Most people use the terms deodorant and antiperspirant interchangeably, when in fact they are quite different. Most products are a combination antiperspirant (stops the perspiring) and deodorant (stops odor).In the past year, I have switched from the good old Lady Speed Stick to an aluminum free, paraben free deodorant.
The switch was not so much for environmental reasons, but for health reasons. About a year ago I had a lymph gland infection. This kind of infection occurs when bacteria gets trapped in the pores under your armpits. Antiperspirants contain aluminum which basically plugs up your pores to prevent sweat from coming out, and in my case, bacteria as well.
The infection took A LONG TIME to clear up and I had to take some nasty hi-test antibiotics that caused me some very serious negative side effects. The infection and subsequent side effects from the antibiotic made me decide to stop using a product that contributed to the likelihood of getting this infection ever again.
For a few months I used no product at all, but when warm weather approached, I decided to switch to something that is deodorant only, no antiperspirant. I have been using Tom's of Maine most recently, but I have also used the Trader Joe's brand and something called Herbal Clear Naturally. They all work about the same for me and I like all three equally.
If you are interested in products that are also paraben-free (there are lots of conflicting studies about parabens and whether they are dangerous or not), all three of these deodorants also happen to be paraben free.
Most of them are a little more expensive that the regular stuff, but keep your eyes peeled...I found the Herbal Clear marked down to 98c at Target a couple weeks ago, and CVS had some Tom's of Maine products at 75% off.
Do any of you use products I haven't mentioned that your happy with? Leave a comment!
6 comments:
I have the Herbal Clear that you bought me but I haven't used it yet. I'm using up the Suave Powder Fresh first. I tried the Tom's of Maine back in April and it didn't work well with my pits. I stunk! But everyone's pit is different. I also bought a crystal that I've been anxious to try out. I'll let you know!
I use Tom's of Maine Lavender and I love it, but it doesn't really work on hot days - if I know I will be sweaty I use Jason brand tea tree deodorant - smells great!
I've heard of the Jason brand but never tried it...I'll have to look into it. Maybe it'll work for my sis (Nancy, comment above) too!
I have just gone through a 2 month nightmare, where I got a chemical burn from my lady Mennen Speed Stick(used it for years)but tried the new one 24/7 and my lymph glands got i could not sweat,
I live in Arizona where it has been hot-hot-hot. I was using baking soda, which really works-
only with the heat and humidity, my skin became too alkaline, also cuz of the anti-biotics..and I got a yeast infection under my arms.
So now: I appreciate the suggestions. I am heading East. I need something as I cannot powder and wash my pits all the time. i do not think I will use deoderant for a long time.
I am happy to sweat and thrilled with corn starch.
Everyone be careful with any deoderant that is 24/7. The good news is I burned all my underarm hair.....and no longer need to shave.
A mystery illness forced me to evaluate my entire life. I had joint and muscle pain along with fatigue.
I changed many things,d included deoderant from an aluminun content to Tom's of Maine. Tom's works better for me than anything I've ever tried.
Now, I'm pain free and feeling great again.
With so many toxins in this world we have no control over, why would you want to put aluminum on your skin every day to be absorbed into your blood?
Wow... deodorants & antiperspirants are totally different, I was not aware of these facts before reading your post.
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