For those of you who haven't heard, there has been some speculation that aluminum compounds readily found in many popular anti-perspirant brands can potentially contribute to all sorts of maladies, including Alzheimer's (something I'm sure none of us want to get). Ingredients like aluminum chlorohydrate and aluminum zirconium are common "sweat blockers" nowadays, but we really aren't sure whether or not these can work their way into the bloodstream and cause some major problems later on in life. In my case, I'm not taking any chances for the sake of what Americans think should be the standard in armpit dryness. The fact is, if aluminum is entering your blood (whether through direct application or even cooking ware), it can be absorbed and accumulated in the body over time. For this reason, I've always used what can be exclusively called "deodorant", without any of the aluminum-based sweat blocking ingredients found in most anti-perspirants. Besides, sweating is supposed to release all the waste products and toxins from my body - why would I want to keep them in?Now I'm taking this one step further. You see, it seems that deodorants are a problem too. They contain a lot of nasties as well, including parabens and other carcinogenic ingredients such as benzyl alcohol. I'm just not willing to take that risk any more for the sake of dry pits (it sounds silly even saying it), so I'll be whipping up this cost-effective recipe I found recently on the Everyday Minerals community boards:
2 T cornstarch (absorbs water)
2 T baking soda (deodorizes)
1 T coconut oil (softens)
a splash of witch hazel (to get the desired consistency)
5-8 drops tea tree oil
5-8 drops lavender oil
According to the original poster, she just mixed the ingredients together into a thick paste and put it in an empty deodorant dispenser. It has a pasty consistency, so you should store it in the fridge to keep it from turning too mushy. I can't wait to give it a try!
I have had the Everyday Minerals thread "favorited" for while, though I haven't been able to play with the recipe yet. I look forward to seeing how you like it. :)
ReplyDeleteI will definitely keep you posted - the hard part is just finding the time to mix it up!
ReplyDeletewhere do you get your coconut and lavender oils?
ReplyDeleteHey Melissa, I personally have bought them from Vitacost.com since they have a flat shipping rate ($5 no matter how much you buy) and just about the best prices you can find anywhere. They have a large selection of both coconut and essential oils. You don't necessarily have to use lavender if you prefer a different scent (or you can just omit the essential oil altogether), but that's what I've been using and it smells great!
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