an update on my underarms

So, remember how I discovered that the medicines I take because of my heart defect also make me really really sweaty? And how I decided, since even the most “prescription strength” antiperspirants weren’t actually stopping me from sweating, and since I’m at least slightly uneasy with using chemicals to try and stop my body from doing something it needs to do to keep me cool and excrete stuff that doesn’t need to be inside me, I decided to try and quit antiperspirants and use more natural, healthy deodorants instead? And remember how I decided to conduct this great, potentially-smelly experiment in one of the hottest months of the year in one of the hottest and most humid parts of the country?

Well, here I am a month later, reporting back. 

And I have to say: I think the switch worked. I have been using two different natural deodorants, one stick and one cream, and while they definitely don’t keep me sweat free, I don’t feel any sweatier than I did before when I was using Dove and Degree products, and I don’t think I’m any smellier, either. My husband, who has been known to say “what stinks” when I wore a new perfume or lotion around him that he didn’t like, has also had no complaints, even though I told him he was allowed to give me the unvarnished truth once my two-week detox period was up.

Yes, I sweat. I sweat before, a lot, despite the antiperspirants, and I think I’m about as sweaty if not slightly less sweaty than I was before. I just spent a sweaty morning at the zoo outdoors in 90 degree weather and 42% humidity, lifting and carrying toddlers and occasionally taking my turn pushing the double stroller. I got sweaty. But now, as I sit, I just sniffed an armpit, and I don’t smell like BO. Instead, I smell like lemongrass and ginger thanks to my Primal Pit Paste. Oh, and I didn’t even shower this morning.

Here’s what I think of the two products I’ve been trying:

Primal Pit Paste Stick in Lemongrass Thyme

I chose this Primal Pit Paste Stick because I thought I might think using a cream would be weird, and I’m used to applying stick deodorant. This goes on clear, and I must say, the stick itself feels a little gritty as it goes on. It definitely has a high level of baking soda, which can be slightly irritating if I’ve just shaved my armpits, but not like the horrific sting of applying liquid Certain Dri after shaving, for sure. The Lemongrass Thyme scent is herbal and unisex, and smells fresh and slightly citrusy. I feel the Primal Pit Paste works really well with my body chemistry to keep me stink free, and I’m less likely to need to reapply it than the other product I’ve been trying, which is…

Soapwalla Deodorant Cream

The Soapwalla is a cream that you apply to your armpits with your fingers. This seems weird, but it’s not much different than putting on say, lotion on your elbows or whatever. You just rub a dab into each armpit. This is definitely less irritating to my pits than the Primal Pit Paste, but I don’t think the smell of it lasts as long, so I’m slightly more likely to feel like I need to reapply something in the afternoon if I use just the Soapwalla. The smell itself is a slightly lavender-y, unisex herbal smell.

Overall, if I were to pick a winner, I think Primal Pit Paste is my favorite, because the stick is more convenient, and I think it holds its scent longer. It also happens to be like $3 cheaper. However, if you have particularly sensitive skin, you might prefer the Soapwalla. They’re both great products though, and I’m impressed that after failing to find a natural deodorant available at Target or the grocery store that worked for me (Tom’s, Arm and Hammer, Jason, and Alba were all failures), I actually found two great products that don’t have me running back into the sweat-free arms of Dove and Degree.