I first came up with the idea for this blog when I heard a news story weeks
ago linking deodorant/antiperspirants to breast cancer. Deodorant and breast cancer, who would have
ever thought? “What do you expect,
Sarah, when you are apply those chemicals to your lymph nodes everyday,” a
coworker commented to me one day. True
true. There are
lymph nodes in our armpits I suppose.
But I never thought deodorant could be the culprit of breast cancer. Oh that lovely “shower clean” scent that has
brought me so much confidence since my awkward middle school years. I remember the first time I ever used
deodorant via a trial package given to me in health class in sixth grade. In the trial package I received a pink Bic
razor, a small tube of fresh scent perfume, Candies maybe?, and a small Teen
Spirit sample deodorant stick. I
have to admit that I wore that sample stick of Teen Spirit down to its very
plastic core. I was liberated by its
sweet shower scent. By applying Teen
Spirit I was applying years, popularity, wisdom. With every application of Teen Sprit I became
cooler, more normal. Teen Spirit was
revolutionary and it took advantage of me at such a very impressionable,
vulnerable, and awkward age. So you can
imagine how hard it was to walk away from Teen Spirit, from Degree, the scents
of my youthful confidence. It was
terrifying. And may I remind you
that I am also a woman ever-mindful of my scent and ever mindful of the scents
of my environment. Call it Southern
hospitality, or call it paranoia, but I always have to have onions cooking or a
scented candle burning when the guests come over. I need my stuff to smell good. So yes, the transition to a “natural”
deodorant was terrifying.
But terrified as I was, I was being called to
change. The news story was the final
piece of convincing evidence. Months prior, however, I had also learned about the lack of regulation that governs cosmetic industries. Unlike our food
products, which are regulated fairly heavily on account of public safety,
cosmetic products are not held to as-stringent standards. For more information about chemicals in
cosmetic products and the lack of regulation that cosmetic industries face, you
can visit Annie Leonard’s Story of Stuff Project. The mounting
evidence surrounding chemicals in our deodorants and our cosmetic products left
with me with no other option than to change.
I am changing for my health, for the health of my fellow sisters and
brothers, and for the health of my planet.
My natural deodorant revelation also inspired me to start this blog. I have hopes that this blog will go
beyond talking about deodorant. I see this
blog as a medium through which to talk about all kinds of cosmetic and household
cleaning products. I hope this blog to be a
conversation among women and people about ways to make our bodies and our environments
healthier, without harmful chemicals. Each month I am inviting one person to
write about their experiences switching to a new product that does not contain
harmful chemicals. The month of October
is deodorant month, so I am writing about my experiences. I will also rate the products I’ve tried and
allow other women who try the products to do the same. (Please see the rating system on the
sidebar).
And so I want to challenge you ladies to try natural deodorant. I
recommend Nature’s Gate “Spring Fresh” and Lafes deodorant stick. Together these two are a
great combination. You can put the Lafes
on first and then the Nature’s Gate. The
Lafes neutralizes the odor-forming bacteria, and the Nature’s Gate leaves you
feeling fresh and clean. You will forget
all about Teen Spirit and embrace the new world of natural deodorant… well
hopefully. I do have to warn you, however, that these are just deodorants, not antiperspirants. So it will be an adjustment. The antiperspirant component of many brand name deodorants is what is being linked to breast cancer. Most antiperspirants on the market contain aluminum oxide the harmful carcinogen culprit. However, if there is a time to try a new deodorant and move away from antiperspirants, fall would be the time. You have those long sleeves on, so no one will even notice the difference. And hopefully there will not be much a difference at all - as far as odor goes. So come along with me and engage in this challenge. Be changed, be healthy.
