I have been transitioning into a more chemical-free lifestyle for years. Once I finish a product, I do my best to research a safer and healthier alternative. Your skin is your largest organ and absorbs everything you apply to it, including deodorant. Conventional deodorants plug pores and sweat glands to prevent odor and sweat. This hinders and blocks your body’s natural process to remove toxins and waste. Because of this, I had wanted to switch from one of these conventional products to a natural one.
It was a struggle over the years to move on from an aluminum-based deodorant. I have tried dozens of different brands and nothing truly worked for me. I would get white stains on my shirts and I would start to smell terrible within a few hours. I attempted to carry a deodorant in my bag to reapply and it wasn’t feasible for me while working a hospital job. I found that I would smell for a good amount of time before I was able to run to the break room and reapply. I tried every brand in the stores then moved to more expensive brands online and finally landed on Korean products. Some worked better than others but I also didn’t want to rely on a fragrance in my deodorant to mask odor. I used the aluminum deodorant on stressful work days and used the natural deodorants on the other days. I still was not satisfied and wanted a way to completely switch over.
After some experimentation, I figured out what would work for my body. Sweat odor is caused by bacteria in the area. You have to eliminate the bacteria to prevent the smell. It’s necessary to be consistent with these steps if you have the goal in mind to use a cleaner deodorant option. It will frustrate you in the beginning but I urge you to stay the course. I almost gave up a few times because I was so self-conscious about occasionally having odor but I am now enjoying a product that I know is a healthier choice for my body.
Things you’ll need:
African net sponge
Micellar water
The Ordinary’s 7% glycolic acid
A natural deodorant of your choice
Step 1: Rub micellar water into your underarms to help remove deodorant.
Step 2: Massage underarms with African net sponge. Combining this physical exfoliation with the micellar water is the perfect combination to set your skin to a baseline. Applying natural deodorant on top of old deodorant will create a musky and unpleasant odor.
Step 3: Using the spout of the glycolic acid container, pout a tablespoon into your hand and rub into underarm. Repeat on the other side and allow to air dry.
Step 4: Apply your natural deodorant of choice.
This process may take some time to really be effective. Like I said, I had to be consistent with it for a while for everything to work. I went through a long stage of smelling funky and carrying a natural deodorant with me for reapplication. Please do not carry an aluminum deodorant with you; I made this mistake in the beginning and it set me back to stage one. You will want to use the steps in the process to help clean out your pores. Be patient and allow for lymphatic drainage and natural perspiration to take place. Your body was so used to a clogging product that it has to now get used to something different. If you stay the course you will be very happy with the end result.