Like most Americans, I have worn some form of underarm protection for most of my life, excluding the first 10 years or so. And for the last 8-10 years I have hated applying what I know is a toxic substance directly to my skin, but I do it anyway because I haven't found a truly good alternative.
From Passionate Homemaking:
"Did you know nearly all commercial deodorants contain aluminum salts, usually aluminum chlorohydrate? Manufacturers like aluminum because it effectively suppresses perspiration but the metal has a dark side once it makes its way into our body.
Aluminum toxicity: It has been linked to cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, and other health issues.
It is especially important for women to take thought to the harmful aluminum materials in deodorant as it has been linked to breast cancer, being that the breast tissue extends up into the armpits.
Most commercial deodorants also contain parabens, which act as preservatives and stabilizers, but which like aluminum can be absorbed into the skin. Parabens mimic estrogen, and though the amounts we absorb on a daily basis might be small, over time, the accumulation can be significant. "
Of course I've tried going without (smelly!). I have also tried quite a few of the natural alternative brands from Whole Foods or the Natural Foods Co-Op (also smelly!). All to no avail.
I had pretty much given up and surrendered to using the toxic junk when I saw this recipe on Pinterest: http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2010/02/homemade-all-natural-deodorant.html
The recipe calls for only 3 ingredients (click the link ↑ for the exact measurements):
- Coconut Oil,
- Baking Soda,
- Arrowroot Powder (or Cornstarch) (I used Cornstarch because it's what I had on hand, but next time I will use Arrowroot)
Of course initially I thought it seemed to simple to actually work, but there were lots of folks touting it's effectiveness in the comments and reviews.
I generally keep all of the ingredients on hand anyway so trying it out was a no brainer. The entire process of making the deodorant took me about 5 minutes in the kitchen. I opted to store it in a snap top plastic container. Easy access and no extra work. If I had wanted to I could have cleaned out one of our old twist up deodorant containers to keep it in, which would make it seem all official and whatnot. Seemed like too much effort for something I wasn't even sure would work.
Well...guess what? IT WORKS! Really Well! We've been using it for about a month and after about the first week Chris and I both threw out all of our store bought stuff and now use this exclusively. We are both really happy with the results...and it doesn't feel like a compromise at all. We still sweat...it's not an antiperspirant, although the cornstarch does seem to help with keeping moisture to a minimum. But, no smell.
Do take the time to read through the Passionate Homemaking post and the comments at the bottom. Some people's skin had a reaction to the baking soda, but most people were able to remedy this by just changing the proportions of the ingredients.
Go ahead...make some and see.
'Till soon,
A
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