If there is one part of your body routine that you should switch, it would be swapping toxin-laden antiperspirant for natural deodorant. Since the skin of our underarms is exceptionally absorbent, this simple swap can reap enormous benefits for your health. First, I'll share with you my go-to DIY recipe for deodorant and then I'll share the best natural deodorant options I've found on my sustainable living journey.
Things I take into account when choosing my top favorites:
Okay, let's dive in!
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Before we jump into natural deodorant options, I want to talk about how you can make the switch from conventional anti-perspirant to natural deodorant as smooth as possible. Your armpits are one of the most absorbent areas of your body, second only to your genitalia. We start applying antiperspirant when we hit puberty, leaving us with decades of clogged underarm pores. All those nasty toxins that conventional deodorants contain like parabens, heavy metals, phthalates take time to detox out of your system. Transitioning to natural deodorant from antiperspirant and all its sweat-stopping aluminum can be a real stopgap for people, myself included.
This was a tough acclimation period for me. I'm talking struggle bus from coast to coast. I suffered from hyperhidrosis as a teenager, meaning I was sweating all the time, even just sitting at my desk at school. Pit stains on the daily. I used such high-level aluminum antiperspirant it had to be prescribed by a doctor. The roll-on liquid stung and gave my underarms a painful rash and it didn't even work. For years I struggled with hyperhidrosis. After college, I finally threw up my arms and stopped using antiperspirant altogether. I had a come-to-Jesus moment while on a long run, my underarms red and chapped, and realized sweating is NORMAL. It's our body's way of excreting toxins. Why was I working so hard to stop this? What would happen if I just let my body do what it kept telling me it needed to do? Enter the underarm acclimation period! You have to detox and unclog those pores to let your skin breath and your body acclimate to life without antiperspirant. Let's go over my top tips for the underarm acclimation period. 
If you love apple cider vinegar then I have got great news for you - this health tonic is incredibly easy to make yourself! Every September, we have a feral apple tree in the back of our farm that gives us about three bushels worth of ripe deliciousness.
Paul and I will head out back with a drop cloth, an apple picker, and a few apple boxes to harvest as many apples as we can. The first flush of fall weather gets us both so excited for crisp mornings and cinnamon spiced goodies, so apple picking is the best way to kick off the month. One of my favorite things to do with all our apples is to make homemade apple cider vinegar. Let’s dive in!
For beginner sustainable farmers there are multiple resources at your fingertips to successfully break ground on your farm, but often you are juggling advice between a dozen different books, articles, and magazines. I remember the stack of information on my coffee table four years ago as I planned and dreamed my way to the first planted heirloom popcorn seed. From accounting to basic soil science, there was so much to know as a wannabe farmer and I was more than overwhelmed. I remember wishing there was a basic manual to teach new farmers the first principles of having a farm.
Start Your Farm achieves exactly that. The authors Forrest Pritchard and Ellen Polishuk are not only incredible farmers but gifted writers as well. It was an honor to be asked to leave a review for their book. Let’s go over why Start Your Farm is a must-have for any aspiring or beginner sustainable farmers, and even some seasoned ones at that. |
Meet Kelsey,Thanks for stopping by Green Willow Homestead! From chicken rearing to composting, we've got our hands full and we love sharing what we've learned along the way. Follow along as we strive to live sustainably and turn these five acres from just property to a fully functioning small-scale homestead. 
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