baking soda, corn starch, Coconut oil and
essential oil. I mixed it all per the instructions, but the consistency wasn’t
quite what it was supposed to be (very gloppy!) but I assume that’s mostly
because it’s been so hot here that the coconut oil is all melty and liquidy. Still,
I think next batch I might try using less oil, to see if that makes it a little
thicker and less messy.
So, I poured the gloppy deodorant mixture into a little jar,
and put some on, using my fingertips (much messier than my old stick) and
waited to if it kept me from getting stinky.
End of Day 1: Still smelled good! Though, The Man of the
House was already tired of hearing me ask, “Do I stink?” He reassured me
multiple times that I smelled just fine… Bless him!
Day 2: When I opened
the jar this morning, I noticed that the oil had separated a little bit from
the solid, but I just stirred it back up and put some on again. It was 90-plus
degrees, and my pits were fresh smelling all day! Dare I say, I felt like it
might have worked even better than my regular
deodorant?!
Day 3: Same as Day 2… except… Uh oh! I noticed my left
armpit stung a bit! Hoping it was just some razor irritation, and not from the
deodorant! Also… I went for a run in 80+ degree weather today… very sweaty, but
no stinkiness!
Day 5: Razor irritation is gone, and armpits are feeling
good and smelling good! Still not thrilled with how messy and gloppy this stuff
is, though. Going to try tweaking the recipe and making a new batch.
As of today, I still haven’t gotten around to making that
second batch! (Been very busy with Birthday Celebrating, and taking care of some
work stuff!) But I plan to get to it this week, and will post the results. Meanwhile, I'm still using the gloppy batch, and still feelin' good!
Happy Monday, Everyone!
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