What is our aversion to the smell of humanity? Ok, I admit that I don't like when someone's body odor is overwhelming. But do we need to smell like some kind of perfumed, fake flower?
If you look around, most stores sell the deodorant crystal, which I have used for years. The key to it is to put it on right after a shower, and every morning so you can prevent any smells. It makes you smell like nothing, and I have noticed that I've become extremely sensitive to manufactured smells. It's almost like now my nose has grown accustomed to the natural human smell (which doesn't stink) and the fake smells make me sick. So why do we do this?
I learned today that body odor doesn't have a smell. It's the bacteria from the warm, moist environment that does it. To combat this, the first deodorant came out in 1888, called Mum. It was mostly alcohol, which actually makes you sweat more but also kills bacteria. Later antiperspirants were developed which stop you from sweating, and are classified as a drug. Unfortunately, the aluminum that stops you from sweating is also a neurotoxin.
So, we would rather slather a neurotoxin on our armpits, than smell a little bit like a human. How does this happen? Probably because of sexist ads like this one...
Isn't that special? If you want to smell better naturally, I highly recommend deodorant crystals, but there are some common sense tips as well:
1. Shower every day.
2. Wear looser clothes of natural materials.
3. You can avoid strong foods like garlic but they are so good for you I don't think it's worth it.
4. Have a sauna now and then to sweat toxins out of your body.
5. Take a zinc supplement, which can only boost your immune system too. Or eat pumpkin seeds, beans and other legumes.
Coming Next Year!
Could not agree more.
I have been using Tom's of Maine natural unscented deodorant for years.
I just wish someone could figure out a natural antiperspirant.
Remember: Aluminum = Alzheimer's
Smell is so intimate. Humans are so funny about smells. I have a good nose (I think), I like the intimacy of smell.
I'm also extremely allergic to artifical smells to the point where my hubby was spraying his deoderant in the backyard and I was still sneezing! It was either me or the deoderant so he switched.
There are so many natural alternatives now if you don't like the crystal, like bicarb, aloe vera, vinegar, natural essential oils.
Melissa
We spent the afternoon at the Port Theater yesterday and I was lucky enough to sit directly behind a man who was swathed in some kind of deodorant/after shave/cologne thing. After awhile, my sense of smell was numb, not only could I not smell his product anymore, I couldn't smell anything! And I got a bonus headache for the rest of the day, to boot. Why don't people realize that in close quarters it's just not a great idea to use this stuff? Oh, I know why, because their sense of smell is totally dead from using it everyday, kind of like a smoker, so they don't even know how strong it is to others!
I have alternately used the crystal and Tom's of Main for as long as I can remember. They do the job just fine.
It's very unlikely that anyone would air a commercial like that now a days. And if they did, they'd have everyone on their backs.
Another crystal user/lover here... People always talk about avoiding garlic, onions, etc to cut down on body odor, but personally I never notice that these affect the way I smell. What does, rather, is meat. I eat very little of it, but when I do, I can tell a HUGE difference in the way everything about me smells. Kinda yucky.