Ooh That Smell: Natural Deodorant and Other Funky News 😝

With all sincerity, I hope you catch my drift and it smells like vodka

3-4 min read

A ‘GRAM OF PREVENTION 

In “it’s about damn time” news, the recommended age for breast cancer screening has just been updated from age 50 to 40 for all women with average risk factors, at long last. However, the recommendation is still for biennial scans, which sadly is still not frequent enough.  I know I’m not alone in having loved ones with cases of cancer that developed in between annual screenings, let alone every two years.  But it’s a start. This is an area of medicine that is ripe for overhaul, so for now the onus is on women to be proactive about our own preventative measures, even if that means paying a little extra for peace of mind. If your insurance covers it, don’t wait- just do it.  If your insurance doesn’t cover it, think about doing it anyway or consider complementary options that can help early detection of abnormalities, like medical thermography.  I do this heat scan every year and the extra layer of comfort it provides is worth every penny. If you are 40 or over, don’t be a boob, get screened.

SCENTS AND SENSIBILITY

Speaking of boobs, if you’ve been paying attention, you know that endocrine disrupting chemicals can be a major factor contributing to certain cancers, including breast. And many of them are hiding in plain sight. Or scent, as the case may be. Synthetic fragrance is a major culprit here, and the problem is proliferating due to the complete lack of regulations that the USA imposes on our manufacturers. Examples:

• The word “parfum” or “fragrance” on an ingredient label for detergent, soap, candles and yes, PERFUME can mean up to 3500 types of chemicals are included that are neither tested for safety nor have to be disclosed. Ew.

• A likely carcinogenic dry cleaning chemical known as perc, that lingers on your clothing and can then vaporize into the air in your home, and at low levels it can cause respiratory inflammations and headaches. This is a biggie. Once you know, it’s hard to put that toothpaste back in the tube.

• However, re: natural/aluminum-free deodorant: few of them work, most of them suck, and recent research has largely debunked the claim that antiperspirant (whose key ingredient is aluminum) poses a health risk, refuting much of what the natural brands say. But it’s still an added chemical that many folks prefer to avoid. My $0.02: something that completely blocks sweat feels suspect, as sweating is a major way our body eliminates waste.  But I fully empathize with heavy sweaters who can’t go a few hours without ruining nice fabrics, and if something out there helps to mitigate that, then by all means, do what works for you. 

What’s the moral? Do your homework and decide if you want to shop the alternatives, of which thankfully, there are MANY. (Paid subscribers will get my picks ahead)

HERE’S A TIP, MAKE THE CHANGE

A dirty lil’ secret from the costume mistresses of Broadway and the ballet. Those ornate, frilly costumes are not exactly machine washable and if you think ballerina sweat smells like sugar plums, you are off your nutcracker. Enter vodka! When there’s no time (or desire, ahem) for dry cleaning and you want to de-funk and sanitize your clothing without toxic chemicals, a spray bottle of vodka will do the trick every time.

Do not throw away your shot- use it to make your clothes smell better. Work!

Don’t be a stinker—consider upgrading to a paid subscription for extra tips, joy bombs, and to support my work! Mother’s Day gift ideas ahead…

PIT BOSS

Deodorant is ultimately a personal choice.  While I’d prefer to skip the aluminum, I have tried literally dozens of the clean variety, from $4 drugstore options to department store fancypants at over 20 bucks a pop, and while some of them kept me smelling ok where others failed completely, none of them worked as promised to stay fresh and comfortably un-damp. EXCEPT FOR THIS ONE I FOUND ON AMAZON AND OMIGOD I CAN’T BELIEVE HOW WELL IT WORKS. So I’m sharing it with you, along with my favorite clean perfumes: