disclaimer: Although I use some research to back up my points, this is totally my opinion.
Everyone has a pit smell. After all, it's where our apocrine sweat glands are, which contain bacteria that breaks down sweat. The process is a little smelly. But normal pit odor is, well, normal. We shouldn't be embarrassed by it, everyone HAS to sweat. But a few years ago I opened my clothes dryer and was overwhelmed by the scent of body odor. I thought I had forgotten to add detergent to my washer load. I re-washed the load but it didn't really do anything. The next load was the same. And then a few days later, same thing. I thought, holy crap, my sweat is so gross that it's staining my clothes. But I really didn't know what to do about it, except buy new clothes and change my antiperspirant.
And then it progressed in the worst way. I couldnt get the yucky body stench off my body. I'd shower and I'd loofah and loofah until my skin was red, get out of the shower and sniff my pits. STILL SMELLY!! What the holy hell was wrong with me, I'd wonder. I mean, my Reasons Why Sarah Is Totally Gross List that I keep in the back of my mind for times when I really want to kick myself into the gutter is already long enough. Now I have to add "So Stinky Even Antiperspirant Can't Help You, ha ha ha ha ha!! Gross" to the list.
It was a cross I bore quietly for about a year until, like any normal person, I googled my disorder in hopes of a self diagnoses I could live with.
And there, on the internet, I found the truth. And I got really pissed off.
Now, humans have been sweating, let's say...forever. Humans have been embarrassed by sweat for...let's say....forever. Okay, not forever, but I have a feeling that the very first time a human was embarrassed, it was from body odor. Possibly, it was for not having enough body odor (mmm.....hormones), but odor, nonetheless. And us humans have been altering the way we smell for thousands of years. Apparently, Ancient Egyptians started the trend of applying spices directly to their pits to de-odorize them and eventually the Greeks and Romans caught on. (everythingIreadontheinternetistrue)
However, antiperspirants did not really come about until the good old 1800's. Antiperspirants were being used by surgeons to keep their hands from being sweaty during surgery but manufactuerers wanted to make their product more attractive to the public. However, Victorian society was not sold on antiperspirant. Why? Because the active ingredient in antiperspirant was (and still is) aluminum, which was stabilized through an acid-based process often resulting in acid remaining in the products, thereby causing said product to eat away at clothing and cause skin rash.
So, antiperspirants seemed unnecessary and dangerous to Victorians. Then, this marketing genius managed to convince Victorian females that their body odor was totally embarrassing and making them fail at love and life. His self-esteem crushing marketing technique was so good that other companies followed suit and eventually even preyed on jobless depression-era men into considering their chances at financial stability were directly related to their body odor, or lack thereof. (Isummarizelikearockstar)
And, of course, why screw with a good thing? It's the same marketing technique used today. We don't need antiperspirant, we NEED to sweat, but someone we don't even know is making us feel bad about ourselves. And making money off it.
So, back to my rank pits. Was I becoming immune to my antiperspirant? Is it a fact that your body can become immune to antiperspirants? No, I have found no reputable study confirming this. However, think about this: how often do you buy a specific brand you love and when it comes time to replace said brand, it says "reformulated!" or "new technology". OR, you FINALLY find a scent you like (Crisp Cucumber? I think I totally want to smell like that) and you go to replace it only to find it has been discontinued and replaced with a "reformulated" antiperspirant with a totally new set of scents? (What the hell is Pearl Finish?) Like, EVERY time you buy a new stick, right? RIGHT??? How often does a company really need to reformulate something?? Especially if it works. Hmmm, could this be how they keep your body from becoming immune?
It could also work this way: you feel like your antiperspirant isn't working that great and are about to look at other brands, but you notice that Secret has COMPLETELY REFORMULATED it's deodorant to be extra-special strength in the same powdery whatever scent (or, you know, manly scent) you prefer, so you get it and it magically WORKS GREAT!! They managed to switch you up before your body starts to become "immune".
But then, maybe you, like me, start having some problems. Like when you don't use it one day, your body odor is extra smelly. And you can't get your newly reformulated stink smell out of your clothes or off your damn body. Why?? Because you're SOOO gross.
No, no. Because the chemicals in the antiperspirant are reacting to the chemicals in your body and creating a reaction that stains your clothes. Yes, the chemicals in your antiperspirant are staining your clothes. This is a fact. (that I didn't source an actual scientific paper to back up)
IN FACT, some studies found that stain pre-treatments actually CEMENT in the stains instead of remove them. This study came out about 2010, right when antiperspirant manufacturers came out with CLINICAL STRENGTH products. PRESCRIPTION STRENGTH products. It's as if their response to "why is your product making me and my clothes smell worse?" was "Wow, you got some FUNK, what you need is MORE chemicals."
Right?
Sooooooooooooooooooooooo???? All this conjecture, Sarah! Get to the part where you quit using antiperspirant!!!
I made the switch six weeks ago. Four days in, I started to notice the really bad body odor smell I had been dealing with for years started to go away and about a week later it disappeared completely.
It also took about a week for my body to go through "detox." I don't know if it's really a "detox" but I started sweating a LOT more and I started to get a little pungent again, however, this new natural smell was nowhere near as bad as the old smell. And it lessened over time.
Some days I don't even wear deodorant.
And now, six weeks in, I get a little stenchy, but at appropriate times, like the morning after the day I didn't wear deodorant. And it washes off. Completely. Again, the aroma is in no way offensive or excessive. In fact, I like my new natural smelly me. It's better than super gross chemical body stain me.
This was a very successful transition for me. The only thing I sort of didn't expect (and I don't know why, duh.) is that I had to get used to sweating more. Because hey, I was sweating more. Naturally.
Added benefit: Many of my clothes stopped stinking and the new clothes I have purchased since switching smell like my detergent. No more body odor blasting my face when I open the clothes dryer.
So for years I thought I was gross but it was really that antiperspirant is gross. Antiperspirant was really the culprit but antiperspirant companies made me think I was the foul one.
And that is why I hate them all. And I'll never use antiperspirant again.
These are my fave natural deodorants:
Nourish Organics: This brand uses corn starch as its sweat absorbing ingredient and coconut oil as its moisturizer. My pits love it. Lasts about six to eight hours but I must reapply after a run, if I care how I smell after. And let's face it, I'm totally in love with my new natural stink so sometimes I don't.
Schmidt's: This product uses baking soda as its absorbing ingredient. It is a bit drying and I'm very *sensitive* so I can't use it regularly but I am freaking in love with the bergamot and lime scent. I found this product wears the longest of the four deodorants I tried- I can wear it for about eight to ten hours and run 5 miles and still smell like bergamot and lime. I wish I smelled like bergamot and lime everyday. (I'm probably smelling the jar right now....bergamot....and lime....sooo good...)
-side note- I know some people use deodorants to avoid the aluminum in antiperspirant, which may or may not be linked to diseases like Alzheimer's and cancers. The jury is still out and I changed deodorant because I believe the ingredients, including aluminum, made me smell worse, not better. Having said that, I don't see anything wrong with believing that inhibiting natural body functions may have consequences. It just wasn't my point. So don't put in the comments that I skipped it over.
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