Switching to Natural Deodorant

Hey people!

I’ve been toying with the idea of switching to a natural deodorant for about a month, month and a half. I decided that once I’d used up the deodorant I had I would take the leap and make the switch.

I didn’t do any research. I just went to the store. After 20 minutes in the isle and labels upon labels later. I settled on Schmidt’s Lavender Sage.

Ingredients:

• Arrowroot Powder
• Baking Soda
• Coconut Oil,
• Candelilla Wax,
• Shea Butter
• Fractionated Coconut Oil
• Lavender Essential Oil,
• Clary Sage Essential Oil,
• Sambucus Nigra Fruit Extract

The reason I chose this particular brand was, as you can see from the list above, all of the ingredients are pronounceable. I figured if I was going to go natural, I should commit and go all in. BAD IDEA!

Scent:  Out of the few scent choices, Lavender Sage was the one I was most drawn to. It’s very potent with lavender being the heavier scent.

Performance: Two thumbs down! The scent of the deodorant only lasted for about an hour before it would start to stink. Even if all I was doing was sitting on the couch. There must have been an ingredient that did not mesh well with my body chemistry.

Overall Experience: After 3 days I noticed that my left arm pit was swollen, red, and painful to the touch. I initially thought it may have been due to shaving but the intensity got worse and worse the more I used the deodorant. By day 5 it was unbearable. I ended up doing my Google’s and seeing a lot of good reviews on Tom’s deodorant line. I ended up buying the powder scent. Today is my first day using it and already it is leaps and bounds better than Schmidt. I do not smell, my pits aren’t all sweaty, and the irritation has subsided.

If you are thinking about taking the leap also, keep in mind that what works for some doesn’t work for others and vice versa. You may have to kiss a few frogs before you find your perfect match. Also, learn from my mistake and pay attention! At first inclination that something is wrong, stop using the product. Do not try to force yourself to use an entire package because you spent money on it. Lastly, accept the fact that you are going to sweat more than usual in the beginning. I was a sweaty mess the first few days. Partly because the deodorant I was using sucked, and partly because my body was adjusting to a new form of deodorant. So expect an adjustment period.

You may (or may not) be wondering what prompted the desire to switch in the first place. Aluminum. Learning that aluminum plugs the sweat glands to prevent you from perspiring just didn’t sit well with me anymore. I want my body to function the way it’s supposed to. No, I do not want to walk around reeking. I also don’t think I should purposely be plugging or blocking any gland in my body. In this day and age there has to be a happy medium. Something that allows me to NOT be funky while keeping my sweat glands open and functioning. Hopefully Tom’s is that happy medium. So far, so good.