Deodorant is an absolute must before you start your day. It’s not uncommon to keep one in your bag to reapply during the day too! Brand name, store bought deodorant products are for the most part are not natural as contain a whole bunch of chemicals and long, weird ingredients listed that you can’t pronounce.
So whether you’re looking to make the switch to a more natural way of deodorizing, or you simply forgot (again!) to put some on this morning… Here are 6 effectively alternatives to deodorant that will keep you feeling (and smelling) clean and fresh:
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Hand Sanitizer
The alcohol content will neutralize the smell and kill the accumulating bacteria in your pits. Sure, alcohol isn’t the greatest of scents, but it’s sure better than parading your body odor around the whole day! And if you’re lucky enough to get your hands on some of the scented hand sanitizers, you might end up smelling like Nectarine Sun Tea or White Fiji Sands.
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Lemon Juice
You might be contemplating about whether to add that lemon into your water bottle or rub it on your armpits – but please don’t do both. This idea has been pushed for some time now and seems to be working for many people. Jennifer Palmer, a chief executive officer of organic skincare line told the New York Times that she wipes her armpits with a slice of lemon juice on daily basis in the morning. The citric acid in the lemon kills all the odor-causing bacteria. Notably, this is not an antiperspirant so you’ll likely still sweat, but at least your sweat will smell like lemons! It’s also important to not to apply on freshly shaven armpits because the burning sensation can be super painful.
- Essential Oils
With so many antibacterial varieties including lemongrass, rosemary, lavender and thyme you can always create your own unique scent. The beauty of essential oils is that despite the fact that they do not offer long-lasting protection, you can use them as many times as you want without worrying about the side effects. Quoting Caryn Anderson on LiveStrong.com: “using an all natural formula is gentle on your skin, which means you can apply it frequently without irritating your skin and you can tailor the ingredients to suit your exact skincare desires.”
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Witch Hazel
Witch Hazel is obtained from a flower and has anti-inflammatory properties that helps in soothing sunburns, clearing up zits and drying oily skin. This natural astringent has great medicinal values and that’s why every individual must always have it in the medicine cabinet. It has many beneficial natural ingredients such as tannins, flavonoids, cholin, gallic acid and bitters. It also has antibacterial properties and a great astringent which removes excess oils and moisture from the surface it’s applied on. Use a piece of cotton or tissue to apply you be will smell fresh all day.
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Coconut Oil
It’s well known how versatile and effective this product is! We use it as hair masks, lip balm, body lotion and even a face wash. It’s natural and has antimicrobial properties to keep the odor-causing bacteria at bay. Coconut oil is very oily hence it’s imperative that you use it sparingly.
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Baking Soda and Cornstarch
This might be the craziest sounding one, which is why we’ve saved it for last. Just mix 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda with little water then apply it in your armpit. You can also try out a mixture of baking soda and cornstarch which can help prevent wetness and fight the odor. Mix one part baking soda and six parts cornstarch, dust a little of the mixture under your armpits, and you’ll be good to go. This method is great since it gets rid of both moisture and smell just like the typical commercial deodorants.
Source: Bustle
Featured Image: Pixabay