Natural Deodorant- How I Made the Switch

I don't think it's any secret that most store bought antiperspirant/deodorants contain aluminum. What you might not know, is many studies have been done that link

aluminum to diseases like Alzheimer's and Breast Cancer.

Now, personally, those are two conditions I would love to avoid any way I can. So if there's something in my day-to-day life that I can eliminate to help lower my chances- by all means, I'm going to do it!

The First Leg of My Journey

The first deodorant I tried I found at Sephora in the mall. I bought the brand Lavanila- "The Healthy Deodorant" in the scent Pure Vanilla and absolutely loved the smell! After a few days of using it, I noticed my armpits were red. They didn't hurt, burn, itch, or have any bumps or rash patches.

They were just RED. So since they didn't hurt, I figured, what the heck?

They'll get used to it right?I'll just keep using the deodorant. I really liked the smell and was really determined to become more healthy and "natural".

{I've never claimed to be the brightest human}

Click photo for link to purchase

Well, after I failed to listen to my angry armpits, one morning I woke up and had these itchy skin colored bumps on my lips. Of course, I panicked and thought all the worst things possible. I was extremely self-conscious about it and couldn't figure out what was going on. The best reason I came up with was the deodorant! I figured I was allergic to it, and the symptoms were appearing in sensitive areas [armpits and lips]!

So I went back to using my aluminum filled brand. The very same day I switched back, my friend told me she thought the bumps meant I was

detoxing aluminum.

Well, rats! If I was truly detoxing aluminum and not actually allergic to the deodorant, I just brought aluminum back into my body again for the wrong reason. I decided to give my body a break and get back to "normal" before I tried the natural deodorant route again. So I continued using the toxic deodorant while I worked up the courage to start again.

The Second Leg of My Journey

I was scrolling through Pinterest one day and an article listing the top 5 natural and aluminum-free deodorant brands caught my eye. After reading the article, I decided to make a purchase and give this whole process another whirl! This time, I bought the brand Native in the scent Coconut & Vanilla. I REALLY loved the smell of this product! It took a little getting used to how "hard" the deodorant applied. But after using it for awhile, I noticed the product started to soften from my body temperature.

Click photo for link to purchase

Now, our bodies have a natural "deodorant" component to it, but it's been inhibited and "shut off" from years of applying antiperspirants/deodorants. Very similar concept to eye drops: if you constantly apply drops to your eyes, it tells your body it doesn't need to produce it's own tears/lubricant.

So part of the trick to getting our bodies to switch from relying on aluminum- based deodorants to natural aluminum-free deodorants is letting our bodies just do their thing! We have to retrain them to work.

That's where the detox process comes in. Our bodies need to let go of the toxic "bad stuff" {ahem, aluminum!} before the natural deodorant can be effective.

This process is not the most enjoyable, and it will certainly look differently for everyone since we all have different chemistry. For me, I felt damp under the arms. I'm not one who usually gets stinky- but there was definitely a little bit of that going on too. I powered through though, because I was determined for this to work this time! And thankfully, it did! After a week or two I felt like the deodorant was finally working! Yay! I was over the moon! I felt like I finally conquered this whole ordeal and even managed to skip the crazy detox period I had experienced the first time around.

That's when the other shoe dropped....

It was summertime when I made the switch to the Native brand. The deodorant was finally working and I felt like such a better human for toughing it out. But then, I woke up with itchy red bumps on my ankles and legs. I knew they weren't mosquito bites, because I hadn't been outside at all that week. I convinced myself that one must have made its way inside and gotten me while I was sleeping. Except, every morning there were more bumps. They were multiplying! The final straw was when there were 3 bumps in a neat row on the back of my ankle that were actually weeping. This was when I convinced myself I had bed bugs!

Like the complete neurotic person that I am- {in a very not-so-calm manner} I stripped my bed on the hunt for these disgusting things! I read and attempted a multitude of At-Home/DIY hacks to find and get rid of bed bugs. I tried everything! I didn't see a single one, but did the homemade regime just in case. I finally calmed myself down when, one day I started experiencing a metal taste in my mouth. That's when I finally put it all together, once again I was...

detoxing aluminum

Okay, familiar territory- I've been here before. Except, this time, it's not on my face so I can handle this one better! Tough it out, because the deodorant is actually working! This is a temporary situation. It will go away!

--This was like a constant chant in my head--

Fabulous news!! It did go away! Eventually I didn't have a single bump or issue. I managed to make it all the way to the top! And I went on my merry, natural, aluminum-free deodorant using way!

Minor Mishap

Winter time + shaving + ice packs

Last winter, I had been using the amazing new deodorant for a year and a half or so at that point. We were going to Colorado for vacation and I had run out of the precious gold called Native Deodorant. I didn't have enough time to get it shipped to me before we left, so I decided I would just find an alternative option at a health foods store while we were out in Colorado. This worked out just fine- I was able to try out some new brands. I found they worked just as well, but I still preferred the Native brand. It wasn't until I got back home that I started to experience a problem. It must have been the drastic weather difference between out west and here that caused my skin to act differently. I showered, shaved, and put deodorant on... not long after I started to experience a burning sensation. I think I started throwing all sorts of things at it to calm it down, but it had the opposite effect instead. Eventually, the only thing I could think of was to stick ice packs under my armpits to cool the burning sensation. It helped! So here I was sitting on the couch, crying, with ice packs under my arms {how do you spend your Friday nights?}

My skin always gets a lot drier in the wintertime when I come back to this area after vacation. Dry skin combined with the freshly shaved skin and baking soda component in the natural deodorant= disaster!

After it was all said it done, it was quite comical! Thankfully, I have not had this issue happen ever since. However, I felt it was important to share this part of the journey in case it happens to anyone else!

Summary

Despite the hilly journey, I am so glad I made the switch to natural, aluminum-free deodorant! I love the feeling much better than traditional deodorant. Back when I was using aluminum-filled deodorant, I could never fully wash it off in the shower. After a good scrub, I was still left with a layer that would get clogged in my razor. I always thought it proved it was bulletproof against sweat, but after further thought, it made me realize how plugged my poor sweat glands, pores, and body were. They were suffocating! My advice to you: if you have been wanting to make the switch to aluminum-free deodorant... just do it! Jump in with both feet and don't look back. Power through any uncomfortable struggle periods you may experience. Come back to this blog for a good laugh throughout your journey and remember... I was a girl on a Friday night with ice packs under my pits. And it was WORTH it! Regardless of what brand you choose, I definitely recommend you making the switch!