Heat and sweaty pits go hand in hand. And that’s a good thing. Be grateful for that stellar built in cooling system.

The problem is when body odor gets out of control. Slapping on some antiperspirant deodorant seems like the simple solution. Unfortunately, your favorite musk mask may be damaging your brain. Here’s why.

#1. Sweating is good for you.

Toxic build up damages the brain short term (e.g. brain fog, headaches, depression) and long term (e.g. memory loss). The skin is a huge detox organ and when you sweat, you dump toxins.

Hence the healthier you are, the less you will stink. Having said that, even the healthiest among us will have a low level of body odor so I’ll give you some odor elimination solutions later. Stay tuned!

So what waste causes you to stink?

• A Clogged Gut: If you pipes are backed up, your body will look for another route to dump waste. Some of those toxins get sent to your pits and an intense smell ensues.
  
  
• Stress Hormones: When the stress hormone cortisol kicks in, it often leaves a rough scent in its wake.
  
  Furthermore, when the body is stressed, detoxification gets shut down temporarily. It does this so that all hands can be on deck for dealing with the stressful issue. Detoxing isn’t a priority in a (physical or mental) fight or flight situation.
  
  In conclusion, the more stressed you are, the smellier you will be.
  
  
• Toxic Input: An unhealthy diet packed with artificial ingredients and bad fats is toxic to the body and clogs up your detox organs, such as your liver.
  
  Exposure to harmful chemicals, including those in many personal care products, cigarette smoke, harsh household cleaners, and pesticides (just to name a few), places a toxic burden on the body. It has to filter that waste out. Your pits are an exit.
  
  
• Poor Hygiene: You’ve got this one.
  

#2. Most deodorants are packed with unhealthy ingredients, like aluminum.

Why does that matter if it’s just on your skin?

It was once thought that the skin was an impenetrable barrier. That is not the case. The skin is extremely porous, and the majority of products that touch the skin enter the bloodstream.

Consequently, transdermal drugs have become increasingly popular. These drugs do not have to be processed and filtered by the liver like conventional pill medication, making them a faster and more efficient way to get medication into the bloodstream.

Edible Deodorant

When looking at the ingredients of my personal care products, I strive to use products with only natural ingredients that technically I could eat for two reasons.

1. The body is essentially eating what is put on the skin.

2. My mischievous toddler has literally eaten my (natural) deodorant. We didn’t have to call poison control. Crunchy mom win.

Ingredient Overwhelm

It can be difficult to read labels and attempt to determine a deodorant’s toxicity level. Fortunately, there is a site that will do the work for you. Environmental Working Group (EWG) has a free, online product database that rates the toxicity level. You can research your products at ewg.org/skindeep. Here is their list of toxin free deodorants.

But Do They Work?

Some natural deodorants are great and others simply stink.

Here are 3 simple deodorant options for you that actually work:

1. Stinkbug Naturals: Their products have great ingredients!

2. DIY D.O. for your B.O.: This has worked the best for me. Don’t get overwhelmed. This literally takes 5 minutes to make.

Ingredients:

• 6 Tbsp. coconut oil
• ¼ cup baking soda
• ¼ cup arrowroot flour (you can find at many grocery stores) or organic corn starch
• 5 drops of tea tree oil (optional)

Directions:

• Mix baking soda and arrowroot/ corn starch in a bowl.
• Mash in coconut oil with a fork. Mix well.
• Add tea tree oil (optional).
• Place in small glass jar & put on your armpits as needed.

3. Simple DIY Version: Want something even easier? Just combine a coin sized amount of coconut oil and baking soda in your hands and put it on your pits.

Action Steps

In addition to replacing your deodorant, implement the following to reduce your odor. Your brain, body, co-workers, and loved ones will benefit.

• Improve your digestion. If you need some support, click here to schedule a 15 minute free meet and greet consultation with me. After that, if you’re a fan of my approach, you can move forward with a consultation package to get your gut in gear.
  
  
• Work to reduce stress and increase true, tech-free relaxation time each day.
  
  
• Hydrate! Make sure to drink lots of water to help your body flush out toxins through your digestive tract and via your skin.
  
  
• Make it a goal to sweat every day. Exercise, sunbathe, and or use a sauna to help your body dump excess toxins via sweat.

• Reduce toxins by cleaning up your diet and decreasing environmental toxins.