Summer is HERE! For those of us in Toronto, it also came with the massive headache also known as G20, mass riots, a 5.0 earthquake, and tornado warnings. For the rest of the world, summer smacked us in the face with the deafening sound of the vuvuzelas… and sweat.

Yes ladies, let’s not avoid this topic… We all sweat and we all use a certain little thing called a Deodorant on our armpits (men too, I hope). As the weather is getting hotter and we are all getting a little bit sweatier, I thought we’d take a few minutes to talk about the methods we use to prevent a Tom Cruise On The Red Carpet mishap.

First, let’s start with a little fact check.
Deodorants are not the same thing as Antiperspirants. Shocker!
Many people associate deodorants with antiperspirants because they live side by side on the shelves of drug stores. But don’t be fooled! They are different.

Deodorants prevents odor by using antiseptic agents, which help kill odor-causing bacteria. It is usually fragranced (baby powder, fresh cucumber, lavender, etc).

Antiperspirants contain chemical compounds (generally aluminum) that actually block the pores in your pits to stop perspiration. Hence the name, anti-perspirant. No sweat, no smell.

A lot of people think antiperspirants are a better choice because, logically, isn’t it better to stop sweat from leaking out of our pores rather than use nice fragrances to cover it up after the fact? (Yes, I said ‘leaking’! Probably a better choice of word than ‘squirting’)

Theoretically, I would agree. But think deeper about it… Is it safe to swipe a stick of aluminum in your pits that will block your natural born pores?

Healthcare professionals will generally recommend deodorants over antiperspirants, but we’re all left at the mercy of marketing companies since both deodorants and antiperspirants contain harmful chemicals (aluminum for antiperspirants, parabens for deodorants) that can link to serious illnesses.

There are alternatives out there, such as home-made remedies that involve rubbing cornstarch and baking soda together, then applying the mixture with a damp washcloth. Sounds pretty gross to me. Or organic body product lines that offer aluminum and paraben free deodorants. You could bravely wear armpit-shaped towel pieces on the underside of their shirts (like shoulder pads, but on the opposite side of the shoulder), and make it fashionable.

Our fave ALL-NATURAL deodorant. Kiss My Face Active Enzyme™ Lavender Deodorant (aluminum and paraben free).