Deodorant &/or Antiperspirant alternatives

[g84]

I wanted to ask if anyone uses something other than the more common deodorants or antiperspirants that one would find at stores?

 

Do you happen to use something that can be homemade, or a product that isn't normally used for this purpose?

& How has your experience been with it?

 

Thanks = ]

[IphigeniaSaysHi]

I've used roll on crystal deodorant and didn't like it...only because it was roll on. I couldn't find a crystal stick anywhere but online. I didn't like the wet feeling :s but I'd be interested in trying the stick. I've heard great things about crystal deodorant.

[Crazyaboutdogs]

I use Marcelle deodorant which seems to be only available in Canada. It is hypoallergenic.

[diamond78]

I can't use regular deodorant as my underarms develop some type of buildup/hardness...it's difficult to describe.

 

The only thing that keeps my underarms smooth and works against perspiration is called "Naturally Fresh" Roll On....it's hypoallergenic, paraben free, and fragrance free. It's supposed to be All Natural.

 

It used to be hard to find this deodorant, but now I can get it pretty much at most stores including Target.

[orchidrose]

I use Crystal's pomegranate roll-on and really like it. Before that, I used several Tom's of Maine deodorants and didn't love them. They irritated my skin.

 

The Body Shop just came out with a line of aluminum-free deodorants that I really want to try. They have them on sale for $4 as an introductory offer.

[tiredofvampires]

One thing that's really cheap and easy to make at home is cornstarch + baking soda. I had heard about this before, but it irritated me a bit when I used it, so I wasn't going to suggest it, but I may have just found out why in this article. I may have just not had the right ratio (I put too much soda in [equal parts]), and so I'd give this a try:

 

link removed

 

My mom swears by these two in combo. I might give it another go myself.

 

It's pretty easy to find alternatives to deodorants, but since antiperspirants actually block your sweat glands from sweating (the only way to keep dry, but it's very unhealthy), it's harder to find something to keep wetness at bay, I've found. The cornstarch is supposed to do that, but I'm a heavy sweater so just powder alone doesn't keep me dry enough usually. I suppose it would depend how much you sweat.

 

These are aluminum, paraben-free brands I've used that I'd recommend:

 

-- Arm & Hammer Essentials Natural Deodorant (it's a stick; this doesn't seem to keep me as dry, but it's a great deodorant)

 

-- Adidas Absorbent-Deo Cotton Tech (it's a stick; this is THE most effective non-aluminum, non-paraben antiperspirant/deodorant I've ever found and it actually makes me feel pretty dry; it supposedly uses cotton powder to absorb moisture and then wick it away, but I notice it's nearly the last ingredient with a long list of many other chemicals before it, so my only concern is...is it too good/safe to be true?)

 

-- Jason deodorant stick (you can find these in a health food store), I like their lavender scent; also Jason Tea Tree Body Powder (has cornstarch), it's very light/gentle and talc-free

 

-- Desert Essence has tea tree oil single-pack wipes that really work great, but you may have to reapply and they're not antiperspirant

 

-- NOW brand deodorant cream (this is VERY effective for both perspiration and odor, the only thing is that it's a white cream, so it's not entirely transparent; I only use a tiny bit at a time though, so that's never been a real problem; the only other concern I have is that it has talc in it and I'm not sure if that's completely safe [i know breathing in talc is bad, and this is a solid so that's not an issue, but not sure about having it being absorbed]; I have found this at health food stores)

 

Another product which is very similar is this (and I've seen this in some health food stores as well, but it might be easier to order online):

 

link removed

 

Finally, I've bought rose water and just spritzed it under my arms and it was great. Again, if you're a heavy sweater, not for long, haha, but if not, this is really awesome.

[dragon lady]

I used extra strength men's antiperspirant for about 10 years and then it suddenly stopped working. I was devastated because it was the ONLY thing that would work up until then. I'm not an extremely sweaty person, but even minimal sweat bothers me and ruins my shirts.

 

Then I started reading about the potential problems with aluminium in antiperspirants and figured I'd try something less scary. Now I'm using some sport crystal mineral salts roll-on brand and it works wonders. I don't sweat at all and there's absolutely no smell.

[g84]

Thanks for your replies, everyone !

 

ToV, i've also read about the baking soda + cornstarch mixture; i've heard that some ppl add in a few drops of any essential oils to it as well.

I was a bit worried about baking soda, only because some people say that it's likely too harsh for the skin (because of its alkaline nature), but a part of me thinks it can't really be too bad compared to all the ingredients that are added to the average deodorant.. but i don't know for sure, lol.

I guess i will start trying different things out, thanku for the suggestions.

[generaldiscord]

In my anti-shaving, anti-makeup, anti-anythinggirlshouldfeelisnecesssarytodotoleavethehousethatguysdon'thavetodo, I also inexplicably stopped wearing deoderant, even though guys do that too. When I tried to start again, I got weird allergies. But I also realized that, although I was sweating, it just didn't smell that bad if I showered daily.

 

If it's particularly hot, or if i'm particularly smelly, I wash my pits more frequently in addition to showering. If I'm out and about, I generally have some form of wet wipe or handkercheif which serves this purpose. I also take an extra t-shirt just in case a pit stain forms (but it usually doesn't, regardless of the weather.)

 

I actually am pretty sure I smell better now than I did before I stopped wearing deoderant. When I go hiking, people ask me how I can possibly smell so good. So, yeah, shower and wash only for a couple weeks, and see if you can't wean yourself off of it.

[NaturalJ]

I wanted to ask if anyone uses something other than the more common deodorants or antiperspirants that one would find at stores?

 

Do you happen to use something that can be homemade, or a product that isn't normally used for this purpose?

& How has your experience been with it?

 

Thanks = ]

 

My sister and I sweat a lot sometimes in our axillary (armpits). I dislike the gel/spray deodorants/antiperspirants. We both use the degree clinical antiperspirant. It isn't a gel/spray or anything like that. It doesn't irritate your skin and stays on all day. I have hyperhidrosis too, and this keeps my pits dry all day long. I shower twice a day, workout at least once a day for 30-45 min (cardio usually), and I work part time. So I'm a pretty busy person. The degree clinical is great for men and women (different versions obviously for each gender).

 

I buy mine at Wal-Mart. You can find them anywhere.

[jynkies]

I use cornstarch + baking soda as the fragrance they use in a lot of talcs causes me to snuffle and have breathing problems.. instead of using essential oil to add fragrance I put a couple of squirts of my daily perfume (Arpege by Lanvin which I can thankfully wear - it doesnt burn like some perfumes can) onto a cotton ball and biff that into the jar which holds the powder mix - this adds a nice soft scent to the powder that does not affect or taint the scent of my daily perfume.