Hi friends! By the time this post is live it will be just about time for me to begin my journey to Austria to meet up with Joel. We are rendezvousing in Salzburg, Austria(Joel is already there for a work trip), and then we will continue along to a small mountain town followed by five days in Vienna. This will be my first time back to Europe since I studied abroad in London during College. You could say I am a touch excited!

As I began making a list of things I wanted to purchase pre Europe I added natural deodorant to my shopping list. Making the switch from a traditional antiperspirant to a natural deodorant is something that I feel like I have been seeing everywhere and never thought too much about until recently.

I started looking into reasons why I should make the switch I and was shocked I hadn’t thought about it sooner.

Reason to Make the Switch:

We are Supposed to Sweat. 

This might sound crazy and make you want to quit reading right now but hear me out. Think about how much we do to “detox” our body after lets say a long weekend of indulging. Now think about the fact that our underarms have been coated in antiperspirant for most of our lives. Antiperspirants not only stop sweat but they also stop your body from excreting toxins via your underarms. Long story short our bodies sweat for a reason, and stopping the sweat all together is just not good for us. 

You Don’t Smell the Greatest.

If you feel like you are an unusually smelly human being it may be due to some clogged underarms. With a buildup of bacteria below your skin due to the antiperspirant bad bacteria could be festering(and your good and bacteria may not be balanced). Hence making you smell a little stinky.

Antiperspirant are Full of Aluminum Compounds that Have Been linked to Alzheimers and Breast Cancer in Many Cases.

This statement was enough to make me throw my antiperspirant away. Overall there are countless studies that have been done linking both diseases back to the aluminum (which antiperspirants have an abundance of). Breast Cancer is often said to be linked due to the close proximity to the under arm area. I am no doctor, but these articles helped me educate myself: here & here

So You Are Ready To Make The Switch….Here’s What You Need to Know:

The First Week or So is a Transition Phase. 

When you start the switch your body takes some time to purge and push out all the built up aluminum and parabens hanging out right under the surface level of your underarms. I read a lot of things that said to go a few days completely without any products under your arms. I was just not down for that. SO instead I started using my new natural deodorant and also purged my under arms with a mask. To purge your under arms use 100% Bentonite Clay(aka this face mask base I use weekly), and combine it with apple cider vinegar. Apply the mask to your underarms for 15 minutes and then rinse it off. My suggestion is to do this twice, giving yourself a few days off in between. This will really kickstart your under arm purge. 

Find the Right Natural Deodorant for You.

I remember buying Tom’s deodorant a few years ago and I HATED it. It basically felt like the Tom’s formula did not jive with my body and literally made me smell worse. With this as my previous experience I dipped my toe in the natural deodorant water again fully expecting to be back on my antiperspirant by the end of the week. But low and behold I found a few deodorants that work for me. Both Schmidt’s Tea Tree Oil Deodorant and Kopari’s Charcoal Coconut Deodorant have turned my mind around about natural deodorant. These formulas are smooth but does not feel wet and have a faint scent.

How to Apply.

Unlike your usual under arm products natural deodorant is applied in a specific way. To start with you hold the deodorant to your underarm area for a few seconds to warm it up before applying. Then swipe a small amount(I do two swipes) and go along your merry way. It is important you do not overdue it on the deodorant, this could cause under arm irritation. 

You Are Going to Sweat. But with the Right Natural Deodorant You Won’t Feel Smelly, And The Amount You Sweat Could Even Decrease.

At the end of the day this is still a transition and could go completely different for you than me. So! Have patience and don’t be afraid to try out a few natural deodorant to figure out what is best for YOU.