Things are about to get intimate. And possibly smelly. Well smelly if you are in my bubble…maybe. After becoming a mama, I find myself trying to look for natural ways to do things. I’ve switched all our household products over to the Honest brand after we got Bawse, in case he licks random stuff. I now use natural skin care products, and am being conscious of the ingredients in my makeup. Your skin is the largest organ, so you have to think twice about what you’re putting on it!
So prior to this crazy heat wave/dome whatever you want to call it, I was using natural deodorants, just because that was what I was doing when I was pregnant. But then after sweating and being funky through this heat/working out again I had to switch back to commercial strength deodorant to spare those around me. But then I noticed how dependent I got on it and how funky I smelled without it so I wanted to go back to natural deodorants. But when I did… it wasn’t working as well as when I was using the antiperspirants!
So I had to research. In order to get the best smelling you, you have to detox the built up aluminum in your pits if you want the all natural deodorants to work. Plus it’s just good in general to rid your body of potential cancer clogging toxins. I don’t have any science facts to annotate in the footer for you, this is just my general belief because I’m secretly a crunchy mom. But then I read this article and I’m like YEAH. I should stop.
However, I don’t have time to make a paste and all that jazz. I literally have to coordinate shower times and chores with my husband so that everything can get done before the end of the weeknight. So I tried my own version of the quick busy mama armpit detox.
Week One: Witch Hazel
So for the first week, while I was waiting for the armpit detox soap to come in, I would wipe down with witch hazel at night and in the morning. I figured I should start asap, and my friend looked up ways to help detox and she told me to try that. It’s also one of the main ingredients in the Honest Deodorant Spray that I was using, so I figured why not. I happen to already have some at home since it is a great multi-use product. I actually don’t smell myself yet. I’ve read that it’s because I probably have enough aluminum built up in my clogged pores that it’s keeping me from funking up the joint. I fear for the second week.
Week Two: Witch Hazel and Charcoal Coconut + Clay Bar Soap
As if my body was following this chart, Day one of week 2, I took off my blazer and smelled BO. DAMN IT. I thought perhaps I was a lucky unicorn. Nope. I’m human. And I smell like a raw onion by midday. The night before I washed with this charcoal, coconut and clay bar soap, and then used witch hazel like I have been. To spare my officemate, I used the Honest Deodorant spray I had at my desk. I no longer smelled myself.
Week Three: All of the above plus a natural deodorant
I’m not outwardly smelly. Meaning I don’t smell myself, and husband and friends SAY they don’t smell me. I asked them not to be nice. They said they weren’t. Not too shabby. The pit area on the insides of my blazers still reeks, though. Nothing a spray of alcohol and airing out couldn’t fix. All right!
Week Four: Just trying to live my life
I am now at the point where this is second nature to me. Washing with the charcoal soap, witch hazel twice a day. Natural deodorants. Sniffing myself. But I think I am at a point where I am okay with wearing natural deodorants and not caring what other people think. Sorry if you smell me. I want to say, detox complete. The stinkiest days are behind us!
Types of Deodorants I’ve used:
Crystal Rock: Can only use on clean pits, so at night after a shower, or after witch hazel and dry.
Schmidt’s Twist Up: Smells decent, apply like regular deodorant. I like it and I feel like I’m using “regular” deodorant, but then the twist up stopped working. And I don’t know if it’s because I have a bad one, or because the formula for the natural deodorant just doesn’t hold up in traditional stick form. Most of the ones I’ve seen come in a paste form or a spray form.
Honest Spray: Love. I like the bergamot sage one, and I keep the lavender vanilla one at my desk. Haven’t tried the 3rd scent yet. I like this because of the refreshed feeling I get after using it, but it definitely does not last all day and you will need a mid-day spritz.
What about you? Are you using natural deodorants? If so, which ones and what do you think?
**I purchased all these items to try on my own. No one paid me to write a (though brief) review. Using affiliate links from me won’t cost you any more than it normally would, but you would be contributing to keeping this site running! Or realistically, fund me buying more deodorants to try.