And the winner is....

Secret.*

I'm disappointed, but I've given up.  I posted before about struggling to find a more eco-friendly deodorant.  Well, nothing eco-friendly was able to keep me from smelling funky by 3 pm, and one of them gave me a rash.  Here's the breakdown:

Homemade, coconut oil and baking powder

I smelled like a cookie, which I didn't mind but it was kinda strong, and I couldn't tell if other people noticed.  Nonetheless, the baking soda gave me a rash and further experimentation is on an indefinite hold.  I threw it away, which is why its not in the photo below.

I also tried 3 other semi-'natural' deodorants:

Tom's deodorant, Tom's deodorant/antiperspirant, Lush bar, standard brand-name.

Aromaco deodorant bar from Lush

Smell's good and mild, but applying it is a pain (literally, it's hard to get it to melt so it scrapes over my skin).  And doesn't really last.


Tom's of Maine, aluminum-free deodorant

Like the smell (lavender), but it fades by mid-afternoon.  And reapplication only helped for an hour or so.


Tom's of Maine, Naturally Dry Antiperspirant

Unscented.  Literally lasts about an hour.  I smelled gross.


And with that $20 spent, I decided to cut my losses and slink back to chemical, unrecyclable (but cheap!) Secret.

Although actually, with the new expansion to recycling, I might be able to recycle the container if I clean it first.  Not ideal, but better than tossing it.



*The brand is really irrelevant, it was just on sale.

Shaving update

Several months past the predicted trial date, I've finally tried out my safety razor.  And let me tell you, I'm a huge fan.

For starters, I had to clean the handle, as it once belonged to my grandfather.  I cycled through boiling it, soaking it in soapy water, scrubbing it with a toothpick and an old toothbrush, and soaking it in rubbing alcohol.  I went through that cycle at least twice, I think I boiled it one last time after that.  That seemed to get all the soap scum and gunk out of the crevices, and left me pretty certain that I'd killed any lingering bacteria.

Shaving with a safety razor does take some extra effort, compared to the plastic one with 3-4 blades.  I had to do two passes on my legs to get them smooth, and go more slowly.  I had to do a lot of passes under my arms, primarily because I was trying to get the blade angle right, and not doing short enough strokes.  That led to some irritation, but it faded in less than a day.  The extra time doesn't bother me much, because I shave about once a week so an extra 3-5 minutes isn't that big a deal.

I didn't use any fancy extra equipment, like brushes and special soaps, etc., that I'd read about online.  I lotioned my legs before and after, and I used my normal bar of moisturizing soap for the actual shave.  I also did my complete shower routine before I shaved, so the hair had a chance to soften up.  That system seems to have worked pretty well, in my opinion.

Some fuss, no frills: I think the safety razor is here to stay.

Unusual Heirlooms

My parents came to visit yesterday, and brought along a package for me from my Grandma.  It contained the following items, all of which originally belonged to my Grandpa, who passed away 3 weeks into my freshman year of college.

That's two safety razors, some blades, a brush, a styptic stick, what I think is shaving soap, and Grandpa's shaving mug.

I've been wanting to try shaving with a safety razor for a while.  I ran out of disposable razor heads in November, and stopped shaving as I typically do over the winter.  I kept meaning to find a safety razor for myself, but I never got around to ordering one online. I was nervous about choosing and buying one one, and then potentially having it work out poorly.

Enter the heirlooms.  I emailed my Dad to ask if he had a safety razor, and he asked my Grandma if she still had Grandpa's.  Turns out she'd been trying to find a new home for these, so now they're mine :)  I'm really glad to have them.  It adds a new excitement for testing out a safety razor.  I get to use something that belonged to my Grandpa, even if my use is slightly different than his.  I'm not sure what he would think, but I hope he'd be proud of me for saving money by reusing something he has no use for anymore. 

Smelly experimentation

I ran out of deodorant 2 weeks ago.

I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to test out a natural deodorant.  That means going without an antiperspirant for the first time in a long time (maybe ever?).  I felt some trepidation, but I'd like to move towards less plastic and chemicals.  And less cost.  Also, apparently aluminium can be pretty nasty, but I'm still researching how much of an effect it really has.

I'm testing out two deodorants.  One is Tom's of Maine, the other is homemade deodorant.

I've mostly been using Tom's deodorant, their lavender scent.  Its not plastic free by any means, but at least they leave out that silly little cap that other antiperspirant companies put inside the main cover.   And the entire container is made of #5 plastic, recyclable through Preserve's Gimme 5 program.  Granted, based on lack of evidence on their site, I think they might use virgin plastic to make them in the first place.

After a week and a half, it's alright.  It's not perfect by any means - I'm debating buying an additional stick to keep in my office because it tends to fade mid-day.  And after a gym visit? Hoooo do I stink.

I've also experimented with making my own deodorant, inspired by Miser Mom, Dogs or Dollars, and the Clean Bin Project.  I just mixed equal parts coconut oil and baking soda to start with, and I can't say that was a success.  I got a rash under my arms, and it hurt all day.  I've heard of others having the same problem, and apparently adding cornstarch helps.  I'm going to keep experimenting on the weekends, so when I get a hold of some cornstarch we'll see how it goes.

Toothpaste woes, Toothbrush win?

I'm almost out of toothpaste, so I decided to try switching to Tom's of Maine.  I got the cinnamon flavor, as I dislike mint for the most part.  Unfortunately, I had a very painful few days before I gave up on it.  The toothpaste burned the inside of my mouth.

At first I thought that the cinnamon was very strong and I wasn't used to it, or just changing to a new toothpaste for the first time in years, or maybe my gums were having a sensitive day.  But it happened again, and again, and finally after 3 days of trying to use the smallest amount possible I decided it wasn't worth it any more.  Even a day after I stopped and went back to my old toothpaste, parts of my mouth are still tender.

I sent Tom's a message, asking for a refund, and they've agreed.  It's only a few dollars, but it's the principle of the thing.

I also got a new toothbrush, made by Preserve and purchased at Trader Joe's.  It's made of recycled yogurt cups, and comes in a plastic sleeve that serves as a pre-paid mailing envelope.  The idea being that once you use the toothbrush, you put it back in the package, tape the thing closed and mail it back so it can be recycled through Preserve's Gimme 5 program.  If I have to get a toothbrush, I'm a fan of this plan.