If you’re like the majority of us you’ve probably been slathering on deodorant to combat sweat and odor most of your adult life, but did you know all that deodorant builds up in your pores and can actually cause more odor? Most non-natural deodorants use aluminum and other chemicals to temporarily block the pores in your armpits to prevent sweating, often resulting in more odor, clogged pores and toxin and heavy metal build up. Yikes.
Worse, many deodorants contain preservative parabens which mimic estrogen. Estrogen can promote the growth of cancer cells in the breast. While scientists suspect aluminum and parabens contribute to breast cancer, there is not enough research to draw a conclusion just yet. Regardless, you should be detoxing your armpits regularly to get rid of any chemical build up from deodorants as well as to deeply cleanse the armpits to reduce odor and congestion.
Here’s what you’ll need to get the job done:
- 1 tablespoon of bentonite clay or our Power Pore Charcoal Clarifying Mask.
- 1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of Water
- 1/2 teaspoon Activated Charcoal (you don’t need this if you’re using our mask which already includes charcoal)
For best results, we recommend using our Power Pore Charcoal Clarifying Mask as the powder base. Our powder-based, preservative-free clarifying mask is gentle but deeply cleansing and it has a few extra ingredients that will help detox your armpits further, including sulfur, fruit enzymes, and tea tree oil. Whatever you do, the most important thing is to stick to preservative-free and fragrance-free ingredients when detoxing your armpits. This includes avoiding any pre-made water-based masks which often include a ton of preservatives and fragrance –you don’t want to add any more potential irritants to the area.
Directions: Mix all ingredients in a glass bowl with a non-metal utensil until it forms a spreadable past. (Do not use metal utensils or bowls as they will reduce the effectiveness of the bentonite clay.) Apply mixture to armpits and leave on for 5-10 minutes the first time. Increase time to 20 minutes as your skin gets use to it. You may notice slight redness after this detox, which is normal and should go away within 15 minutes or so. If you have especially sensitive skin, reduce the ACV to 1/4 of a teaspoon. As always, if excessive irritation occurs, discontinue use.
We recommend doing the armpit detox once a week or at least twice a month to keep armpits clear of chemicals, clogs, and odor.
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