I've been kicking this blog post around in my head for awhile, wondering if I should write it, wondering if the Internet really needs to know. "Know what?," you ask. That for the last three weeks I've been using coconut oil and baking soda on my underarms instead of deodorant. See, you shouldn't have asked and you didn't really need to know, but I've decided to tell you anyway. Why? Because, oh my goodness, it actually works. I read about using coconut oil as a deodorant on Green as a Thistle. I've also read the accounts of several people who use baking soda straight up, but I couldn't imagine dabbing on baking soda right after shaving (ouch). So when a commenter to Green as a Thistle recommended using the coconut oil and then a little baking soda, I decided I'd give it a whirl. And I've been walking around for the last three weeks sniffing my pits (discreetly of course). It works. Now, I'm not saying you won't sweat, because you will. This is not a formula for do-it-yourself antiperspirant. However, you don't stink, and I consider this the primary purpose of deodorant type things. I have even checked with Moses to make sure my olfactory assessment is correct. (I believe that asking your husband to take a whiff and check for body odor is No. 2 on the list of "Top 8 Ways to Test Your Husband's Eternal Devotion" where No. 1 is the age old, "does this make me look fat?"; No. 3 is hogging the X-box so you can watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer thus preventing your husband from playing Left 4 Dead--which is supposedly the purpose of the X-box; No. 4 is keeping up a low-level but persistent campaign for backyard chickens; No. 5 is denying him the last cup of coffee in the pot when you've already had a cup, he's had none, and you could, in theory, make more; No. 6 is asking him "can I have that?" in reference to the shiny new travel coffee mug he just bought for the express purpose of conveying his coffee from home to work (when you work at home and could just use the ceramic cup); No. 7 is asking him every other week, "do you think we should get a dog?" when you know he'll say "no, but do what you want" and you yourself have not yet really decided if you want a dog; and No. 8 is making him tell you the name of every guy in high school who liked you (which turns out to be wildly entertaining--if you went to high school with your husband I highly recommend this.))
And now that I've discovered the miracle that is odor control you can eat, I feel the need to share with the world. Especially that long haired hippie dude who was sitting next to me at Star Trek the other night. (Not Moses. Moses was on the other side and just shaved his head a couple of weeks ago). If ever there was a need for a little coconut oil and baking soda, that was it. Or a shower. Ideally, a shower then some coconut oil and maybe a lot of baking soda.
It's also wildly entertaining for the husband. After nine years of marriage, it's becoming more and more difficult to make her blush like a...well, like a school girl. That was fun. ;)
ReplyDeleteOh, and the coconut deodorant really does work, and the best part is that now she doesn't stink like a chemical factory, which the deodorants from the store caused (don't tell her I said this).
That's so cool! I recently read about a baking soda/lemon juice combo, but both of those seem rather painful if you've just shaved. Maybe I'll give this a try. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteOn thing though, does the oil stain the pits on your shirts?
You know, we DID want to know, which you'd have known if you IM'd with us during the day instead of, you know, WORKING!
ReplyDeleteI love the smell of coconut oil, so would much rather smell like that then most deodorants. I'm currently using Tom's Lemongrass, which also smells nice but I'm not as certain about the smell lasting all day.
I second Jennifer's question, and also wonder about how it looks - I wear a lot of sleeveless shirts, especially now. What do you think?
Oh, reading the comments over at Green as a Thistle (guess I'll have to resubscribe) - lots of great tips!
ReplyDeleteSo far, I have not noticed any stains on my shirts. I only use a little bit of the coconut oil, it seems to absorb pretty well, and I think the baking soda probably helps to keep the oil from really rubbing off on to my clothes. But again, this concoction doesn't stop you from perspiring, I think the underarms of your shirts will appear damp if, you know, you live in Phoenix and you're outside for more than 30 seconds and start to sweat. : ) My clothes seem to dry fine though, without oil stains.
ReplyDeleteOh--and as to how it looks: if you're wearing dark clothing, you just have to be sure that you dust off the extra baking soda before putting you're clothes on, otherwise you can't really tell. Well, I suppose you could tell if you laid the baking soda on thick, but I find that a dab will do 'ya. I'm using an old make-up brush to apply the baking soda.
ReplyDeleteI don't know....Is there an age limit as to when this works? I think I may be a bit too old. I don't think I could make it with wet underarms unless I was swimming.
ReplyDeleteHungh.....I'm still contemplating a deorderant that you can eat....
So happy I didn't read this while drinking ginger ale as I would've lost it during the list of husbandly tests.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I am on Moses's side regarding the coffee but consider the source.
The deodorant I use and am quite fond of is Arm and Hammer's Essentials Natural Deodorant, the Fresh kind. Like Tom's but a bit stronger and does seem to last. Also, was annoyed when they changed the unscented formula.
And okay, ouch, ouch, ouch ouch on putting baking soda (raw) on shaved arms.
This is one of those that might be a bit messy for me.