Put Your Hand Down…You Shouldn’t Be That Sure
I would love to live in a world of flower-filled fields, where all of my bodily functions could be controlled by daisies and pretty thoughts. In this fantasy land, bees would gladly give me little parcels of honey, my headaches could be controlled with the dew from a lily, and the crisp, fresh air would dry the sweat from my skin with nary a whiff of odor.
But, since we don’t live in that world, we did something else. We made farms where we force bees to make honey by the truckload. I take Tylenol, not dew.
And I sweat.
Oh, so, long ago, Kim did a post in this very blog about organic deodorants and their ineffectiveness, but that was, like, two years ago. Who can remember that long? Plus, I figured I’d add a couple things.
First, your standard deodorants (non-organic) all use an aluminum compound that gets absorbed into the skin. It causes the cells of your sweat glands to swell, there-by closing the ducts that pass out sweat.
Sound good?
Well, it doesn’t to a lot of people. Lots of people say, “Hey! It doesn’t sound like a great idea to put potentially (but unconfirmed) carcinogenic compounds right next to breast tissue!” Others, however, have begun to look into the possibility that the aluminum content around and in us might even be linked to Alzheimer’s Disease.
Needless to say, organic products won’t come within a country mile of aluminum compounds. Unfortunately, that means that they will never work to the level that the chemical stuff will.
So, I will continue to sweat and stink until such time as magic unicorns walk the Earth.
Has anyone who sweats to the level I do (like a warthog…a WARTHOG) ever tried those crystals? Do they actually work?
Tags: Body, Eco-friendly, essential oils, Green, natural, OrganicRelated Stories
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8 opinions for Put Your Hand Down…You Shouldn’t Be That Sure
Mary
Jun 24, 2008 at 8:05 am
I have not used the crystals because I just can’t fathom how they can work. But I really like Jason Lavender Rollerball deoderant. It still doesn’t last forever but it’s the best I’ve found so far. It masks the smell for at least a few hours which is more than I can say for others I’ve tried.
dr Veronica
Jun 25, 2008 at 10:48 am
Try sage. First in form of tea(use fresh or dry) and then as a powder( dry is the best) for underarm pit.
kmknight
Jun 25, 2008 at 5:23 pm
I’ve been using Toms of Maine new Long Lasting stuff… with hops (aok) and Zinc Ricinoleate (given a 2 out of 10 rating on the EWG’s Cosmetic database- 1 being lowest concern and 10 being highest…). It doesn’t keep you from sweating but it DOES keep you from stinking- lasts all day. Wear it and invest in some tank-tops.
gabrielle
Jun 25, 2008 at 10:30 pm
Such a timely post! I’m in the midst of trying out some underarm alternatives - I went both directions - getting a deodorant from Natures Gate (not bad, a little sticky) and an antiperspirant crystal.
Believe it or not, once you get over actually wetting something to put on your underarms to keep you dry (which feels a bit contradictory to me) it isn’t so bad. Not as effective as my old Secret, but hopefully not as toxic…
Noel Boehm
Jun 26, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Hmmm…sounds creepy but I think I may try it. LOL
Kathy
Jun 27, 2008 at 7:38 pm
I have switched to JASON brand, and then learned about the potentially gross/harmful nature of Propylene Glycol, which is a main ingredient of that and Toms of Maine.
We did find one company, Bubble & Bee who makes a great product called Pit Putty. I’ve tried it, and it does work. I don’t totally love the scent but it works to keep stink at bay.
I did notice that after a few weeks of letting the pits detox from Dove and then a quick exfoliating treatment that I don’t smell at all. I mean, unless I’m digging outside all day long in June heat. But day to day, not so much.
I’ve heard good things about Weleda’s spray but haven’t yet ventured there. :)
Christine
Jul 2, 2008 at 7:15 pm
The only thing I’ve ever found that works is called “Funk Butter.” It’s a putty that you pat on. I’ve worked out using it and I still smell fresh when I’m done which is my ultimate test!
My favorite is the Cedar Fig scent.
http://oyinhandmade.com/oyin/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=7
How Is My Green Sunscreen Holding Up?
Jul 11, 2008 at 8:04 am
[…] Confession: I think even the greenest among us are a little hesitant to put our full faith in some fully organic products without having a more potent (more manufactured) back up. Noel at Pretty by Nature just had this discussion about deodorant. […]
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