"detoxing" off commercial deoderant

[Rosebud1]

I decided to give up on commercial deoderant (for the first time in my life), and I am really smelling bad under my arms. To the point that it is embarrassing in public. It is persistent -- even right after a shower. I eat super healthy, but I am just getting over a bit of a cold so I am sure that is part of it. One reason I am examining my deoderant use is I want my body to be able to get rid of what it needs to get rid of. That said, I don't want to smell so bad forever!

Some people in other posts have said that "it takes about two weeks" to detox off commercial deoderant. Can anyone explain why? Is it that bacteria is way backed up and needs to be expelled gradually? Will I gradually start to smell better?

What are the most compelling reasons to give up commercial deoderant? I am hoping to stay steadfast in my avoidance, but if I continue to smell so badly I may waver!

[outlier]

Are you using any natural deodorants or giving up on them altogether? I used regular antiperspirants since I was a kid and switched to salt crystal deodorant several months ago now. I didn't have any odor problems at all during the transition, and in fact found that the salt worked better than the regular stuff.

If you're hoping to get off deodorant completely, maybe you could use something like this as an intermediate step until your armpits reach a new sweat/bacterial balance?

[maggiemae]

Are you using anything at all now? I use a paste of cornstarch, coconut oil and tea tree oil. About twice a week I rub my armpits with rubbing alcohol too.

[Rosebud1]

I am using nothing right now. I am hoping to use nothing for at least a week to just give myself a break and to work everything out of my system. I am getting over being sick and I feel like I need to detox. I am open to more natural products, but read in other threads that many natural alternatives still have aluminum and other yucky stuff.

Part of me wonders if I reallllllly cleaned up my lifestyle, could I go without it altogether? My husband has never worn deoderant, bathes frequently, and always smells just fine.

I am wondering if caffeine makes it worse, if coffee makes one need deoderant more. The prospect of giving up coffee is so daunting, though!

[Ruthla]

Even when regularly using deodorant, people tend to smell worse when ill.

It's not "normal" to smell bad when right out of the shower- it's typical to start stinking again within half an hour of the shower, but it sounds like maybe you're not cleaning your pits well enough to begin with. What kind of soap or body products are you using in the shower?

Maybe try washing your pits with baking soda in the shower, then rinsing it off (baking soda by itself can be irritating to sensitive skin if it's left there.)

Also, how do you define a "super healthy" diet? You might be eating what you think is super-healthy, but is actually a poor choice for your own personal body chemistry.

[somegirl99]

Sometimes the skin under there needs a little exfoliation - try using a scrubcloth / washcloth in the shower when you're cleaning.

Also, do you shave? Having irritated skin will make things worse.

[amcal]

Rosebud - I think the detox period doesn't mean you shouldn't use anything - it just means you'll be stinkier than normal and will need to apply natural deodorant more often.

I used alcohol based body sprays when I was going through my detox period. I kept a travel size in my purse and I spritzed my pits several times a day. It really kept the funk away.

I continued to use alcohol based sprays for years with great success having to apply once or twice a day depending upon activity.

When we had to take a plane trip, I bought the salt crystal stick and now I'm a total convert. I love it! The only thing I've noticed is that either the crystal or my pits have to be pretty damp for it to work - meaning that if your skin or the stick are the least bit dry, not enough of the salt crystal will rub off on your skin. So, I always put it on right after my shower when my pits are still soaking wet. If I do it this way, I never, ever get stinky (and I'm a stinky girl who lives in the hot desert). However, if I don't apply when my pits or the stick are quite wet then not enough of the salt crystal transfers to my skin and I have a big stink problem them.

[His Own]

Try some generic Milk of Magnesia - no kidding. Just smooth some under each armpit, let it dry, and you're good for all day. It works great! I've used tons of natural products, but none works better than this, and

a. It's dirt cheap. I am using the Dollar Tree bottle that costs, guess what, $1.

b. It's magnesium sulfate! Most of us are deficient in magnesium anyway, so not only is it perfectly harmless, it may actually be nutritionally beneficial as well.

It's been a couple of months now, and I have had absolutely no odor since using it. Yay!

[sedalbj]

My pits did stink when i detoxed from the chemical stuff. it took awhile. try doing something that will make you sweat a lot, exercise, sauna? get the glands to clean themselves out. tea tree oil straight may help, i use that when i am having hormone related stink.

[neverdoingitagain]

You can also try powdered ascorbate acid or sodium ascorbate. I use a tiny bit mixed with a little water. It gets rid of any smell and lasts all day. Added bonus is that its a form of vitamin C, so you could take it internally if needed

[loon13]

Originally Posted by somegirl99

Sometimes the skin under there needs a little exfoliation - try using a scrubcloth / washcloth in the shower when you're cleaning.

Also, do you shave? Having irritated skin will make things worse.

Ditto re: exfoliation. You want those pores open and the dead skin sloughed off. Especially if you were using antiperspirants, which just stopped you from sweating and blocked everything. As for the meantime, there are some scented natural deodorant sprays, like Weleda, that might help cover the odor. See this post for a review.