Favorite Deod?

[eirual]

Hey ladies!

What's your favorite aluminum (and preferably parabum) free deoderant??

Right now I'm using Nature's gate, but find I'm mighty ripe by the end of the day.

[littlest birds]

I love Jason deodorant and it is very effective.

(If I am already a wee bit ripe, I swab off with rubbing alcohol first--this works great!)

[Spastica]

Baking soda and a little bit of water to scrub my armpits in the shower, rinse, then spraying apple cider vinegar on my armpits and leaving it for a minute or two to kill the bacteria (to kill the odor causing bacteria and for astringent action) rinsing again; then spraying Lavender, Cedarwood, and Bergamot essential oils (combined with distilled water in a mist-bottle or you can use Burt's Bees Lavender Facial mist, it has the same oils and is where I got the idea anyway) after I get out of the shower.

Lavender, Cedarwood, and Bergamot are all astringent and are antiseptic in quality, especially the lavender. You can use rubbing alcohol or witch hazel instead of the essential oils, but I'd imagine the rubbing alcohol doesn't smell so good and may burn after shaving. Witch hazel really doesn't smell like anything, that's good too. I just really like my essential oil spray, I use it for a body spritzer too.

I haven't had a problem since doing this. I love it!

[calynde]

Weleda Citrus spray deodorant works really well, too.

[eirual]

Spastica:

What do you store your BS in in the shoer to make it not get clumpy? And do use a...carrier? oil...an oil that dilutes the EOs at all or just put them on full strength??

[Spastica]

I reuse the baking soda shaker bottle that you can find at grocery stores (try the baking aisle). It's a plastic shaker that doesn't get ruined when wet. I try to keep it by the tub (farthest from the showerhead) or top top of the toilet (next to the tub) where it's not in direct contact with water. Some people even put some marbles in the shaker so that the baking soda doesn't clump. I just keep shaking the bottle until something comes out, heh. The best thing to do is refill it a small amount at a time (1/4 to 1/2 a bottle) so it doesn't have weeks and weeks worth of moisture. I have great luck with that. I purchase baking soda in bulk so that's not a problem.

Also, for the misting spray, I use distilled water only, no carrier oils. You can dilute essential oils with water or oil, depending on how you're using it. I just put a capful of lavender, capful of bergamot, and 1/2 capful of cedarwood oil in a small misting bottle. You can also buy this mix premade by purchasing Burt's Bees Lavender Facial Mist (it's the same ingredients). I just ended up doing my own since I bought the Burt's bees since I now have all the same EO's and the mist bottle already.

You can use that combo of EO's in a mist bottle for your body, armpits and hair too. It's nice! Keeps bugs away too, since they hate lavender.

[3boysmom]

Tom's of Maine Calendula roll-on works great and is the only natural deodorant that I've found that doesn't give me a bright red rash. I love the smell!

[fanniefarkle]

I put rubbing alcohol w/ a few drops of eo in a small pump spray bottle. Four pumps under each pit does the trick (even here in the deep south, although it has yet to be tested in 90+ temps).

[HeatherB]

Looking for answers, too! I've been using Alba Botanica Lavender Clear Enzyme deodorant, but if I don't reapply I find I have a bit too much odor by the end of the day, where I can be a bit self conscious about it in public. A few days ago I borrowed DH's Jason Herbs and Spice stick deodorant and was very impressed. I have a roll-on that I didn't like as much, and may try another in the stick form, instead.

Hoping for more recommendations, too!

[MamaRabbit]

I've been experimenting. Right now I'm using Lavender EO with witch hazel in a spritz bottle. If I'm already stinky, it makes the odor go away! I do find I have to reapply if I've done lots of sweating. I'm going to try the baking soda mixture next. I live where it's 100F for much of the year, so I have plenty of days to try it out on LOL

[lotus.blossom]

The crystal and corn starch for wetness control. Works like a charm (but you have to give yourself a few days to detox after using other deoderants)

[Spastica]

I think I had less of a detox because I scrub my armpits with baking soda - thus getting rid of the old deodorant residue and and exfoliating the skin around the area to get rid of trapped bacteria and old skin buildup. Baking soda will also kill some yeasts to a degree.

Of course after the baking soda, it leaves the skin prepped for the apple cider vinegar (or witch hazel or whatever you want to use) to kill odor-causing bacteria. Exfoliating allows things like apple cider vinegar, witch hazel, rubbing alcohol and essential oils to soak through the skin better.

[DevaMajka]

Honestly, I just use baking soda. And it keeps me totally un-stinky all day. I have to reapply it when I shower- it doesn't "last" overnight or through showers like the commercial deodorants do. (of course, that's probably a good thing )
It even un-stinks me if I am already a bit smelly because I forgot to put it on. It usually unstinks my shirt too
I was just using the baking soda in a tupperware type bowl, and wetting my fingers a bit, to apply it. It hasn't irritated my skin at all.
I started yesterday adding a bit of liquid aloe to it, it makes it easier to apply, and still works great.

[naturalmaman]

Burt's Bees Herbal Deodorant ROCKS!!! The bottle literally lasts me forever and it is the only natural deod that leaves me stank free for 24 hours AND does not cause irritation

[amcal]

Originally Posted by sidshappymamma

I put rubbing alcohol w/ a few drops of eo in a small pump spray bottle. Four pumps under each pit does the trick (even here in the deep south, although it has yet to be tested in 90+ temps).

Me too And, I think it works better and better as time goes on. I have been doing this for quite a while and at the beginning I found that I needed to spritz once or twice a day. After a couple months, I could do just once a day but if I ran or it was extra hot etc.. I would need another spritz. Now, I just spritz once in the morning and I'm good until the next morning - even in our hot phoenix summer!!!

[HeatherB]

Oh, boy! Looks like lots of options to try!

I wonder if the cumulative effect is just the desensitization of our noses, tho!

[Spastica]

What you'll notice is that most of these methods kill the bacteria that starts odor somehow (vinegar, witch hazel, rubbing alcohol, and certain essential oils all kill bacteria).

Not a mystery, it's science!