Unless you are extremely lucky, on several occasions you have found yourself with unwanted underarm sweat—and the resulting stink that accompanies it.
Like many people who prefer not to walk around feeling damp and malodorous, you’ve probably been using either deodorants or antiperspirants to help quell this minor yet embarrassing inconvenience.
Thankfully grocery store and convenience stores carry a wide array of smell reducing deodorants and antiperspirants to choose from. If you’ve been paying attention you’ll notice that a fair number of these products are now emblazoned with the phrase: “Aluminum-free.”
Immediately two main questions may spring into your head:
1. Why would there be aluminum in my deodorant in the first place, and
2. Is it really a big deal if there is?
As it turns out, the answer to these questions can be found by asking yet another. That is:
Can wearing aluminum-containing deodorant actually harm my body?
The Case against Aluminum-Containing Antiperspirants
Past studies performed on rats and rabbits have suggested a possible link between aluminum and Alzheimer’s disease, one of the leading causes of both dementia and mortality in older adults. One of the studies showed Alzheimer’s patients had high levels of aluminum in their brains. This has led many to worry about exposure to aluminum in everyday products such as pot and pans, soda cans and antiperspirant.
Why is aluminum in your deodorant in the first place? Turns out manufacturers have figured out that aluminum compounds prevent excessive sweat and stink by temporarily blocking axillary sweat gland ducts, which helps keep the moistness and odor at a minimum.
The Real Reason You Stink
In a sick twist of fate piling on the antiperspirant to cover up that terrible armpit sweat and smell may actually be making things worse. Your underarms are designed to sweat for the purposes of thermoregulation and detoxification. If you prevent your body from being able to do this, this will encourage your body to produce even more odorous sweat, which will increase your need for antiperspirant.
It’s a vicious cycle.
Also, what you eat has a strong impact on how smelly your armpits are. Remember, your armpits are designed to sweat, but they aren’t supposed to release a horrible odor. If they do, it’s an indication that there is something in your body that shouldn’t be there; namely the toxic chemicals in junk food.
Deodorize Your Body from the Inside Out
Treating your body odor from the outside in with deodorants, and perfumes may mask the odor temporarily but it harms your health and does nothing to address the underlying cause of the condition.
Instead, try getting to the source of the problem by deodorizing your body from the inside out.
First, slowly wean off the junk food. The more toxins your body has to try to eliminate, the worse you’re going to smell. A clean, whole food diet filled with organic vegetables, fruits, beans, legumes, poultry, and fish gives your body the nourishment it needs instead of just filling your gut.
Second, fight foul smelling sweat with odor-eliminating foods such as parsley, decaffeinated green tea (caffeine makes you sweat more), celery, and aromatic herbs such as sage, rosemary, thyme, lavender, and mint.
Natural Alternatives to Chemical Scents
You can still smell great without resorting to the use of chemical scents. Essential oils are plant-based oils that can be used with carrier oil such as jojoba oil and a bit of alcohol to make your own perfume. Lavender, jasmine, orange, geranium, rose, and sandalwood are just a few examples of the oils you can use to improve your own natural scent without toxins.
Don’t let slick advertising campaigns force you to waste money on a bunch of chemical-laden deodorants, antiperspirants, and sprays. You don’t need them. When you treat your body odor from the inside out and use natural scents instead of chemicals, you’ll live a healthier, more environmentally-conscious life.
~ Health Scams Exposed
