(UN)PRODUCT™: Underarm Deodorant
(UN)PRODUCT™: UNDERARM DEODORANT
Your sweat is big business.
In fact, in the US alone, annual sales of deodorant and antiperspirants are estimated at $18 billion. By following a few steps, you can kick the daily deodorant habit for good — setting yourself free, improving health and saving $.
- Reduces daily exposure to suspect chemicals, synthetic scents, preservatives & potentially harsh essential oils.
- A step to restore your body’s biome.
- Leverages evolutionary power of scent.
- Less waste & pollution.
- 1 less thing to do / 1 less thing to buy.
- Learn a simple, evolved approach to “odor” management.
YOU DON'T NEED IT, SO WE DON'T SELL IT
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A PDF FOR REFERENCE
(This is an informational page, not a product to buy)
“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.
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:
- Mask our natural scents
- Can have irritating fragrances and suspect “safe” chemical ingredients
- Still create a big environmental footprint
- 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:
- Mask our natural scents
- Can have irritating fragrances and suspect “safe” chemical ingredients
- Still create a big environmental footprint
- 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...
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- Make a paste by mixing clay & apple cider vinegar.
- Apply a thin layer on your underarm area for 5-20 minutes.
- Wipe off mask with a washcloth or with a shower rinse.
- 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.
Why dump the deodorant habit?
- 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.
- Building and maintaining a healthy armpit biome. More and more evidence is pointing to healthy biomes (both inside and out) as a foundation for overall health. They form a complex ecosystem of bacteria, fungi and parasites. Artificial scents, man-made chemicals, and aluminum and salts to stop sweat, disrupt the biome, and actually create a self sustaining loop that encourages people to use more products to solely mask the symptoms. And remember, none of these address the underlying causes of odor. (Dirty secret: Some ingredients actually exacerbate the problem by feeding bacteria that emits odors!) Even essential oils can disrupt the delicate biomes.
- 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.
- Common deodorant and antiperspirants can include ingredients linked to cancer and hormone/endocrine disruption. These chemicals can get absorbed through the skin passing directly into your bloodstream. In addition, there are lymph nodes in your armpits that fight off infection. These can be negatively affected by chemical interference. Plus, the antibodies from antiperspirants can impair your body’s healthy bacteria critical for a balanced epidermal biome.
- The smell from your underarms is caused by bacteria that breaks down lipids and amino acids found in your sweat and turns them into substances that have a very distinct odor. Did you know that with the right detoxification routine and care, this smell can be significantly reduced, and can eventually go away altogether?
Accelerate armpit detoxing with this simple method
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon Mineral Toothpaste Powder (or Bentonite Clay or Baking Soda)
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (ACV)
Instructions:
- Make a paste by mixing clay & apple cider vinegar.
- Apply a thin layer on your underarm area for 5-20 minutes.
- Wipe off mask with a washcloth or with a shower rinse.
- 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.
Did you know?
- Anytime your body emits bad odor, whether it’s bad breath, or armpit odor, it’s an indication that your bacteria are out of balance. Dehydration, stress, and bad diet can all heavily contribute to this unbalance. While the topic is still being studied, scientists have even been able to isolate the good bacteria that fosters a non-stinky armpit: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/03/31/396573607/meet-the-bacteria-that-make-a-stink-in-your-pits
- It is estimated that giving up deodorant in a 4-person family could save a household $120 a year, and possibly save the planet a whopping 20 lbs of plastic waste every decade.
- Deodorants and antiperspirants did not exist before the early 1900s? The entire industry was created to convince women that they should not have any odor or sweat if they were to be socially accepted. This platform eventually targeted men as well. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-advertisers-convinced-americans-they-smelled-bad-12552404/
- If properly addressed, one’s armpit biome can be rebalanced and stink will be gone. There are even instances of armpit biome “transplants” that successfully eliminate stink. Listen to “Dr. Armpit” give a Ted Talk on the subject. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RIFyqLXdVw
- Deodorants and antiperspirants disrupt your armpit’s natural biome balance https://time.com/4207846/deodorant-antiperspirant-microorganisms/
- When you put something on your skin, it can enter your bloodstream without being metabolized.
- ~2% of the population have a gene that effectively eliminates underarm odor. Scientists discovered that a rare version of the gene ABCC11 eliminates underarm odor. And it is more common in east Asians.
Tips
- Reduce odor with a better diet. Eating fresh vegetables, drinking lots of water, limiting sugar & processed foods — all these help your body to detox and reduce body odor.
- Accelerate detoxing with these 2 tools. Fulvic Mineral Complex (aka fulvic acid) also fuels a host of beneficial cellular functions. Dry Brushing - stimulates & helps drain the lymphatic system.
- Essential oils can help. Consider using essential oils as you transition from deodorant and antiperspirants. (Keep in mind essential oils are very strong and can irritate especially when over used!)
- Wash with soap. This can help eliminate bacteria that cause odors as you wean yourself from toxic products and rebalance your armpit biome. Plus it washes away scent if your cortisols have been firing due to stress.
Try the our 3-in-1 bar, which gently cleans with no harsh surfactants or chemicals.
More reasons to quit your deodorant habit — chemicals found in most deodorants and antiperspirants
- Aluminum – thought to be linked to breast cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
- Parabens – disrupt hormones; traces have been found in breast cancer tissue.
- Formaldehyde – acts as a carcinogenic substance.
- Phthalates – another hormone disruptor; linked to infertility.
- Antibacterial substances – have an adverse effect on immune system function and affect hormonal balance.
- Propylene glycol – an antifreeze agent.
Found via Healthy & Natural World
Additional resources
Medical News Today
Everything you need to know about armpit detox
Healthy and Natural World
Why is it Important to Detox Your Armpits & How to Do It
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“The information in this download is so helpful. I have printed and shared your downloadable pamphlet with my friends. I used to buy this crap now I don't.)” —Vic
“UNProducts — are an interesting way to look at all these products we supposedly need. Helps people understand the BS the industry puts out there. It’s all about buying more stuff” —Peter D.