(UN)PRODUCT™: Underarm Deodorant

“Beautiful but dumb. She has never learned the first rule of long lasting charm” - actual ad copy circa 1939 from one of the first underarm deodorant manufacturers.

see the ads here

The Personal Care Industry is playing with your mind.

Shaping habits. Deciding what is “good” and what is “bad” — often at your expense. They have perpetuated and popularized a myth that all of our body’s natural scents are somehow bad and should be masked or altered. Really? Sure, things our body produces like cortisols are designed to act as a kind of repellent. However, things like pheromones do the opposite, acting as subtle, yet powerful attractors. When we alter this natural, elegant system designed by evolution, it throws things out of whack— good for industry, bad for humans. We think that an approach that manages and leverages body scents make more sense.

In America, the deodorant business is an $18 billion industry. Plus, think of the impact on the environment stemming from the production and disposal of all these products and then add to that potential toxic chemical exposure.

While more and more people are shifting to “natural brands”— in our view they need to get the boot too since they:

1. Mask our natural scents
2. Can have irritating fragrances and suspect “safe” chemical ingredients
3. Still create a big environmental footprint
4. A waste of money (especially as a daily habit)

The Personal Care Industry is playing with your mind.

Shaping habits. Deciding what is “good” and what is “bad” — often at your expense. They have perpetuated and popularized a myth that all of our body’s natural scents are somehow bad and should be masked or altered. Really? Sure, things our body produces like cortisols are designed to act as a kind of repellent. However, things like pheromones do the opposite, acting as subtle, yet powerful attractors. When we alter this natural, elegant system designed by evolution, it throws things out of whack— good for industry, bad for humans. We think that an approach that manages and leverages body scents make more sense.

In America, the deodorant business is an $18 billion industry. Plus, think of the impact on the environment stemming from the production and disposal of all these products and then add to that potential toxic chemical exposure.

While more and more people are shifting to “natural brands”— in our view they need to get the boot too since they:

1. Mask our natural scents
2. Can have irritating fragrances and suspect “safe” chemical ingredients
3. Still create a big environmental footprint
4. A waste of money (especially as a daily habit)

So how do I kick the deodorant habit?

Step 1: Detox your pits — letting you body purge what has been packed in.

Step 2: Allow healthy armpit biome to return.

Step 3: Shift to basic hormone management / cortisol reduction.

Why dump the deodorant habit? A few more things to consider...

1. The scents we produce act as a warning system. Smelling strong could be an indicator of a deeper health issue. From chronic stress to internal disease. E.g. When over stressed by distress — not eustress (here is the difference) our body emits corisols, a powerful stress hormone. Stressor hormones were designed through evolution as a repellant and warning to others to “back off” and can lead to host of stress-related diseases. So it’s important to 1) know if your body is overproducing it, and 2) learn how to get it under control through healthy stress management and lifestyle. Unmask the potential of this powerful tool.
2. Building and maintaining a healthy armpit microbiome. More and more evidence is pointing to healthy microbiomes (both inside and out) as a foundation for overall health. They form a complex ecosystem including bacteria, fungi and parasites. Artificial scents, man-made chemicals and various salts (including aluminum salts) reduce sweating, disrupt the biome, and actually create a self sustaining loop. This encourages people to use more products to solely mask symptoms -- remember, none of these address the underlying causes of odor. (Some ingredients actually exacerbate the problem by feeding bacteria that emits odors!) Even essential oils can disrupt our delicate biomes.
3. Dig just a little and you will find that deodorants began as another unnecessary industry manufactured by the advertising agencies of yore. Targeting women first, and eventually men, the hook was that no one would actually tell you if you smelled, but would rather gossip, whisper and shun. Body odor was considered like most bodily functions at the time, something not discussed in polite company. And so the campaign began.
4. Deodorants and antiperspirants may include ingredients linked to cancer and hormone/endocrine disruption. These chemicals can get absorbed through the skin and into your body. In addition, there are lymph nodes in your armpits that fight off infection. These can be negatively affected by chemical interference.
5. The smell from your underarms is caused by bacteria that emits odors. Did you know that with the right detoxification routine and care, this smell can be significantly reduced, and can eventually go away altogether?

Accelerate detoxing with these simple habits

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon Mineral Toothpowder (or Bentonite Clay or Baking Soda)
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions:

1. Make a paste by mixing clay & apple cider vinegar. 
2. Apply a thin layer on your underarm area for 5-20 minutes. 
3. Wipe off mask with a washcloth or with a shower rinse.
4. Repeat daily for about a week.

Note:

• If you feel any discomfort or pain, remove the mixture immediately. Some redness is normal, and should disappear quickly. You may be getting an allergic reaction.
• When mixing, don’t use metal container or stirrer. Clay loses its detoxing power when exposed to metal.
• Using a Dry Brush can accelerate the process by stimulating lymph nodes and exfoliating.Each person is unique so you may need to do this for more than a week. Once strong / unpleasant odor has disappeared you’ve detoxed. Repeat detox as needed.