Our Pits Went Aluminum Free

So first things first we’re the realist and letting y’all know that we’ve been using Secret Clincal Strength Antiperspirant and Deodorant since it first came out on the market. Before that you better believe we used the fruitiest smell we could find (y’all know what the girls locker room smelled like). The point is we've been blocking the pores under our arms for years so we didn't expect this experiment to go super well. Keep scrolling to see how we made it through the tough parts!  

Antiperspirant vs. Deodorant

First lets clarify what the difference is between antiperspirants and deodorants. Antiperspirants stop you from sweating while deodorants cover up the potential smell of sweat. Keep this in mind when you’re searching for your new natural deodorant. 

The Product 

To complete our pit detox we tested: 

Kopari‘s Coconut Oil Deodorant 

*Free of Aluminum, Phthalate, and Silicon 

*Non- GMO 

*Vegan  

*Goes on clear and doesn’t stain clothes! Can we get an AMEN!  

*Has a great scent  

*Your arm pits may feel sticky if you perspire a lot. Reapplying will make the stickiness vanish. 

Schmidt’s Natural Deodorant in Lavender & Sage 

*Free of Aluminum, Propylene Glycol, and Phthalates 

*No artificial frangrence 

*Certified Vegan and Cruelty Free 

*It has a grainy texture so it goes on like a super thick paste. 

*Doesn’t stain clothes despite the texture.  

*Due to the texture it absorbs wetness so you never feel sticky. 

*You need to press it to your arm to soften it before applying.  

*Smells exactly like lavender and sage. So amaze! 

The Experiment  

Week 1

Kopari is nice enough to warn you before purchasing that it will be a rough journey going aluminum free. So we prepped our minds for the worst and made a commitment that we wouldn’t revert back to our old deodorant ways. Guys...the reality is we couldn’t prepare ourselves for how much sweat there would be! It’s a safe bet to make if you sweat a lot from your scalp you will most definitely sweat from your pits if you’re not blocking them with aluminum. So. Much. Sweat. Tank tops were definitely not an option due to the extra moisture it felt like our underarms were chaffing. 

Week 2  

It didn’t get better for the OHBI gals. Week two came with all of the same problems and more! Our pores were finally unclogging and we could smell it. We reapplied the Kopari deodorant twice a day to not feel so self conscious about the smell. However, we were the only ones to smell ourselves. We may have asked a few co-workers if they could smell us. 

Week 3  

We got creative this week and applied a clay mask to our under arms. We figured since we unclog or face pores why wouldn’t it work on our pits?! It totally did because we noticed less of a smell towards the end of the day. We only reapplied our natural deodorant if we were more active that day. Sadly, the sweat was still very much a problem.  

Week 4  

In hopes that we would unclog our pores for good we did two clay masks this week. We’ll be honest it only made a slight difference. We also realized we’re just naturally sweaty people. Blame our anxiety or stress but you can’t succeed at everything right?! 

Conclusion 

It’s been about three months and we’re still holding strong to our aluminum free pits. We’ve been alternating between the two deodorants due to a few factors. Kopari has a great scent but does not hold its scent through a full day of work and anxious sweats. For this reason we use Schmidt’s daily and only use Kopari on the days we shave. The texture of Schmidt’s is a little grainy and they advise you not to use it after shaving due to irritation.

Tips  

You are what you eat has never been more real when you’re on a mission to unclog your pores.  If you’ve ever had the displeasure of having a hangover and actually smelling the booze come out in sweat form, detoxing your pits is exactly like that so steer clear of pungent foods for a bit so you’re not adding to the smell. 

Dont get discouraged! 

Go aluminum free in the colder months. You’ll produce less sweat doing normal things like getting off the couch once your Netflix binge has ended. :)

If you’ve had switching over to an all natural deodorant on your list of things to do we hope this helps you prepare with what to expect! We’d highly recommend starting with these brands keeping in mind that everyone’s body reacts differently to products so read those instructions y’all! Health is wealth! 

xoxo

S&A  

The way to Aluminum Free