The host of one of my favorite podcasts mentioned that he does not put anything ON his body that he wouldn’t put IN his mouth. It was an odd, yet effective, statement for his discussion about body care products. That show brought about a change in my choices in personal care products.
I had always been an “Old Spice” deodorant guy. I had my scent, “Sport.” It just how it was. After I heard the podcast, I looked at the ingredients list on my Old Spice. I saw aluminum. Aluminum clogs pores and prevents sweating. While pit stains are not a great look, your body needs to sweat to cool itself off. There is even an ingredient that the FDA classifies as a pesticide. Why would I do that to my body?
The Old Spice went right in the garbage. I started making a deodorant using natural ingredients like shea butter, beeswax, and coconut oil. (See recipe below) Add some mint and cedar essential oils to the concoction and I had a good smelling alternative to the poison I had been using. I do need to add a side note here. After using my new deodorant for a day, I did notice some body odor. I quickly looked up how I could fix that. The solution, literally, was a mixture of ¼ cup apple cider vinegar and ¾ cup water. Spray that on after a shower, let stand, then dry off before applying the deodorant. Problem solved!
Another product I started making was my hair gel. I got rid of my “go to” gel with a long chemical ingredient list and switched to a homemade gel. Using a different mixture of beeswax, coconut oil, and a few other natural ingredients, I had my new hair gel. (See recipe below)
Now, I am not saying that I make a habit of putting deodorant or hair gel into my mouth. That would not be too tasty. I am saying that, if some were to find their way there, my body would be no worse for wear. I prefer to use my products and not worry about the harmful effects they have on my body-speaking from experience.
Deodorant Recipe:
Melt 1 Tbsp coconut oil, 2 Tbsp shea butter, 1 Tbsp cocoa butter, 1 Tbsp beeswax in a double boiler. Add 3 Tbsp arrowroot powder, 1 Tbsp baking soda, and 1 Tbsp bentonite clay. Add 5 drops of tea tree oil, 10 drops of peppermint oil, and 25 drops of cedar oil
Hair Paste Recipe:
Melt 3 Tbsp beeswax, 2 Tbsp shea butter, 2 Tbsp coconut oil in a double boiler. Add 1 Tbsp arrowroot powder. Add 5 drops of peppermint oil and 20 drops of cedar oil.
[…] One of the podcast hosts that I follow, Ben Greenfield, once said that he wouldn’t put anything on his body that he wouldn’t put in his mouth. He was talking about body care products. Since listening to that show, I have been making my own deodorant. There are some possibly harmful ingredients in some store-bought deodorant, so I like the idea of making my own so I know exactly what I am getting. I wrote a blog post a while ago that talks about this and has my recipe. Check it out here. […]
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