Battle of the Pits

I think the title of this is hilarious, but maybe that’s because it’s way past my bedtime. There’s an inherited “disease” in my family. It’s sweat. Particularly, sweaty arm pits. There’s really no “nice” or “polite” way to have this discussion. We can be sitting, doing NOTHING, in an average temperature room (68-72 degrees), in completely comfortable clothing, and have sweat POURING out of us.

I can remember the first time I noticed that I too had this problem. I was in 7th grade. I was wearing a dark pink Aeropostale polo. I was sitting in English class. I raised my hand (shocking) and the dark, wet spot, under my arm caught my eye. No, this was not a case of “puberty.” This was the beginning of my constant struggle to find clothes in colors that would not show my…sweaty arm pits. Thankfully, I am not alone in this struggle- as I said, it’s a family thing.

It led me to embark on a series of trial and error. “Clinical” strength deodorant? LOL. Men’s deodorant…eh. Every brand on the market. BAH. And to make matters MORE difficult, I decided I needed to start living a healthier life. I was pregnant, and knew I was going to be breastfeeding and at some point I thought, “Wow the stuff in deodorant can’t be good for you. Aluminum is one of the key ingredients…right there…next to my boob…that is producing milk….that my child will then ingest….” Yes. That was my literal and exact thought process. Don’t believe me? Here’s evidence.

My first try at natural deodorant was Schmidt’s. When I first saw the price tag, I thought “this stuff better be gold plated.” It’s about double or more “regular” deodorant. I was warned that I would have a few “smelly days” of my body adjusting to the new, natural way of life. I can honestly say, I think my transition went fairly well. I’ve heard horror stories, and I’ve heard of others who didn’t have any issues. I got my first stick in October. Applying it after my shower at night, and again in the morning, that one stick lasted me until mid-February. Yes. You read right, 4 whole months. When’s the last time you had a stick of deodorant last that long? So money wise, definitely worth the investment! As far as how well it works- I REALLY liked it. Between being pregnant and the stress of teaching/talking to parents, it held up well. I would absolutely recommend this product. A lot of the moms in the mom facebook groups I’m in also use this brand, for similar or the same reasons I switched myself. I also noticed that discoloration under my arms more or less vanished. YAY!

I ran out of Schmidt’s and wanted to try Doterra. In between, I used Secret for a few weeks. I developed a rash on the back of my arms that itched, I smelled to high heaven (my poor husband and child), I sweat so, so bad, and the smell of fake fragrance was killing me. It’s amazing how easy it is to go from fake stuff to natural, but it is awful to do the reverse.

My second try at natural deodorant was Doterra. I really like the smell of this deodorant. It goes on super smooth (you have to let Schmidt’s warm/melt to apply), and isn’t oily. I had almost no transition this time since my body was already pretty used to natural deodorant, and having used it for a few weeks now, I’m also super happy with this product. Double win, if you are a whole sale member, the deodorant does earn you rewards points!

If you look at the ingredient list of both Schmidt’s and Doterra, they are fairly similar. I’m sure the actual ratios of oils and such differ, but what’s more important is what they both LACK– no aluminum, no artificial colors/fragrances, and no parabens.

In my honest and humble opinion, as long as you are wearing a natural deodorant, you are already doing your body a HUGE favor. Take a look at this diagram, which depicts where lymph nodes are located in your body…

You’ll notice there is a concentration of these guys under your arms, and all in your chest and neck. Do you REALLY want chemicals and substances like petroleum RIGHT THERE!? I don’t think so! Schmidt’s has a number of {natural} scents to choose from, where as Doterra has only 1- either way, this is a positive change with options for men and women.