No Deo No B.O. Challenge

I was a big Dove deodorant girl for a large part of my life. It smelled nice and it did a pretty good job. I had heard theories linking the aluminum in deodorant to breast cancer, but it was right up there with Diet Coke and processed foods and all that good stuff that you know isn't exactly good for you but you just put on your blinders and hope for the best. One thing I always hated about it was that it got on my shirts, despite saying it wouldn't.

When I got pregnant, though, I decided to forego the Dove deo and try a more natural kind. I went with the Crystal roll-on, because it seemed to be completely natural - just a bunch of salt minerals in water, it's endorsed by the cancer research centers, it's easy to use and doesn't get on your clothes, and it was cheap (only $3.99 for a bottle). The idea is that the salt creates a barrier on your pit and makes it inhospitable place for the stinky bacteria to grow. It did an amazing job throughout my pregnancy. I never stunk. This stuff was great! But after pushing out baby, my hormones went all whacko and I became a resident of Stink City. I wasn't about to go back to the chemical and aluminum laden deodorant, especially since that goes on so close to the mammaries which are feeding my little one throughout the day and night!

My husband and most Asians I know don't need deo. Apparently Asians have less (some have none!) of the glands that produce the stinky sweat. During this trip home to visit my parents, my mom announced that she and my sister haven't been using any kind of deodorant for quite some time. Whaaaaaaaaaat??? No deodorant?? It is so deeply engrained in my head since puberty that we need this stuff. But, hey, I'm home. If I'm gonna try to go without deo, what better place??

And you know what? Turns out, maybe I don't really need it most of the time!! I haven't used deo for the past week, and I'm finding if I give my pits a good soap and water cleaning every morning there is really no B.O. Yes, you still sweat. But it's the growth of bacteria that stink (well, could be your diet as well, maybe if you're eating tons of meat?), so if you keep it clean there's no need for all the chemicals!  By the end of the day, if you get your nose right in there, you can smell a little something brewing, but it's totally not enough to warrant use of deo. Also nothing a quick once over with a wet washcloth (or a swab with the baby wipes if you're out and about) won't fix!

As the summer gets hotter and more humid, I'll really get to test this out big time. And my mommy friends, please tell me if I'm getting offensively stinky!! Yikes! I don't want to be THAT GIRL!!

So, I challenge all of you to try going a day or two without your deodorant. If you're nervous, pick a day that you'll just be around the house. If you find you need more BO suppressant when you're out all day at the beach, or have a heavy workout, by all means - go for the deo! But maybe you'll find you don't actually need it on less active days, or maybe at all!! If you accept my challenge, please let me know your results!! ^_^