not wearing deodorant is often viewed as socially unacceptable but we don’t inherently stink which is not commonly known. many people want to stop using conventional deodorant and want to make the move to a natural deodorant. But let’s face it, at first, it’s not convenient to forego deodorant. Really unpleasant things can happen like stubborn body odor. The heart is willing but when you stink it’s hard to push through and easy to give up. Your armpits are delicate and are often neglected so I’m sharing some of armpit secrets and how you can get away with not wearing deodorant!
9 STEPS TO FRESH + HEALTHY ARMPITS:
1. WHAT COMES OUT OF YOUR BODY REFLECTS WHAT YOU PUT IN IT
If you can’t stand the smell from the outside, just imagine what your body smells like on the inside! Armpits are designed to sweat. Yet people go to great lengths to prevent their armpits from sweating. Sweating is an important part of maintaining optimum physical health. Conventional doctors like to say body odor is due to bacteria living on your armpits, but that’s ridiculous because your entire body is covered with bacteria. The real cause of armpit odor is the intentional excretion of horrible toxins that your body is trying to get rid of! The way to eliminate body odor, then, is not to mask it with unhealthful deodorant products, but rather to clean up your body from the inside out.
Dr. Joseph Mercola states, “Your body doesn’t naturally stink; the bacteria living in your body only react with what you ‘feed’ them. The smell in your armpit won’t be offensive if it’s just perspiring excess minerals and healthy metabolic waste products; however, it will stink if your body is sweating toxic byproducts which come from eating [conventional] meat and processed refined food.”
Make sure you’re drinking at least half your body weight in ounces of water on a daily basis, ditch manufactured foods made with refined white flour, added sugars, hydrogenated oils and other processed ingredients, consume organic leafy vegetables and fresh fruits, super greens, lots of sprouts, raw nuts and seeds, healthy oils and other similar healthful ingredients.
2. GET YOUR HORMONES UNDER CONTROL
Stress —Feelings of anxiety trigger a release of cortisol, also known as the “stress hormone,” which gets your body ready to deal with a potentially harmful situation. This hormone also makes you sweat which is why you might see someone with drenched armpits before they head into a big interview. The best thing you can do to prevent this from happening is to try and reduce your stress level. Practicing stress reduction techniques on a regular basis, such as prayer and meditation, can help keep you in a calm frame of mind and reduce stress-related body odor. There are situations where stress reduction techniques barely scratch the surface of stress and I know that feeling all too well.
Menstrual cycle — A new study that had men sniffing women’s armpit odor suggests that the scent of a woman is more attractive at certain times of the month. Hello pheromones! The highest intensity smells, corresponding to the lowest attractiveness for men, were found during the time of menstrual bleeding. During the menstrual cycle, many changes take place in the chemical composition of a female’s body, a change in hormones cause body odor to increase. The alkaline content of the blood tends to increase during the menstrual cycle, leading to the emission of strong menstrual odors.
3. THROW YOUR CONVENTIONAL DEODORANT IN THE TRASH
It’s time to get conscious of what you’re exposing your body to, like your daily deodorant routine. No tip toeing around this issue, throw your commercial deodorant in the trash. A daily smear of chemicals under your arms that intentionally clog pores is a habit worth reconsidering and oh so doable with a little help and planning!
Keep in mind there are dozens of lymph nodes close to the armpit and breasts that your chemical laden deodorant is touching everyday. Most breast cancers occur in the upper outer quadrant of the breast (area next to the armpit), so rubbing exogenous estrogens into that area is a terrible idea!
4. ARMPIT DETOX X 2
An armpit detox can help your body get back to it’s natural state of clean perspiration faster. Flush out the old bacteria and chemical residue and then if you choose to use natural deodorants, they will work better for you! Try to resist using your new natural deodorant for at least two weeks to let these detoxes work their magic. Get those pores cleaned out and functioning properly and then begin your love affair with a healthy deodorant choice, or forego deodorant all together..
armpit detox spray (available here at the Apothecary and co) — Before going to bed, give the bottle a gentle shake and spray both armpits. Let the spray dry and get a good nights rest! Next day, repeat the process! You may need to spritz your armpits several times during the first 2 or 3 days but that will be short-lived. You should see your body respond to the detox reasonably well after 5 days. Don’t give up! The length of this process will vary for everyone but like I said, don’t give up! This too shall pass, you can do it! Take time for an Epsom salt or magnesium chloride detox foot bath at night, this too will speed the process of cleaning.
armpit mask (available here at the Apothecary and co) - Spread an even layer over your armpits and let it sit for 5-20 minutes. Wash it off in the shower or with a warm, wet washcloth and repeat as needed until underarm odor goes away!
5. EXFOLIATE REGULARLY
We take such good care of our face with washing, toning, moisturizing, exfoliating, moisturizing again and then neglect our armpits. I get it though… Your face enters the room first but then couldn’t your body odor enter the room second? Yeah, let’s nix that.
Exfoliation is the first step from my facial ritual that I’m bringing down to my pits. I like to simply mix some salt with a little bit of whatever organic oil I have in my kitchen (typically olive oil). Natural sea salt kills odor-causing bacteria while neutralizing body odor. You can add essential oils and make this an aromatic experience, but I like to keep it cheap and simple.
6. MOISTURIZE
The thin skin of our underarms are prone to dryness. Keep them moisturized and they’ll stay happy all day! I like to use jojoba oil because jojoba has absorption properties that are similar to our skin’s own sebum.
7. DEODORIZE NATURALLY WITH MANUKA ESSENTIAL OIL
manuka essential oil (available here at the Apothecary and co) the ‘holy grail’ oil. I apply 3 drops to each armpit without a carrier oil. I usually recommend dilution when it comes to topical use of essential oils, but my skin has been fine with this form of application. Manuka essential oil has many benefits and controlling body odor is one. Because of the antibacterial properties, Manuka oil is an ideal ingredient in any natural deodorant or to apply in addition to your natural deodorant.
8. IF YOU’RE GOING TO USE DEODORANT, USE A NATURAL ONE
As you know, I make a natural deodorant (available here at the Apothecary and co). This has been tried and true by many customers and has become a favorite.
9. HAIR UNDER THERE?
I know it’s not socially acceptable for women to have armpit hair in America, but I firmly believe that God put it there for a reason. It reduces friction between the upper and lower arm during movement, covers exposed parts of the body with vital arteries, and facilitates the release of sex pheromones. When you shave, you can get irritation, folliculitis, rashes, inflammation, and even infections from dirty razors.
I’m not on this level of hippie yet but I do support shaving your underarms only once every few weeks. I’ve noticed that the longer I go between shaving, the better my body handles sweat and body odor. Since I’m sure many are not ready to grow their underarm hair, let’s talk about healthier ways of hair removal!
Razor — I avoid any built-in moisturizing strips because they tend to contain ingredients that are known to cause skin irritation and aren’t classified as healthy for our bodies. change the blades about once every 2 weeks or so.
Sugar Waxing — If you’re still using conventional wax, just stop! Sugar waxing is the perfect option!
I hope you feel more confident either transitioning to natural deodorant or forgoing deodorant all together! Show your pits some love, they deserve it! the armpit detox spray, armpit mask, and Manuka essential oil are all available here on our website!
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment and is for educational purposes only.
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