Need to make a switch...

[Soapmaker145]

have any of you tried a pit detox? while i wasn't sure i wanted to use bentonite clay in the post katie (wellness mama) has on doing a pit detox i did see buried in the comments someone suggested slathering some raw honey (it probably needs to be raw to work) on your pits, waiting 30 minutes or longer (i waited an hour) and then just wiping it off with warm water. it works! i honestly couldn't believe it but my whole level of odor is greatly reduced since doing the detox. i drink waaaay too much diet soda & i've heard soda can cause lots of odor. also, since the raw honey detox i no longer get these little dark red patches that looked like burned skin with the crystal rock deo.

The reason honey works is the same reason honey doesn't go bad on the shelf. The sugar concentration is so high that it desiccates the microorganisms that normally grow on the skin and cause problems. Plus you remove most of them with the sticky honey. The honey doesn't need to be raw.

If you don't have time to wait 30 minutes, just use rubbing alcohol. You can repeat the application in the middle of the day.

 

[Soapmaker145]

Just an update...since reading this, I decided to give M.O.M. a try, and I have to say, it's been working great. Not quite as convenient as a stick or roll on, and you do have to wait for it to dry, but it's been hot and muggy around here, and I just stuck my nose in my armpit and...nothin'! So far, no irritation either. Now, I'm looking for a little squeeze bottle to put it in, to make it a bit more convenient than trying to pour out just enough from the big bottle. So if you've been wanting to give it a try, and wondering if it really works, I'd say go for it.

Could you please update after you've been using it for a while. I looked up the ingredients in MOM and it's magnesium hydroxide (a base) and a low concentration of bleach. I'm looking for a new deodorant.

 

[TeresaT]

I think I would prefer to eat the raw honey. It would serve me well when my allergies decide to kick back up (local honey helps tremendously).

I agree. My coworker is a bee keeper and has the most amazing honey. The last time I bought from him, I got 50 pounds!! Yummy stuff.

The reason honey works is the same reason honey doesn't go bad on the shelf. The sugar concentration is so high that it desiccates the microorganisms that normally grow on the skin and cause problems. Plus you remove most of them with the sticky honey. The honey doesn't need to be raw.

If you don't have time to wait 30 minutes, just use rubbing alcohol. You can repeat the application in the middle of the day.

Oh, so that's how it works. That makes sense. I actually do use the rubbing alcohol thing. I've got a spray bottle of it and use it when I feel the need to freshen up.

Could you please update after you've been using it for a while. I looked up the ingredients in MOM and it's magnesium hydroxide (a base) and a low concentration of bleach. I'm looking for a new deodorant.

I think I'm going to buy a bottle of MOM and some cotton balls and try this over the weekend. I haven't checked the forecast for the weekend, but when I got in my car to go home yesterday, the temp read 102 degrees. (Unfortunately, my parking space is in direct sun in the afternoon; shady in am when I park, though.) By the time I got home, it was down to 89. But I do live on a mountain and it's always 5 to 7 degrees cooler up there than in the valley. If the MOM can keep me from stinking, I'd say it's a sure bet it will keep others from stinking, too. I'll let you know what happens.

 

[navigator9]

Could you please update after you've been using it for a while. I looked up the ingredients in MOM and it's magnesium hydroxide (a base) and a low concentration of bleach. I'm looking for a new deodorant.

Yes, I'll be happy to update in a while, but feel free to remind me if I forget. I did a lot of googling on the subject, and there seem to be some mild issues, but they seem to be less than any issues involving commercial deodorants out there. So I'm not going to worry about it. So far there is still no irritation whatsoever, like I experienced with my baking soda sensitivity in my homemade version. I notice no odor at all, and maybe it's my imagination, but I think my underarms are dryer than when I was using the crystal deodorant. I found a little squeeze bottle, and four drops per arm pit seems to do the trick, so a bottle of M.O.M. should last a really long time, and make it pretty cost effective to boot.
P.S. If you try it, be sure to shake it before using, it seems to settle a bit. At least my store brand version does.

 

[reflection]

I think I would prefer to eat the raw honey. It would serve me well when my allergies decide to kick back up (local honey helps tremendously).

oh, you only use a small amount so plenty left over to eat. yum.

The reason honey works is the same reason honey doesn't go bad on the shelf. The sugar concentration is so high that it desiccates the microorganisms that normally grow on the skin and cause problems. Plus you remove most of them with the sticky honey. The honey doesn't need to be raw.

If you don't have time to wait 30 minutes, just use rubbing alcohol. You can repeat the application in the middle of the day.

thanks for the more scientific explanation. i wasn't sure if regular honey would work, and i've even read that some are not pure honey but adulterated with high fructose corn syrup. raw honey should have the beneficial bacteria too since it isn't pasteurized so maybe that helps even more. also, the honey won't dry your skin out like alcohol can. i used it also for a face mask and my skin was so soft afterwards. i've used a deodorant with alcohol, weleda, but didn't have any long lasting odor reduction like with doing the raw honey detox. ymmv though.

 

[TeresaT]

I don't stink!! Seriously. I did a detox yesterday. I used bentonite and white kaolin clays (because I put too much water in the bentonite and had to thicken it up). I wasn't going to waste my honey on my armpits. I decided to risk not using deodorant today. After my shower, I dried really well so there was no water to grow the little bacteria and just tossed a little powder to make sure any residual moisture was absorbed. That was about 8:00. It's now 3:30 and I'm (almost) as fresh as this morning. I'm not sweating like a race horse (I thought I would be) and I don't stink like a herd of elephants (I REALLY thought I would be!). I'm sold on this detox thing. And, if you recall from my earlier post, I stink. I use commercial deodorant daily and I still stink. So, maybe it's the deodorant that is actually making me smell funky. Maybe it's doing the opposite of what it is supposed to be doing. I'm thinking of continuing the no-deodorant thing for at least a week to see how long the detox will work. I'm also thinking of making a "deodorant" with neem oil and tea tree essential oil. Both have anti-bacterial qualities. I just need to figure out what other EO to use with it to mask the smell somewhat that also has beneficial properties. I'm not really looking for a deodorant (something to mask body odor) as much as something to kill the odor causing bacteria without tearing up my skin or causing the mutant bacteria that antibiotics can cause.

ETA: I just used water with the clays. I didn't want to risk my skin to ACV. It was a good call. The clay was enough for me.

 

[reflection]

I don't stink!! Seriously. I did a detox yesterday. I used bentonite and white kaolin clays (because I put too much water in the bentonite and had to thicken it up).

that's awesome.

I decided to risk not using deodorant today. After my shower, I dried really well so there was no water to grow the little bacteria and just tossed a little powder to make sure any residual moisture was absorbed. That was about 8:00. It's now 3:30 and I'm (almost) as fresh as this morning. I'm not sweating like a race horse (I thought I would be) and I don't stink like a herd of elephants (I REALLY thought I would be!).

wow. i can't forgo deodorant. i wonder if the bentonite clay is a lot stronger than the honey. i wouldn't be surprised if it were. i'm thinking the results will probably be long lasting. i figure i can always do another honey detox if it decided to come back strongly.

So, maybe it's the deodorant that is actually making me smell funky. Maybe it's doing the opposite of what it is supposed to be doing.

i've never heard of that happening but who knows. since most people have never detoxed in this way it just may be we killed off an incredible amount of bacteria on our skin. from what i've read it is similar to when we eat a lot of processed foods, take antibiotics, etc. & how it affects our gut bacteria. i think it may be doing the same on our skin with the bad bacteria overtaking the good bacteria. that's the theory i've heard anyway.

I'm also thinking of making a "deodorant" with neem oil and tea tree essential oil. Both have anti-bacterial qualities. I just need to figure out what other EO to use with it to mask the smell somewhat that also has beneficial properties. I'm not really looking for a deodorant (something to mask body odor) as much as something to kill the odor causing bacteria without tearing up my skin or causing the mutant bacteria that antibiotics can cause.

i'm curious as to why you chose neem oil over a more common oil. i ask because i thought it has a strong, not too pleasant scent from what i've heard. coconut oil is both antibacterial & antifungal and if you like the smell (i just love it) it is a great choice for a deodorant. it seriously smells heavenly with lavender & tea tree.

mango butter is also both antibacterial & antifungal and from what others say it doesn't really have a scent so would make a good choice. refined oils (coconut) & butters (shea) are good too for no scent and having the antibacterial properties and skin-loving benefits.

for essential oils lavender is always a good choice. maybe someone else who knows more about them can recommend others good for deodorant. oh, lemongrass is good too for a deodorant i've heard. it's even listed as being a deodorant i'm seeing in addition to antibacterial & antifungal. eta: it can irritate some people's skin.

glad the detox worked for you.

 

[Arimara]

I've used bentonite clay with coconut oil. I loved it. It was the only time a homemade deodorant worked.

 

[TeresaT]

that's awesome.


wow. i can't forgo deodorant. i wonder if the bentonite clay is a lot stronger than the honey. i wouldn't be surprised if it were. i'm thinking the results will probably be long lasting. i figure i can always do another honey detox if it decided to come back strongly.

Apparently, it is. My pits hurt. I left it on a bit too long. Even if I wanted to use deodorant, I couldn't.

i've never heard of that happening but who knows. since most people have never detoxed in this way it just may be we killed off an incredible amount of bacteria on our skin. from what i've read it is similar to when we eat a lot of processed foods, take antibiotics, etc. & how it affects our gut bacteria. i think it may be doing the same on our skin with the bad bacteria overtaking the good bacteria. that's the theory i've heard anyway.

I was thinking of something similar. Most deodorants, from what I'm understanding, plug up the pores and block you from sweating. I would imagine it puts your body into stress and makes you pump out even more sweat to counteract the deodorant. Kind of like if you have oily skin and use astringent too often, it just makes the skin oilier. So, my theory is your body is trying to sweat more, but the pores are plugged up and can't flow freely to flush away the bacteria. So it's just adding more moisture for the bacteria to multiply. And stink.

i'm curious as to why you chose neem oil over a more common oil. i ask because i thought it has a strong, not too pleasant scent from what i've heard. coconut oil is both antibacterial & antifungal and if you like the smell (i just love it) it is a great choice for a deodorant. it seriously smells heavenly with lavender & tea tree.

I picked neem because I have it in the house and I know it has antibacterial qualities. Also, I don't think it smells that bad; not great, but not that bad, either. It's not as bad as some things I've smelled. Like Polo (Ralph Lauren) for example. That stuff gags me. So do Stargazer lilies, most bulbs (especially paper whites, which I love) and orchids. I'd rather smell like neem than Polo any day.

mango butter is also both antibacterial & antifungal and from what others say it doesn't really have a scent so would make a good choice. refined oils (coconut) & butters (shea) are good too for no scent and having the antibacterial properties and skin-loving benefits.

I have all three of these at home. However, mango butter stinks. It smells like petroleum or burned rubber to me. I had no idea they were antibacterial and antifungal. I'll have to re-visit the properties of each of these. I also have emu, karanja and a few other oils at home. I probably should look them up, too. I know karanja has antibacterial properties similar to neem. It's supposed to be neem without the smell. I made a batch of karanja and tea tree soap.

for essential oils lavender is always a good choice. maybe someone else who knows more about them can recommend others good for deodorant. oh, lemongrass is good too for a deodorant i've heard. it's even listed as being a deodorant i'm seeing in addition to antibacterial & antifungal. eta: it can irritate some people's skin.

I love lemongrass. And lavender. And chamomile and clove. I'll have to research those, as well.

glad the detox worked for you.

Thanks!! This is an adventure.

ETA: bolded my comments

 

[TeresaT]

I've used bentonite clay with coconut oil. I loved it. It was the only time a homemade deodorant worked.

Was it just bentonite clay and coconut oil? Do you have a recipe or can you direct me to where you found it? I'm thinking the bentonite would be a bit too strong for me. I left the clay on for about 30 minutes (I was folding clothes and watching Netflix) and my pits are a bit raw today. Then again, I "may" have scrubbed a bit too hard in the shower this morning, I don't have the softest wash cloths in the world.

 

[Arimara]

Was it just bentonite clay and coconut oil? Do you have a recipe or can you direct me to where you found it? I'm thinking the bentonite would be a bit too strong for me. I left the clay on for about 30 minutes (I was folding clothes and watching Netflix) and my pits are a bit raw today. Then again, I "may" have scrubbed a bit too hard in the shower this morning, I don't have the softest wash cloths in the world.

I had a whole lot of arrowroot and some baking soda as well. I can't recall the recipe exactly but I am trying to develop something both me and mine can use. Tom's of Maine has been quiting on me now but I do blame my attire.

 

[reflection]

Was it just bentonite clay and coconut oil? Do you have a recipe or can you direct me to where you found it? I'm thinking the bentonite would be a bit too strong for me. I left the clay on for about 30 minutes (I was folding clothes and watching Netflix) and my pits are a bit raw today. Then again, I "may" have scrubbed a bit too hard in the shower this morning, I don't have the softest wash cloths in the world.

here's one with bentonite clay & coconut oil: crunch betty's it doesn't have any baking soda either.

eta: i was going to reply to your long post but it didn't show up quoted when i hit reply. anyway, i was going to say i found using the essential oils really does make a difference. i didn't use enough at first in my recipe but later added more and it helped. i never really got to test this recipe out very well since i had a weird fragrance reaction to pretty much everything but here's my starting recipe if you want another with baking soda instead of bentonite clay.

1 1/2 T. unrefined coconut oil
1 T. arrowroot powder (cornstarch works too but some are sensitive to it)
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. beeswax
3 drops tea tree essential oil
3 drops lavender essential oil

i did find i had to use the pH balancer before each application.

pH balancer:

1 T. ACV
1 c. distilled water

mix in spray bottle & store in fridge no more than 2 weeks.

it is an adventure. i seem to have started on a similar adventure with eliminating hair products. oh boy!

forgot to ask, is your mango butter refined or is that rubber/petroleum smell from raw mango butter? i was really hoping to use mango butter as a sub for shea when i didn't want the shea smell to overpower coconut oil.

 

[Arimara]

I just made an attempt with zinc oxide in place of baking soda:

2 tsp Arrowroot Powder
1 tsp kaolin clay
1 tsp zinc oxide
1/4 tsp bentonite
7g rice bran oil (just trying it)
6g mango butter
5g shea butter
1g castor
1g vitamin E oil

I'm going to revamp this and simplify it but it's a start. So far, it feels nice. I used no EOs yet.

 

[TeresaT]

here's one with bentonite clay & coconut oil: crunch betty's it doesn't have any baking soda either.

eta: i was going to reply to your long post but it didn't show up quoted when i hit reply. anyway, i was going to say i found using the essential oils really does make a difference. i didn't use enough at first in my recipe but later added more and it helped. i never really got to test this recipe out very well since i had a weird fragrance reaction to pretty much everything but here's my starting recipe if you want another with baking soda instead of bentonite clay.

1 1/2 T. unrefined coconut oil
1 T. arrowroot powder (cornstarch works too but some are sensitive to it)
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. beeswax
3 drops tea tree essential oil
3 drops lavender essential oil

i did find i had to use the pH balancer before each application.

pH balancer:

1 T. ACV
1 c. distilled water

mix in spray bottle & store in fridge no more than 2 weeks.

it is an adventure. i seem to have started on a similar adventure with eliminating hair products. oh boy!

forgot to ask, is your mango butter refined or is that rubber/petroleum smell from raw mango butter? i was really hoping to use mango butter as a sub for shea when i didn't want the shea smell to overpower coconut oil.

Thanks for the recipe. I just looked at the MMS between the seller and me regarding the mango butter. I wrote "it smells like Crisco" and she said "refined mango does kind of have a light smell. It's been closed up let it air and it will diffuse." I had that convo April 23rd. I remember letting it air out for a few days. I've only used it once and it's been in the fridge (in a plastic bag) since then. If you want me to do a smell test on it when I'm at home, let me know and I will. I bought it from Misty Magic Supplies facebook group. I've had good experiences with all of the products and customer service is excellent. Since I've never had mango butter before, I have nothing to compare the smell to. When I run low, I'll order some from a different company and compare the two.

 

[cmzaha]

Coconut Oil is one of the oils that will stain clothing, PKO is not as staining. Castor Oil works quite well as a deodorant if you are determined to go with the oil type deodorants. I gave up on these types of deodorants 2 yrs ago since they became very irritating with even 1% baking soda, and ruined a couple of expensive Harley Shirts. Like IL I am trying to work on a gel stick type deodorant that is not all oils and butters

 

[TeresaT]

OK. Now I've totally gotten on the deodorant bandwagon and have been doing some research on the antimicrobial qualities of various stuff. I came across this article (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC88925/) and it is chock full of amazing info. Pay particular attention to Table 1, the "plants containing antimicrobial activity." Castor bean is one, so castor oil would be logical. Aloe Vera is another, so the use of aloe as a healing plant is understandable. Some of you may already know about the things on this list, but I was totally unaware of the majority of them. Fava beans have antibacterial qualities. Coriander and cilantro are antibacterial and antifungal. Lemon Balm has antiviral activity and Lemon Verbena has shown it will kill E Coli, M. tuberculosis and some other crap (I don't know what it is). Tumeric kills bacteria and protozoa (and who doesn't have protozoa swimming in their water?). Thyme and Tarragon are antivirals. SAY WHAT? Thyme and Tarragon are great on chicken. That's what I know about Thyme and Tarragon. I love me some tarragon chicken!!

I've got a list of 10 essential oils that were tested against 22 bacteria and 12 fungi. Lemongrass, eucalyptus, peppermint and orange oils were effective against all 22 bacteria. Aegle, citronella, geranium, lemongrass, orange , palmarosa and patchouli killed all of the fungi. (That one is here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8893526.)

I also found out that the major antimicrobial component of coconut oil is the lauric acid. When you take out the lauric acid, you have fractionated coconut oil. Which is fine for soap, but not much of anything else (from what I've read). If you look at the components of laurel berry oil, it is high in lauric acid. So is babbasu and a few others. I wondered if you can make a deodorant with lauric acid. So I checked for deodorants with lauric acid. And read a patent application (or something like that) from Colgate-Polmolive talking about their "invention" which contained a high (15%) amount of C14 triglycerides "such as lauric acid" (here: https://www.google.com/patents/WO2014088586A1?cl=en). Pay attention to paragraph 006 where it states that lauric acid has "antimicrobial properties toward axillary bacteria" (axillary is a fancy way of saying armpit).

So, based on all of this fun info gathering, I'm going to try to make a deodorant based on lauric acid, essential oils and a carrier oil for them, maybe babassu since it is hard at room temp and has about 50% lauric acid (like coconut) but doesn't have an odor like coconut does. I also have emu and argan oils at home. I want to use something that will absorb well into my skin, but still leave some type of protective barrier behind. I might add some thing else to make it less greasy. Since I already have kaolin clay at home, I might try that. Today is day four with no deodorant and I still smell fine. My shirt, however, not so much. I'm going to have to create some washable pit pads to insert into the arm pits of my shirts if I continue to go without deodorant. I haven't noticed any excessive sweating. My shirt is actually dry, just a little smelly if you stick your face in my axillary areas.

I better get back to work.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

That is really helpful, so much I hadn't even considered.

Even if certain ones aren't overly effective, combining some of them (lemon and thyme go well on chicken, maybe lemon verbena and thyme for the ax area?) would result is a non irritating but effective deo?

 

[TeresaT]

That is really helpful, so much I hadn't even considered.

Even if certain ones aren't overly effective, combining some of them (lemon and thyme go well on chicken, maybe lemon verbena and thyme for the ax area?) would result is a non irritating but effective deo?

Exactly!! That's what I'm thinking. Playing with combos to find one that works. And, does the carrier oil play much (any) part in the efficacy of the essential oil's ability to be antimicrobial.

 

[Arimara]

That was interesting. Too bad I used up my babassu. My current concoction is working ever so slowly since I don't stink today like I did yesterday. I'm still a little musty though. The good news is that I can probably use this through my birthday before starting all over again.

Congrats, Teresa, you gave me a good reason to buy babassu again (besides having a luxury soap)

 

[TeresaT]

That was interesting. Too bad I used up my babassu. My current concoction is working ever so slowly since I don't stink today like I did yesterday. I'm still a little musty though. The good news is that I can probably use this through my birthday before starting all over again.

Congrats, Teresa, you gave me a good reason to buy babassu again (besides having a luxury soap)

Glad to help you spend your money!