August's beauty tip isn't 100% about beauty per say but let's be honest beauty is about a hell of a lot more than how your hair or makeup looks! No no, today's tip goes a bit further than skin deep. I have actually been planning on writing this tip for awhile, be we all know how bad I am with blogging consistency! Okay well today's tip is all about your pits. Yes, I'm talking about those stinky things that sit under your arms causing problems for everyone. You have to shave em all the time, worry about them smelling, plus you have to worry that they aren't obscenely sweaty! No one really likes to talk about armpits and body odor but honestly it needs to be done so here we go. It can be hard to eliminate all chemicals from your routine, and especially in pits area. I personally thought natural deodorants were WAY too hippy dippy and crunchy for my liking so I kind of ignored the subject altogether for a long time into my healthy journey. But once I actually read WHY it was important to make the changes, I decided to go for it. It was actually some time last summer that I made the change.
For those with acne, something as simple as changing your deodorant can actually have a huge impact on your life. There have been so many studies linking antiperspirant deodorant to cancer, that we don't even stop to think about the simple ways that those chemicals can effect us. There are a truck load of other toxic chemicals that your body is absorbing through the glands and lymph nodes that sit in your armpits when you apply standard deodorant. This toxic load applies to not only antiperspirant deodorant, but even "natural" deodorants like Toms actually have a lot of chemicals in them that I personally don't want being absorbed into my body.
I mean if you're working so hard to eat healthy, workout, and just generally be as healthy as possible, then why would you work against yourself but shoving a bunch of chemicals right back into your body through your deodorant? Doesn't make much sense now does it?
I would like to mention quickly that getting rid of ALL the chemicals in your life can help balance your hormones and for those of you on here with skin issues, it can help you clear your skin. I'm dead serious, it's a VERY important skincare change to make. And it's an easy one at that!
Detoxing your lymph nodes through your armpits (as pictured above) is another great practice and something I will touch more on another month. In general though know that it's a great way to start the transition to natural deodorants since it helps eliminate odor and detox your armpits. Anyway, for now let's concentrate on making you not stinky with natural deodorant! Personally when I found out about how toxic deodorant was - specifically that it was messing with my hormones - I stopped using it altogether. It actually kind of shocks me that NO ONE told me I smelled bad during that time period even though I knew that I freaking did! Thanks for that guys! That's totally not an important detail, but I just refused to use toxic crap to make myself not smell. I did do the whole coconut oil and baking soda thing on and off for awhile but not only did it irritate my skin, it also wasn't particularly effective for long periods of time, and especially if you workout like I do.
In case I haven't convinced you yet, here's just an example of how terrible antiperspirant deodorant is... I was in a wedding last October and the night before the big day my friends and I stayed overnight at a hotel and I happened to have forgotten my natural deodorant (that I'll name below). I was a bridesmaid in the wedding and I couldn't afford to be stinky!! So for the first time in months I borrowed and used some regular deodorant. Dun dun dunnnnnn! I know, drama! Anyway, it was a HUGE mistake! I had a terrible migraine the entire day after I used it and it actually didn't even help to mask the smell or make me sweat any less. I remember being so confused as to why I felt so sick, because I never get migraines. Then later I put the pieces together. The only thing I had done out of the ordinary in my routine was the stupid deodorant. It had that large of an impact on me because I hadn't used it in so long. That stuff is crap. And it's toxic crap. Throw it in the trash, like now!
There's just one more thing I'd like to point out before geting to the point that you're all waiting for... I would really like to point out that it is natural to sweat. I am not here to give you tips on not sweating because trying to not sweat is one of the most unnatural things I have ever heard of. We have sweat glands for a reason. I mean come on, let's be real here. Also if your body is in good standing then your sweat should not smell rancid. For me when my sweat begins to smell bad I know that something is off in my system and my body is trying to regulate it.
Even so that doesn't mean that sweat can magically smell like fresh cut grass, or flowers blooming in the springtime which is of course what we all want. For that I have product recommendations of course and I'm finally getting to them!
August Beauty Tip - Natural Deodorants!
- Dragonfly Traditions - my personal favorite and the only deodorant I use. I have a travel size stick I keep in my dance bag and a full size one I keep at home in the lavender scent. I mean this stuff works so well and it lasts all day most days! Sometimes I reapply at ballet but it really depends on the day. LOVE IT! I also use their lip balm and it's amazing. The best part is that the price is good and the products all have long lifespans! And duh the ingredients are CLEAN!
- Primal Pit Paste - I personally haven't used them but a lot of people in the Paleo community love their products. Ingredients are totally clean although I can't personally vouch for their effectiveness! I would still buy from them without any qualms.
- Primally Pure - They use natural ingredients like beef tallow which I think is awesome! But they're the same deal as above, I haven't personally used their products although I think they have amazing ones!
- If you have no other option then you can do the good ol at home method of coconut oil and baking soda. Just be careful with the baking soda since it can irritate freshly shaven skin.
So, treat your armpits right and don't kill them with chemicals! Also I truly hope you don't shave them with chemical shaving creams or soaps either! Here's a quick hint: use Dr. Bronners mixed with coconut milk, or just use the Dr. Bronners castille soap instead of shaving cream!
Well that all from me for now, until next time my dear followers! Also as usual if you have any questions or comments or whatever feel free to reach out to me! thepaleoballerina@gmail.com
xoxo- Harmony