Nov 23, 2015

How can I avoid pit stank naturally?

Dear Oily,

I have a serious problem: pit stank.

In an attempt to go more chemical free, I stopped using my antiperspirant. Big mistake! Now I stiiiiiiiink.

Is there a non-toxic way to deal with this problem? I read about making deodorant but they want you to keep it in a jar :( Not so sure how I feel about using my fingers to apply stuff to my armpits.

Do you have a better solution?

Your Friend,

Pit Stank

Dear Stank,

I’ve always been a sweaty villain. I used commercial deodorants for many years, cycling through one brand after another until I found one that worked to rid me of the lovely stench known as body odor.

Unfortunately, in using a commercial deodorant/antiperspirant, I realized I was poisoning my body.
Commercial deodorants/antiperspirants are filled with aluminum, triclosan, parabens, propylene glycol (petroleum based ingredient–yuck!), and phthalates.
diy recipe deodorant kill pit stank odor make your own | Hot Pink Crunch

These are not ingredients that I want on my body (especially near my lymph nodes and boobies!) because they will easily end up IN my body. Not cool.

Going Au Naturale

Switching to a natural brand of deodorant that lacked those harmful ingredients was disastrous. A day spent simply sitting at my desk made me sweat, a horrible stink permeating the air from my pits. It was pretty embarrassing! But what else could I do? I didn’t want to return to the commercial deodorants filled with harsh, body-poisoning chemicals.

The solution: make my own.

Like you, I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of slathering a DIY deodorant on with my fingers. Ugh. It felt like spackling a wall.

Instead, I took a popular DIY deodorant recipe (found here) and altered it a few times to put it into stick form AND tweaked it a few dozen times after that before achieving the perfect consistency!

Much hard work and a few stinky days later, I present to you the Pit Stank Prevention Stick. It’s really just DIY deodorant but it sounds fancy this way, right?

diy recipe deodorant kill pit stank odor make your own | Hot Pink Crunch Pit Stank Prevention Stick

Ingredients


Method

  1. Mix powder ingredients in a small glass bowl. Do NOT let metal touch the bentonite clay.
  2. Add beeswax to a double-boiler over low heat to melt it. Or you can do it ghetto style like me and put it in a glass measuring cup in a pot of water.
  3. As the beeswax melts, add the already melted coconut oil (do NOT microwave the coconut oil to melt it). I suggest melting the coconut oil separately and then measuring it out because I seem to get different results when I measure the coconut oil as a solid compared to when it is already a liquid.
  4. Once the beeswax is fully melted, turn the heat to low.
  5. Add the almond oil.
  6. Add the powders slowly, mixing continuously until everything is incorporated smoothly.
  7. Add in the essential oil and mix well.
  8. Pour into containers.
  9. Let the stick harden before putting the cap on!
  10. Apply as needed :)

Questions? Comments?

Will this stop me from sweating?

No! This recipe is not for an antiperspirant. However, it can cut back on the overall wetness of your armpits.

The Pit Stank Prevention Stick absorbs a good amount of moisture! (This was an absolute requirement for me because, while I do hate stinking, I really dislike feeling sweaty even if I don’t smell). The clay, arrowroot powder, and baking soda all absorb moisture. They do their part by keeping your skin fairly dry, but they cannot prevent you from sweating completely.

Besides, sweating is normal. I’ve had to accept this. We’re supposed to sweat. If you’re not sweating, you should probably go see a doctor.

If it doesn’t stop me from sweating, what does it do?

It makes you not stink! Hence the name.. come on people!

It is a deodorant. By definition, it is supposed to deodorize you. Instead of covering up the odor with chemical fragrance (which is what those nasty commercial deodorants are doing), it helps you achieve a stankless state naturally by preventing the odors!
diy recipe deodorant kill pit stank odor make your own | Hot Pink Crunch


BASIC BIOLOGY LESSON: When we sweat, bacteria existing on our skin breaks down the elements of our sweat and causes body odor. It isn’t the sweat itself, it’s the bacteria!

The Pit Stank Prevention Stick works because ingredients like coconut oil and Purification Essential Oil Blend are good at keeping the skin in that area clean. Clean skin=less bacteria. Less bacteria=less stank.

Get it?

This means you can use any essential oil for this recipe that is good at keeping skin clean or you know, just one you like the scent of. Whatever works for you. The important thing is to make sure you trust the brand of essential oils you are using. I would only use this brand. I mean, if you use some brand that has chemicals in it anyway? You might as well go back to putting that toxic, commercial antiperspirant on.


Now that we’ve got that all clear, go forth and send that stank packing!