Yes, you read that right, I’ve stopped wearing deodorant. For the most part anyways. You may be wondering why I think my pits are any of your business? I’ll explain so keep reading.
Okay…
I’ve been on this ‘eliminate toxins in my life’ kick. Well maybe ‘kick’ is a stretch. I’m just starting with it, but it’s been on my mind for about a year. Does that count? Anyways, after some thinking and conversations with a few special women who swear by their all-natural ways, I decided to give it a whirl. In addition to the health benefits, I was really excited to stop and take a pause to better understand my body and needs.
Afterall, I’ve been wearing deodorant for 25 or so years. I usually shower twice a day (thanks to Florida sun & sweat) and always swipe deodorant on after every shower, even if I’m not going out and am just going to bed. That’s at least 18,200 swipes of deodorant.
When it came time to nix the deodorant, I got curious:
Why do I use so much deodorant? Is this just a habit of mine or is my usage needed? Do I really need it? Do I smell that bad and sweat that much? What does my BO smell like without deodorant?
One of those all-natural women I spoke about earlier told me that for the first few weeks after stopping to use deodorant, your body may go a bit haywire. After a few weeks, it evens out.
She was right.
The first two weeks I was reminded of my angsty pre-teen years. Basically, pungent pits is the best way to explain the smell. Sour. And intense. But I didn’t notice I sweat more than I usually did.
When I knew I was smelling really bad, I wiped my pits off in the bathroom and kept true to my hippie vibes by dabbing a few drops of patchouli under my arms (for the sake of my family, friends, and clients, I hoped it worked. If I was just fooling myself, consider this my formal apology).
After about two weeks more-or-less without deodorant, the smell wasn’t nearly as strong or bitter as it had initially been. Think: less “What’s that molding in the back of the fridge?!” and more, “These bananas have some brown spots… they’re still good, right?” And to this day, I still haven’t seen changes to my sweat patterns.
Since starting this experiment, I’m now wearing deodorant about 4 times a week (I put it on in the morning if I am leaving the house. You’re welcome).
So what’s the point? Well, of course I’d think it was wonderful if you reconsidered what toxins you’re putting in your body, but I view my pungent pit story deeper than that.
As the year opens up for you, what can you reconsider? What can you get curious about? What experiments for a better way of life can you create for yourself? What habits can you challenge and unlearn if needed?
Join me in spreading my messages of breaking judgement habits and strengthening intuition even further: forward this blog to a few family members and friends. The greater the shares, the greater the impact – They can subscribe here.
Sincerely,
Danielle
PS – Here’s an affirmation to remind you that you’re in control of how you understand yourself and the world, “I have the power to learn, unlearn and relearn.”
PPS – We do lots of things throughout the day that we don’t realize are habits. Take one day to focus on what you do routinely without a second thought. Write them down. Is there a small change you could make to that routine to make it more beneficial to you? Maybe it’s drinking more water, or spending less time on social media. Whatever it may be, try it out and see if it makes a positive difference for you.
