A natural deodorant that zaps underarm odor

This Week In The HSI Healthier Talk Community

Everybody has it. Nobody wants it. But without it we might not even be here.

Some scientists believe that body odor may be partly responsible for the longevity of the human race. The theory goes like this: Back when Homosapiens first roamed the earth, many natural predators found the smell and taste of humans to be so foul that we were largely avoided as a food source.

These days, most of us don’t need to worry about being eaten in the wild. A greater worry is provided by aluminum and other chemicals that are contained in many commercial deodorants. That’s the dilemma that prompted an HSI member named Suzanne to start a thread titled “Underarm Odor” in the General Health Topics Forum of the HSI Healthier Talk community.

Suzanne writes: “I have tried a few natural deodorants but nothing is doing the job for me. Has anyone found a natural deodorant product that zaps underarm odor?”

That simple question has prompted more than 50 responses so far. Who knew this would be such a hot topic? Here are a few of the replies from HSI members:

• Mary: “Try taking a zinc supplement or using zinc oxide cream under your arms at night.”
• Pinky: “I take one 30mg Zinc tablet daily, and it does the job. Zinc is inexpensive and probably any brand would work.”
• Aardvark: “Try rubbing a slice of freshly cut turnip under your arms. Don’t laugh. It’s as natural as you can get and it works.”
• Leppert: “I’ve used a clear ‘Spray Mist’ for many years quite successfully. It contains mineral salts and is supposed to be natural. Years ago, when I used to run 3-5 miles a day I used plain baking soda. It worked quite well.”
• Clara33: “I read in a health magazine many years ago that plain old milk of magnesium would take care of this problem. Just rub a little under your arms. It works for me.”
• Rick: “Another option – Sunbathing with Sun on underarms – extremely beneficial to lymph system also. And it’s FREE!”
• Anne: “I find that keeping my underarms free of hair keeps the odor away. I also use a bit of coconut oil which is soothing after shaving and it seems to keep my underarms fresh for longer periods.”
• Marilyn: “For the past two years I have used nothing but organic coconut oil as my deodorant. It works great!”
• Michael: “What a great idea! Coconut oil is known to have antibacterial qualities. I am wondering if adding a few drops of tea tree oil might make it even more effective?”
• German: “No one in this discussion has yet mentioned Lavilin, a natural cream deodourant. One application lasts a whole week. I have used it satisfactorily for some twenty years.”

Several members give high marks to “deodorant stones” made of mineral salts (one familiar brand is “Thai Stick”). But these stones contain alum, prompting Michael to ask: “Do the Thai sticks and deodorant stones have aluminum in them?”

Apparently the stones don’t contain aluminum chlorhydrate. And the manufacturers state that the molecular structure of the alum mineral is too large to be absorbed by the skin. But a member named Naturalway writes: “Alum is something used in water treatment plants and it wasn’t spoken of as something good. After looking at all the websites it looks like it’s the same as aluminum.”

So are deodorant stones safe to use? The jury is still out on that one.

Other topics being discussed this week in the Healthier Talk community forums include:

• General Health Topics: Hurricane Katrina
• Hormones: Bioidentical hormones
• Diabetes: Cinnamon and diabetes
• Memory: Ginger fights Alzheimer’s-related inflammation
• Allergies: Bee sting allergies
• General Health Topics: Pure lard source

You can easily reach the HSI Healthier Talk community forums on our web site at www.hsionline.com. Just choose “Forum,” and join in with any of the dozens of discussions about nutrition and natural health care.