For most of my life I’ve used conventional deodorants, they worked and smelled nice. Sometimes I would spend around 30 minutes at the store smelling different deodorants until I found a new smell I loved. I never thought much about it until I started researching the ingredients in most of the products my family uses.
When I start looking into deodorants I learned two very important things, how antiperspirants work and all the toxic chemicals used in conventional deodorants. Before I tell you why you should detox your armpits and how to detox them, you should understand why it’s best to stay away from most antiperspirants and deodorants.
Antiperspirants are made to reduce the production of sweat. Their active ingredient is aluminum salts which dissolve into your skin’s surface creating a barrier. It basically blocks your sweat glands temporarily and reduces the amount of sweat released. Your body sweats for a reason, blocking sweat is not the right solution.
There has also been a lot of speculation if using these type of deodorants are one of the reasons we’re seeing so many cases of breast cancer. I personally, don’t take my chances and will never use an antiperspirant again.
My second biggest concern comes with the ingredients used in most conventional deodorants. This is a short list of the ingredients that concern me the most:
- Aluminum: I avoid aluminum in every possible form and even wrote a post about it. It has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease and osteoporosis.
- Parabens: An endocrine disruptor that interferes with our hormone production. Read more about it in this post.
- Phthalates: Another endocrine disruptor that causes havoc in your body.
- Propylene Glycol: A neurotoxin linked to kidney and liver damage.
So, you’re basically putting a concoction of toxic chemicals in your armpit.
You must be thinking, “I’ll just switch to a natural deodorant and I’ll be fine”. Well, if you’re like most people you have been using conventional deodorants for a long time and all these toxins have built up in your armpits. It’s best to detox your armpits from all those years of questionable deodorants before using a natural deodorant.
Signs you need an armpit detox
Are your armpits smelly?
The build up of toxic chemicals may be the reason why your armpits have a strong odor.
Sometimes when you use a natural deodorant you will notice your armpits smell bad after a few hours. Turns out this mostly happens because of the toxin build-up and the way to fix this is by doing an armpit detox. Once you do the detox, that natural deodorant will work so much better.
Are you getting a rash from the baking soda in your natural deodorant?
You guessed it, it’s probably caused by the build up of toxic chemicals. Once you detox your armpit you will most likely be able to use a natural deodorant with baking soda without getting a rash.
Are you ready to ditch your conventional deodorant?
The best way to switch to natural is to clean your armpits from all those toxic chemicals. Even if you don’t think you need a detox, you probably do. Plus it’s so easy and quick to do, you have nothing to lose.
You’ll notice that after doing the detox your armpits will in fact smell better and won’t get as stinky at the end of the day.
How to Detox your Armpits
This is the easiest DIY recipe you’ll ever have to make! Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon of paraben-free bentonite clay
- 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
- Water (optional)
- Aloe Vera spray (optional)
Directions: In a small glass bowl mix the bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar. Make sure you use a wooden or plastic spoon – do not use a metal spoon since it affects the properties of the bentonite clay.
Mix it well. It should look like a paste. It if doesn’t look like a paste after you mix it well, you can add a tiny bit of water until you get the consistency that’s pictured below:
Once it’s ready spread on your armpits and leave it on for 5-15 minutes. If this is your first time doing a detox, I suggest you start with 5 minutes.
You shouldn’t feel anything when you have this mixture on your armpits, if it’s burning or hurting, remove it immediately. I personally have left it for 20 minutes and never experienced any sensation.
Once the time is up, you can wash it off with a cloth or in the shower. I personally do the detox before I take a shower so I can just wash it off.
After I remove all the bentonite clay mixture and my armpits are dry, I like to spray the Aloe Vera to help my skin heal. This is not a must but it helps with the detox process and it’s great for your skin.
As always when doing any type of detox, make sure you drink plenty of water to help your body detox faster.
How many times should you do a detox?
You need to repeat this detox until your armpits stop getting stinky. If you’re doing this detox because the baking soda in natural deodorants is irritating you, you will have to do this detox until the baking soda stops irritating you.
This detox is safe enough to do daily, but I prefer to do it 2-3 times a week. You should notice an improvement soon after your first application. Everyone’s body is different, this is why there isn’t a set number of times you should detox, but if you pay close attention you’ll notice these changes and you’ll know you won’t have to detox anymore.
It feels wonderful to know you’re helping your body to get rid of all those toxic chemicals that have build up throughout the years. Have you detoxed your armpits?
