The Pits

Okay, folks, it's time to talk frankly about natural deodorants:

THEY DON'T WORK. And let me preface this by saying, I have never had a particular body odor issue until I began using natural deodorants. I kept wondering,
"What's that funny smell?" and then I'd realize,
"Dear God, it's me!"

Having read vague reports about the dangers of chemically based(dare I say, effective?) deodorants, I made the switch to several different natural versions. The ones found at Whole Foods and Mrs. Green's Markets are made with lovely natural stuff like lavender and hops. Lovely ingredients perhaps for a bar of soap or a keg of beer, but utterly ineffective under your pits.

After a few months of smelling like downtown Milwaukee on a humid July afternoon, I wondered where these clinical studies linking deodorant users with breast cancer came from and were they, in fact, valid? What I discovered is that maybe ten years ago, an urban myth was circulated on-line linking deodorant use to breast cancer. The National Cancer Institute (part of the National Institute of Health) has this to say:

• There is no conclusive research linking the use of underarm antiperspirants or deodorants and the subsequent development of breast cancer
• Research studies of underarm antiperspirants or deodorants and breast cancer have been completed and provide conflicting results

To read more go to: http://wwwicic.nci.nih.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/AP-Deo

We all have to make our own decisions about these things. As for me, I was so relieved to buy my Secret Platinum 24 Hour Protection at CVS yesterday. I'm enjoying watching my popularity soar!