Deodorant Quest!!

Well, for about the past year I have been on a quest to find the right deodorant, antiperspirant or whatever will keep me fresh and dry!!!!!!!

It has been a nightmare really as I have that problem that no one really wants to talk about or admit, but must....B.O.!!

As CLARKS for some reason this is a problem, whether under the arms or in the sweaty, stinko feet that many of us seem to have!

So....I have tried the following, with the following results:

Dove Clinical Anti-perspirant/Deodorant (expensive, works for a few weeks and then seems to lose it’s clinical strength)
Tom’s of Maine Natural Apricot Deodorant...Aluminum Free (soft, sweet smell, but doesn’t help with sweat!)
Crystal body Deodorant (this is that natural ROCK from THAILAND...it hasn’t worked for me...yet....keep reading!)
Crystal body Deodorant Roll-ON (same as above only in a liquid roll-on form....only works when it has completely dried on my skin, which takes some time)
Alba botanica Clear Enzyme Aloe Scented with Baking Soda & Lichen (stays drier for longer, but still ends in wet, smelly armpits!!)
Old Spice for Men (yes, I wore it for a while thinking maybe it was a stronger option....Ladd didn’t like me smelling mannish...hahaha...and it didn’t really help anyway)

So...finally I did some research online AND remembering a certain woman in my old ward who has a master in Pharmacology, yet focuses her studies now in Herbs and Homeopathy (some may remember her as she homeschooled all her children and they were heavily involved in Judo)....anyway, she once said the following to me:

“If you NEVER use soap or deodorant, your body will NEVER NEED IT!”

I thought, “wow, that is true because Ladd NEVER wears deodorant and he NEVER stinks!”...his feet never stink either...lucky!

I thought it was strange, but I did know and learn that FRAGRANCE on your body has the OPPOSITE effect that it is intended for....it really only MASKS odor. It’s like putting wallpaper over a moldy wall!! Eventually the mold and bacteria will creep thru even though the outside looks pretty!! hahah!

I personally have had sensitive skin since childhood (mom, remember when I use to rash up while doing the dishes?? or when putting on your lotion??) and so have tried to buy products that are not filled with lots of fragrance.

Knowing these things about myself, combined with my recent trials and errors, I went online. I found MANY people on the same quest as I!! Many even who were suicidal over this huge embarrassing problem in their lives!! Here is what I learned:

BACTERIA!!!!....this is the cause of Body Odor!! Get rid of the Bacteria and you will get rid of Body Odor!!! So, here are a few solutions that I am going to try:

Vinegar
Rubbing Alcohol
Hydrogen Peroxide
Black Tea (some say soak in a bath with these tea bags, wash your armpits with a cotton ball soaked in tea, or soak your feet in a large bowl with tea bags in it....since I’m not really going to start buying tea, I’m trying the other options first....but there were rave reviews on this method)

All these inexpensive, fairly gently chemicals will kill bacteria in your B.O. spots!! Think, underarms, toes/feet, groin area, bum, legs that rub together, belly-button, chest or any other place on your body where skin touches/overlaps skin. You are also supposed to clean the armpits of your shirts really well....spot clean them to kill the bacteria that remains on them (bacteria can remain even after they have come thru the wash!) Take some time to spray them with spot cleaner. I guess this would be true for under garments or the crotch of pants/shorts. I am also going to switch detergents and fabric softeners to FRAGRANCE-FREE because those fragrances are what bacteria LOVE to “feed” off of!! Interestingly enough, within our body, bacteria and parasites love sweetness too....they will multiply to no end on sugar!!

SWEAT....this is harder to control because it is your body’s built in system to regulate heat or lack thereof. Products out there today are made to STOP this from happening! Instead of trying to stop it, we need to WORK WITH it!! I know Rebecca has said that she has realized that certain materials in clothing she wears promote sweat more than others and that she will simply NOT wear them anymore. But many people online have suggested:

Baby Powder
Talcum Powder
Baking Soda

This past week I have been using ALCOHOL wipes on my underarms with Baby Powder. I noticed that I was staying dry and odor free for about 12 hours!!!! This is amazing to me....it has not been so for a loooooooooong time!! Then I looked at the Baby Powder bottle and noticed the ingredients were “Talc & Fragrance”!! So, yesterday I used the alcohol and soda under my arms and spent the day mostly outside at a Memorial day picnic and later at the pool. And the verdict....DRY & ODOR FREE for the ENTIRE day!!

Here’s how I have been applying it:
1. USE FRAGRANCE FREE SOAP!!! Wash underarms really well in the shower....remember when you wash your hands in the sink you are supposed to count to 30 to ensure that all germs have been sufficiently killed? Well, do the same thing with your underarms (or other problem area).
2. Pat dry with towel.
3. Using an alcohol wipe or cotton ball soaked in alcohol (peroxide, vinegar, whichever liquid you choose to try) wash your underarms or other area with it....wiping it several times over the entire area. Let dry for a minute or so.
4. When area is dry, pat with Baking Soda....you can use a dry cotton ball coated with the soda or I just grab a little in my finger tips and rub around and pat it into the area I’m trying to keep dry....pat it around so that you don’t have patches of soda sticking there. Use it like you would use Baby Powder!

I am soooooooooooooooo happy to find out about all this!!!! I have been using this on other parts of my body with equally successful results!!! I am ecstatic!!!! This is such a revelation to me.....I love that it is so simple, so inexpensive, and very chemical-free compared to the myriad of chemicals found in all the products we wash with or apply to our bodies! If you live by the K.I.S.S. method in other ways of life, then this should be added to it!!

I hope this can help any of you with any B.O. problems you may have....I know it sounds weird to be openly talking about this, but when I find out a good thing, I cannot be quiet about it!!! Try it and let me know what you think and if it works for you!!!

love, Renaye