Anyone else not use deodorant/antiperspirent?

[aaronsmom]

I stopped using deodorant and antiperspirents about 3 months ago. The first few weeks I was a little smelly but it seems that my body has learned to regulate the BO on it's own (or maybe I just got used to my own stink ) but no one else seems to think I smell worse.

[laohaire]

I'm lazy about deoderant, but I do use it for a special occasion or when I think I'm going to be with people who would be especially unappreciative of my naturalness

My boss (European) doesn't use any. I dunno if he thinks he doesn't have a scent but he does. I don't care though, I'm one of those weird Americans who is not offended by clean human body odor. When I went to Tanzania, you could smell humanity as a group, in fact - go to a market and the whole market has this human scent. It was not offensive (to me). Americans don't distinguish between offensive body odor (foul stench from a sick or unclean person) and normal body odor (offensive to Americans but not to others). Too bad.

I plan to continue my policy of mild deoderant (including homemade, soon) on certain occasions but not every day.

[Amy@STL]

I recently switched to a milder one. Tom of Maine's . According to this site, http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/wor...q=tom+of+maine, it's not that bad. But kudos to you for going all the way!

[mmhinton]

YAY! I'm not the only one

Once I started staying at home (now about 3 yrs ago) - I pretty much stopped wearing any deodorant on a daily basis... Now, I usually forget to put it on even on rare occasions when I think "oh, maybe I should put on some deodorant to go to...."! So, I wear some only very, very rarely and when I do - it is (I think) Tom's.
I also have not noticed myself as being too stinky (nor has anyone else commented)...

[aaronsmom]

Thanks for the replies.
I never thought about us Americans being the only ones offended by natural, clean body odor but it makes sense. It doesn't smell that bad to me...my SO's natural BO isn't malodorous by any means.

[laohaire]

Well... I think the English are probably offended by any BO too.

Any maybe Canadians. So we're not the "only" ones probably. But in the minority of the world.

I actually like DH's BO, on the rare occasions that I can experience it. (He's pretty meticulous about showers and deoderant). It's like a musk, very attractive to me.

[hippieshelly]

I also quit deodorant when I started staying at home. I confess that if I went back to working in an office or other confined space I would probably start again, just to be courteous to others. But as long as I am a SAHM I see no reason for deodorant.

Yeah, I have some mild body odor, which perhaps other people notice from time to time. But it's not because I am unclean, its just because I'm not wearing a fragrance to cover my natural scent. That shouldnt be a bad thing.

[amber913]

I don't wear it. When i got rid of all my "toxic" stuff, i kept a stick of Dove antiperspirant with the intent to use it when i'm in my cousin's wedding this June, but i've gotten pretty crunchy about these things, so we'll see if i actually do. I also have a stick of Tom's and a salt crystal, but i pretty much use neither. My super power is not having much BO. Don't know if it's diet or what. I've read that going raw will reduce/eliminate BO.

[Tizzy]

I dunno, when I had a visitor over from Poland (who didn't use any deodorant) I found the stench pretty offensive. How could you not??

Personally, my own issue is with the sweating, not specifically the odor. How do you combat that? I've tried the salt crystal thing, a couple different "natural" versions and nothing seems to help. Funnily enough I'm usually cold, but I sweat easily. Any suggestions?

[KnockedUpButtercup]

I am very interested in getting rid of toxic body products, so when I saw this thread I got really excited, but I have some concerns.

1. I work outside the home - teaching high school english. Teenagers are BRUTAL - they would lose respect for me as a teacher if I smelled in any way.

2. Sweat - we live in Houston. Very hot, very humid - I am concerned about sweat patches.

Any other deep south mommas living without antipersperant? I definitely plan to use a crystal or some natural deodorant, like Tom's, but I am concerned - my main priority is to avoid sweating buckets.

Holly

[aaronsmom]

Originally Posted by KnockedUpButtercup

I am very interested in getting rid of toxic body products, so when I saw this thread I got really excited, but I have some concerns.

1. I work outside the home - teaching high school english. Teenagers are BRUTAL - they would lose respect for me as a teacher if I smelled in any way.

2. Sweat - we live in Houston. Very hot, very humid - I am concerned about sweat patches.

Any other deep south mommas living without antipersperant? I definitely plan to use a crystal or some natural deodorant, like Tom's, but I am concerned - my main priority is to avoid sweating buckets.

Holly

Maybe a dab of some essential oils (lavender or whatever you prefer) could mask your natural scent. Sorry, I don't have much advice.
When I sweat a lot I lift my arms up and spin in a circle. Sounds silly but it really cools you off and drys up the sweat.

[Magelet]

I use deodorant very rarely, tom's when I do. honestly, I sort of judge it by feel. in the summer, I wear it most days I'm going out to do stuff. In the winter, if I'm feeling like I probably will get BO, I'll put it on. Just keeping clean does seem to do a lot, except for the random day when I didn't do a thing active, didn't sweat, it's not hot out, and Itook a thorough shower 2 hours before and have horrible BO for no identifiable reason. (however, the deodorant honestly doesn't really help that either.) so I mostly just keep clean.

I have heard good things about the salt ones and it looks like its healthier from that link, so I may try that instead next summer.

[honey-lilac]

Huh, how interesting. I don't use soap but I do use deoderant. I don't care about the smell but I hate the actual sweating. Though, I admit that if I keep shaved under the arms it's not that bad. Stubble and sweat, that's a horrid combo.

I'm European and I don't find random BO particularly pleasant - I had too many public transportation rides with old peasant women and men that smelled like onions to really like it. On the other hand, DH's natural smell though is a total aphrodisiac to me. Wow, embarrasing to admit. But it's true. My mom even told me once that back in the day, like really back, a few centuries back, it was considered flirtatious for a young girl at a public dance to wipe her sweaty self with a handkerchief and give it to the young man she wanted to attract. The pheromones or whatever were considered a serious turn on.

[zoebird]

i don't use it and never have.

people say that i smell very pleasant--earthy and floral.

i'm ok with this.

to me, when i started nursing, i started to smell. LOL probably because of the nursing tea. i started to smell like oatmeal, then maple syrup, and then monkeys. the first two i didn't mind, but the monkey smell wasn't pleasant.

but, if i wash the underarms in the morning and afternoon, then no monkey smell. it's because of the hormones. i noticed when i got my cycle back, it changed a bit back to normal. i only "go monkey" occasionally. and then i just wash the underarms.

DH says i never "go monkey." he says that he never smells it and no one else has ever noticed it. but i swear i smell like monkeys sometimes, so i wash my underarms.

otherwise, no deoderant for me. i just can't stand the smell and who needs another step in the AM?

DH switched to all natural and has to put it on before work and after work (if he's going to the gym--otherwise he doesn't). i haven't noticed that he smells.

[Marnica]

I stopped using the comercial ones years ago (aluminum yuk!). I use the salt crystal deoderant stick or spray. I find it works ok. If I am going to a special event where I think I will be getting hot and sweaty, I do use the "bad" stuff. But this is very rarely!

[mommajb]

I use the salt crystal. I wouldn't think to use the traditional deodorant or antiperspirant for a special event. I would probably be wearing black and it would leave white streaks.

I do shower most everyday and often use soap, handmade all natural, local, soap made by a friend with love so maybe it works better than commercial soap?

[zoebird]

when in a hot/humid place, corn starch is a good option. you can put a vanilla bean in it (in the jar that you keep it in) and it will ahve a slight vanilla scent (you can use lavendar or other herbs too).

anyway, it picks up moisture and keeps you dry.

[honey-lilac]

Oh I totally forgot about the awful postpartum-nursing maple syrup smell! It wasn't awful but it was SO STRONG it was ridiculous. I just got flashbacks to sitting in a gray T-shirt that was SOAKED from the massive amounts of milk letdown while DD was nursing from the other breast and REEKING of maple syrup. Of course SHE loved it and would nuzzle into the smell when she could. I wonder if that's part of the whole "infants know their mothers by smell" thing - uh yeah but I'm sure everyone who came within 30-40 feet of me could tell it was me too. Deodorant did NOT touch that, it just smelled like maple syrup & deo together. (Also it had to be just hormones; I didn't drink nursing tea.)

[LDSmomma]

Originally Posted by KnockedUpButtercup

I am very interested in getting rid of toxic body products, so when I saw this thread I got really excited, but I have some concerns.

1. I work outside the home - teaching high school english. Teenagers are BRUTAL - they would lose respect for me as a teacher if I smelled in any way.

2. Sweat - we live in Houston. Very hot, very humid - I am concerned about sweat patches.

Any other deep south mommas living without antipersperant? I definitely plan to use a crystal or some natural deodorant, like Tom's, but I am concerned - my main priority is to avoid sweating buckets.

Holly

Try a mineral rock. I don't have experience yet, but it's on my list for the health food store tomorrow.