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Summertime, and the sweatin’s easy…

Are you feeling the heat wave like we are here in Victoria? Summertime really puts your natural deodorant to a test, and sweat stains can be a challenge to deal with. Conventional or natural deodorant, there seems to be no getting around damp armpits in the heat.

Sweat & Odor aren’t the same thing.

Surprise! (or maybe not), but that little moisture coming out of your pores actually doesn’t smell bad.  For real.  It’s your body doing the right thing in the heat.  Dampness hanging out on your skin however, is a great environment for bacteria to chill.   That bacteria breaks down the sweat into acids that can smell… unpleasant.  Sometimes it’s stress, diet, or other medical conditions (and do check with someone if the odor is more than unpleasant), but for the most part a good sweat is a great thing.

Preventing Sweat Stains

Here’s a few tips on how to best use natural deodorant to stay stain-free:

• Apply to dry arm pits
  Coconut oil-based deodorant doesn’t mix well with water. Dry your pits before applying!
• Keep It Small
  Apply a pea-sized amount of deodorant to each arm pit. With natural deodorant, less is more in avoiding excess product coming off on your clothing. If you put on too much, wipe some away with a towel or apply to a different area of your body. (See below!)
• Let it breath
  Let the deodorant get some air time before putting on your clothes. Oil-based products take a couple minutes to absorb into your skin. Wearing loose-fitting, natural fabrics also helps your body breath.

Yep, You can Fix Pit Stains on Clothing

When pit stains happen, here’s some ways to deal with them:

• Apply citrus-based cleaning products
  One of our favorite cleaning products is a citrus-based degreaser like Zep. A wise aromatherapy teacher once shared that this was his trick to removing oil stains that inevitably happen when mixing carrier oils and creating oil-based products! Spray this product full strength on and around the armpits of your clothes before washing. Do test your fabrics first or dilute the cleaner in a spray bottle with some water to be safe. Let sit for 10-15 minutes and put your clothes in to wash as normal. Semi Pro Tip: Home Depot and Canadian Tire have been a great place to buy this product in Canada.
  
• Add baking soda and vinegar to your laundry
  Add half a cup of baking soda to your usual detergent when washing your clothes. Baking soda can help dissolve grease and help remove odors from clothes. You can also make a paste with some water to apply directly on stains. For more stain fighting, add 1 cup of distilled white vinegar with half a cup of baking soda to your clothes inside your washing machine. Vinegar can also help dissolve stains. Semi Pro Tip: Do NOT use any bleach products if you are adding in vinegar. They will combine to form harmful fumes! Best to avoid vinegar with silk, rayon or acetate fabrics.
• Brighten your white clothes naturally
  Mix one cup of baking soda with 4 litres of water. Soak your white clothes in this mix. This is a great way to avoid chemicals and added fragrance in commercial laundry cleaning products.
• Hydrogen Peroxide
  Add half a cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide with your regular laundry detergent. Hydrogen peroxide acts as a natural non-chlorine bleach.

Are You Sweating, *ehem*, Down There?!

Your armpits aren’t the only place you can safely use natural deodorant! Let’s take a minute to talk about crotch sweat, because it happens. 😉 When the heat is on you need some extra help in dealing with down there odor.

Swipe about a pea-size amount or less to your bikini or boxer-line area. Just enough to lightly cover the area. This will be enough to keep you smelling good down there much longer. Of course it should go without saying, but don’t put it on broken or cut skin. This’ll cause a rash and/or stinging. Like your armpits, it’s best to avoid putting it on right after shaving or waxing the area. Try doing this in the evening so you’ll be ready to go in the morning.

Heads Up: Natural deodorant ingredients are much safer for your body, so for the love of a chemical free life–please don’t use regular chemical deodorants or antiperspirants on or around your delicate bikini and boxer area!

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