The Deodorant Diaries

It’s beautiful in NYC this time of year. Central Park is lush and green after some recent rain, it’s finally warming up and with that many of us are coming to the realization that our deodorant may not be cutting it. I recently ran into my friend Julie who had just purchased a new natural deodorant and a conversation ensued about the effectiveness of these products. Julie is really funny and one of those people everyone falls in love with. I asked her to test drive a few products and report back. I wanted to know if it is possible to be natural and odor free. Here is Julie’s Deodorant Diary.

Julie and I (with elderflower martinis) at my jewelry party, she smelled great.

Over the past few years, I have been a faithful Foodtrainers blog reader. I can’t tell you how many times I have connected with the advice offered here. I am digging my E3 LIVE shot and, as of Mother’s Day, I am now the proud owner of my first juicer. Lauren is a dear friend who has helped me tackle major food issues. I now exercise regularly and really try to put good things in and on my body, so I am excited to share my quest for a natural deodorant here.

This subject is along the same lines as poop, sorry if you are squirming. About a year ago, I noticed that my current deodorant clearly wasn’t cutting it. Whether in a business meeting, social situation or an intimate setting, whenever I would get a good whiff of my underarm BAM it would hit me that something didn’t smell good, sadly that something was me. I am extremely picky about hygiene so for this to be happening to me was a challenge I was not going to back down from. 

First, I started with every toxic brand you can think of.  For the money I spent on this venture, I could be walking around with a fabulous handbag.  I tried Degree, Kiehls, Dove, Secret “Clinical Formula”, Mitchum and the list goes on. Aside from being ineffective, I realized how horrible these were for me ingredient-wise.  To add insult to odor, deodorant residue was on my clothes and I itched constantly; I didn’t even realize I was scratching myself at inappropriate times. My trips to Duane Reade were almost daily and the garbage filled with nasty brands and then my husband switched from a toxic deodorant to an au naturel one. He would say “why are you putting a death trap under your arms?” I don’t always listen to him but, out of desperation, this time I did.

LAVANILA Laboratories 

 I was so excited to find this brand. I read about it and learned it was good for me.  It has no Parabens, Sulfates, Synthetic Dyes, or Phthalates. It's also aluminum free (Lauren informed me aluminum in antiperspirants  has potential links to both breast cancer and Alzheimer's). I dragged my 10-year-old daughter to Sephora and ended up with The Pure Vanilla/Lavender Scent. I’ve always been the person who wears something new out of the store but decided to wait to get home. Sure enough, we ran into Lauren and her boys across the street at Whole Foods. I shared my recent find and even whipped it out of my bag and said, “ smell it”.  Good friends can do these things.

The next day, I woke up and applied Lavanila before my Fly Wheel spin class.

It has a creamy texture, goes on easily and smells fresh. I came out of the class drenched. As I walked to Fairway, when no one was looking, I did the QWAPIT (Quick Whiff Armpit Inhale Test). Directions: head to the left, raise left arm ever so slightly so no one notices and inhale.  All things considered, I smelled quite delicious. I was in love with Lavanila. Our affair lasted for about a week and was great, no itching or scratching, and my clothes were thrilled not to have deo-hickies on them. But it was time to move on and see if there were other non-smelly fish in the deodorant sea.

Crystal Deodorant by Swanson. 

This selection awoke my inner hippy.  The description reads, “Crystal Body Deodorant is made of 100% natural mineral salts which eliminate odor. It is fragrance free, non-staining, leaves no white residue and can be used by both men and women.” The directions say wet it before use. I wet the crystal and tried to apply it but the crystal dried out as I rolled it on. It felt as though I was rubbing a stone on my armpit. I wet it again and attempted the other side. There’s no girly, fresh smell. Undeterred, I went to work and didn’t notice any overpowering odor or itching.  That night, I had my annual mammogram. The nice technician put me in position and then it hit me.  I said to myself that can’t be me who smells like this; I did the QWAPIT and was mortified. My inner hippy had become an outer hippy and clearly this one is not for me. Dumped.

Origins Totally Pure Deodorant

This is Certified Organic and there is a list of ingredients that are all recognizable. I decided to try it on a date night.  I rushed to get dressed, took the cap off and sprayed away.  I did the QWAPIT and was overwhelmed by the smell; I emailed Lauren that I smelled like a Christmas tree. The smell is Origin-y, this is not a “50 Shades” sexy scent.  I put on a silk blouse; silk is a fabric sure to test any deodorant. I will tell you that this works for body odor because the smell of the product is so overpowering that it would mask anything.  It was good but we just weren’t right for each other. This one is going to my husband.

For my last test, I bought Weleda Wild Rose Deodorant.  

I found it at Ricky’s lined up next to all my other flings. This is a pump spray that was hard to get used to and position correctly. I felt like I was spraying perfume under my arms. On my first QWAPIT, I was transported to the rose garden my Granny had in her back yard in St Simons Island, GA so I already had a sentimental connection to this spray (funny how scent can do that). The rose scent dissipated and I didn’t have BO or any overly rosey odor. This scent felt feminine and was one that I will definitely continue to use. I just packed it in my suitcase for a business trip.

If I had to rank my test results, it would pan out this way…

1. Lavanila Laboritories –first overall for texture, scent and staying power.
2. Weleda Rose Spray – a very close second.
3. Origins Totally Pure Deodorant – scent is personal and this worked just not for me.
4. Crystal Deodorant by Swanson --- YUCK!

For now, I am satisfied with my case study and I have two options that will keep me happy on all fronts. Until we meet again to tackle another fun challenge, keep up the QWAPIT! You can be natural and odor free. -Julie
Ever failed a QWAPIT? Do you use natural deodorant? Which brand?

I am not this person.

In a massive case of Spring-cleaningitis, I initiated a major kitchen purge. Dishes, serving trays, pantry contents and spices were removed from their homes so that I could decide what stayed and what went. What stuck me most, other than the fact that most people probably don’t have 15 varieties of salt and 4 types of cinnamon, was the items in my possession that do not reflect my style or who I am;  the majority of these things were acquired from my bridal registry.  I’ve always had simple, modern taste but I guess at 23 (yikes) when I got married I assumed that you have kids and you learn to like fussy crystal. It hasn’t happened yet and I can say with conviction, it never will. And then last week, my son had a sleepover with a couple of friends. In my head, I want to be the mom who can have a million kids over messing everything up without me batting an eye or in my case raising her voice. I do love guests but I’m way too anal to roll with all the punches. It’s just not who I am. I will have you over, feed you well but it’s all planned out and when things don’t go as anticipated, watch out.

So the question is, do we “know thyself” for who we are, in my case impatient and anti-crystal, or do we try to nudge ourselves in a different direction? These are insignificant examples but I confront food-related versions of this with clients all the time. If someone tells me they hate exercise, I’ll often suggest a nonthreatening amount to embark on but an incident with a friend made me rethink things.

Marc and I were at an event last Wednesday.  During dinner, someone we know really well sat down with us. This woman is thin, beautiful and always put together but we’ve never talked nutrition in the 18 years I’ve known her. She sat next to me and said “I stopped drinking soda and cut out sugar completely, I don’t even want it anymore. “ She was on a roll and proceeded to tell me all these sweeping changes she had made with her diet, her enthusiasm left me excited for her.  Had she been a client in my office I would never have proposed as many concurrent changes as she undertook on her own.

So while my life will not be significantly different based on my choice of serving pieces, I don’t think acquiescing and accepting our habits is always the answer. Sometimes sweeping changes work quite well. Non-exercisers can run marathons and meat and potatoes people may love green juice. Don’t rule it out.

Are you a fan of slow and steady change or major shifts? Did you register of items you never use? What would I be surprised about if we emptied all your kitchen cabinets?

Full disclosure, the bowl above belonged to my Grandmother but I only realized that after writing the post. And I am aware of the weird font, blogger is very uncooperative today (some things do not change).