"Show Us Your Pits!"

For the past few months I've been experimenting with homemade deodorant. The stuff you buy in the stores, no matter how many "natural" labels they slap on it, inevitably has some sort of crap in it. I apply the same rule to my outer body as I do my inner: If I can't identify the ingredient I'm not using (or eating) it. You see, that whole "If you can't pronounce it don't eat it" thing isn't enough for me. I can pronounce plenty of words I don't care to eat, ie aspartame, monosodium glutamate, dog doo. They roll off the tongue easily and yet I still remain highly opposed to their consumption. And while I can't attest to the palatability of neither deodorant nor dog poo, I can tell you neither is all that healthy.

I'll save you from the anti-antiperspirant rant as I'm sure you know the dangers, but in my efforts to regain health and live as naturally as possible, I've been doing a lot of  research into homemade deodorants, more research than what should be required to simply not smell like a dirty hippie who just awoke from a three-day bender.

After months of failed trials, it seems I've finally found it. Get a pen. Here's the recipe:

Lemon juice.

That's it....lemon juice. All the mixing and melting and purchasing hard-to-find ingredients on Amazon and the answer was in my fridge the entire time. 

Now, I will honestly say I've only used it for a week, so I cannot vouch for it's long-term use. After all, baking soda and coconut oil rocked until it began giving me a rash a few months in. But I can say this is the only option that has worked as well as baking soda and has thus far had no adverse effects. Personally, I poured some store-bought lemon juice into a spray bottle, slapped on a cute label (because labels make me happy), and stored it in the fridge. In the morning I spray a spritz or two under my arms and go about my day without the slightest hint of stank. I was so excited, especially since my last attempt at deodorant was such an epic failure, I made my husband smell my armpits. Yeah, we have that kind of relationship. 

So if you're like me and you cringe at the idea of slathering propylene glycol on your body, or if you're simply looking to save a few dollars, try lemon juice. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised! And, let's face it, the last thing Whole Foods needs is another stinky hippie.

Photo Credit: Dog