The (Second) Experiment.

I have another self experiment in the works. Now, this probably revealing a lot about myself, but I really can't contain my excitement over the progress of my second body experiment (note: the first experiment is eating eggs for one month). So, here goes (please don't judge!).

I stopped wearing deodorant over a month ago! Yep, I did it. I've always wanted to ditch the toxic and likely carcinogenic antiperspirant/deodorant that I wore daily. Although I've greened every other area of my cleaning and "beauty" routine, I had yet to part with my regular ol' deodorant. A couple of years ago, I tried to ditch it, opting to use more natural varieties, such as ones by Lush, Kiss My Face, Tom's, etc. Well, natural deodorants don't come cheap, and I ended up wasting a lot of money on products that simply did not work. After spending already too much money, I gave up on searching for a natural deodorant and stuck to the regular stuff.

But then May 1st came. I had heard of many, many people who don't wear deodorant/antiperspirant every day, and I finally thought, "Why am I so different? Can't I survive without wearing the stuff?". So I finally took the plunge and stopped using.

For the first two days, I felt a bit sticky and smelly, but that was it. Two days of discomfort and suddenly something shifted in my body and it no longer depended on chemicals to regulate its perspiration. It's been over a month and I don't miss the stuff at all. Only on one occasion did I get really sweaty, but I simply used a wash cloth to wipe off the sweat; problem solved.

Here is a bit of science on sweating: sweat is naturally odorless. The only time it smells is when bacteria that is already present on the skin, builds up in the moist environment. By regularly washing the underarms, the bacteria (and their smell) should be kept at bay. Sweat is the body's natural cooling mechanism. It is natural for the body to sweat when it is too hot in order to release heat. Antiperspirants, on the other hand, contain chemicals that prevent the body from perspiring. ...why oh why didn't I give them up sooner!

Disclaimer: results may vary, this is just an account of my experience. Maybe I just got lucky in the sweat gene department :D