Eat Well, Be Well, Live Well

Here’s a product I wanted to blog about after the first use, but thought I owed it to my readers to really test it out.

After losing a close friend to breast cancer, and knowing too many women who have battled it, I have long been suspicious of anti-perspirants and their suggested link to the deadly disease. It just seems too unnatural to literally block sweat from exiting your body in one of the main places it wants to do it.

While the jury is still out on whether the active ingredients in anti-perspirants (aluminum-based compounds) contribute to the development of breast cancer,* I chose to play it safe more than a decade ago by switching to deodorants only. That said, I never was–until now–satisfied with their performance. Some were goopy, and some were sticky, but more importantly, all seemed unable to keep me feeling relatively dry and odor-free for an entire day.

In my pursuit of the best natural deodorant, I have tried nearly everything available in a natural foods stores (Tom’s, Kiss My Face, Desert Essence, etc.). All couldn’t last a normal day or any type of strenuous work or particularly stressful situation (e.g., running through the airport trying to catch a flight).

Approximately three weeks ago, I tried Weleda’s Sage Deodorant. While my expectations might arguably have been low, I was literally shocked by how good this product performed. It hasn’t just kept me smelling good doing desk work and going about a quiet day. It has kept me from smelling bad even after a 2-hour power hike up the mountain, working in the garden and running through the airport to catch a flight to L.A.

This deodorant is the best–without a doubt–of any I’ve tried. It comes in a glass bottle with a non-aerosol pump that delivers a concentrated spray. Although wet at first, it dries quickly due to its alcohol content. It leaves no visible residue nor anything you can detect by touch–making it superior to any product I’ve ever tried–deodorant or anti-perspirant. And it’s subtle herbal scent makes it truly unisex.

It’s not completely natural, but the ingredients are relatively benign even to those with the most stringent standards (e.g., the Environmental Working Group link). You can find it in many natural food stores, including Whole Foods, as well as on-line.

I recommend this product to everyone!

*”Some research suggests that aluminum-based compounds, which are applied frequently and left on the skin near the breast, may be absorbed by the skin and cause estrogen-like (hormonal) effects. Because estrogen has the ability to promote the growth of breast cancer cells, some scientists have suggested that the aluminum-based compounds in antiperspirants may contribute to the development of breast cancer.” [National Cancer Institute]

Read Full Post »