SHADOWS REALM

That what a call this photograph:



Making the choice to use alternative products and nixing the tried and true favoirute conventional products can be as easy or difficult depending on what drove you to make the change in the first place. For me, it was neutral. As with all my 'journey to natural alternatives' posts note; it was a transition that I took one step at a time.

Now, over 2 years later, I would consider my new lifestyle to come naturally (pun intended). I enjoy finding and trying new products for my skin and hair and have become pretty ingredient savvy when scanning labels. I wouldn't consider my transition 100% (just last month I finnally got around to purchasing a natural eye liner from Whole Body), but it's at a comfortable level where whatever I use I am concious it and feel good using it.

Not so with deoderants.


Deoderants were one of the 1st products I completely switched over to natural when I became 'aware'. If I recall corrently; my discovery on the link between antiperspirants and cancer is what spawned my whole research of natural products in the 1st place.

Up till then, Dove was my ultimate fav and when I tossed my stick (I didn't even waste time usuing it up like I did with most of my other chemicle laden products), I was really sad but hopeful that I would find a natural deoderant that felt just as good as Dove if not better. I was young and stupid.

It has been an epic FAIL.

Of course I know that it is natural to sweat and to inhibit that sweat with chemicles is asking for problems. So I am not on a quest for a natural deoderant that is going to leave me bone dry like an antiperspirant would. But is a little bit of wetness and at least 85% odor protection too much to ask? I have since been on a quest to find the mother of all natural deoderants that actually WORK for me.

With wetness being my primary issue, and then funk, the 1st deoderant I went out and purchased was a regular stick of :

Toms of Maine. This was crap on me. It feels slick and slimy when I put it on which seems to make more of a wetness party under my arms within an hour on a really hot day. After about a month I got tierd of the gross feeling under my arms after applying it that I gave....

J/A/S/O/N a try. I LOVE Lavender, and it was very pleasent to put on, but once again did nothing for me as far as wetness and funk. The strong lavender scent would taper off after a while. this woudl work for about 3-4 hours on me max. In between the Toms of Maine and the J/A/S/O/N I discovered

Arm & Hammer. For a moment the heavens opened and I thought I finally found the one! Combined with a dust of talc free baby powder, I was fresh and funk free for a few hours. Once the wetness became out of control I could apply more powder (which was my routine with all of the deoderants I tried) but eventually the funkwould win. This deoderant would work about 4-5 hours TOPS on me (funk wise) which I thought was a sucess and settled into its use for about a yr. I just hated the way it would burn the crap out of me after a shave.

Earlier ths syear I discovered the Addidas cotton tech and after reviewing its specs, it sounded promising and I shelled out some good bucks for 3 sticks. I loved it for a while. Its the first natural deoderant that kept me somewhat dry (aka not as wet as usual) and seemed to keep funk away with occasional sniff tests. But the baby powder scent and my funk seem to be soul mates and mingle together making a putrid mixed scent. It also stained my clothes and burned when I applied it after a shave.


I have all but given up at this point. Since last month I have been using a MEN deoderant: Speed Stick. Yup. And I don't care. It's high maculine scent camaflogues mine and I am able to stay funk free mostly all day. Althought it is alluminum free, it isn't natural and I have had my eye on a deorderant I read some reviews on and decided to bookmark.


In comes Pristine Beauty Take A Whiff:

This deodorant makes a lot of promises of keeping you funk free and controlling wetness. Just like all the other natural deodorants *rolls eyes*. So what makes this one so special? Aside from the $22 price tag, the reviews are top notch. It's been rated a 9.5 out of 10 on a few sites. Impressive.


So this it! You know I must be really desperate to cough up $22 bucks on a deodorant. I can only hope with the $$ spent that I can have a positive review on it. I just placed an order from Bestinbeauty.com and will look out for it in the mail.


I will update when I recieve it *crosses fingers*