I haven’t talked about this much because I was afraid people would call me one of those crazy hippies. I mean, I do cloth diaper and baby-wear and I threw out all my non-green cleaning products way before we had kids. I make my own body wax out of sugar. But I’ve never talked about my deodorant.
But, it’s true: somewhere around 2009, I quit using traditional antiperspirant/underarm deodorant products.
It was a big switch for me because I was actually using Secret Clinical Strength at the time. That stuff is potent. I don’t think I sweated for, like, a year with that stuff!
That was actually what concerned me. There are sweat glands in our armpits for a reason. Is it really a good idea for me to be putting chemicals into my pores that will prevent anything from escaping? That’s kind of weird if you think about it.
What’s actually WRONG with sweating, anyway? It cools the body.
Of course, the odor is what we don’t like. I certainly don’t want to subject people around me to yucky smells, and I have a really sensitive nose, myself. I hate feeling icky. However, there are plenty of natural and organic deodorants that remove the offensive smell of sweat while still allowing your body to sweat.
Deodorants without phthalates, I might add.
I think the hardest thing to get used to is being careful about what kinds of tops I wear. If I wear anything fitted around the shoulders, I have to be pretty sure I won’t be in a warm or stressful environment, cause I will have moisture marks.
It’s kind of a mental thing. Sometimes it does get warm and I sweat. I can tell it doesn’t smell but there is something psychological that makes me feel like I should be ashamed of my sweat. I have to stop and tell myself, “This is normal, there is nothing wrong with sweating. If it bothers someone else, that is just a construct of society”. It sounds dumb, but I believe it is true.
Yikes, I never thought about deoderant like that!! I may have to look into what I am using.
My antiperspirant is not vegan and now that I think about it it’s Dove which isn’t even cruelty free. Thank you for posting this! I will be looking for a new deodorant this week!
I totally agree with using no antiperspirants at all! I think it’s just better to let the body breathe naturally, the way it was meant in the first place. By the way, if you have a healthy eating diet, and drink lots of water, i guarantee you, that your body smell will not be so unpleasant. Live naturally, peace!
Thanks for your comments on antiperspirants. For years I’ve been using natural crystal deodorants. They work well, are pleasant to use and I have the comfort in knowing that I’m not rubbing harmful chemicals on my body on a daily basis.