by Lindsay Weiss posted in Products

Armpits. No one likes to talk about them.
But I found myself doing just that in my dermatologists office recently when a I showed her a red bump that appeared under my arm and was driving me nuts. It hurt. I couldn't put my arm straight down because it irritated it. I couldn't wear deodorant because I was afraid to irritate it but I didn't want to sweat either -- because THAT would be irritating -- and it's a HUNDRED BILLION DEGREES here in the summer so what's a girl to do"
It's a clogged sweat gland, the doc said. It will go away in a few weeks.
A FEW WEEKS"
So yes, I walked around on with my hand on my hip -- as if permanently posed for a picture -- for A FEW WEEKS.
(I'm fine now, thanks.) But my doc told me my antiperspirant could be part of the problem and told me that most antiperspirants chemically block the sweat glands from secreting moisture. That didn't sound super healthy to me, plus I'd read all sorts of stories about a possible link to breast cancer and Alzheimer's, so I thought I'd do some experimenting with the natural stuff.
The key here is that most natural brands cannot call themselves antiperspirants; they are technically just deodorants. They may not keep you from sweating, but they will keep you from smelling like a pig when you do sweat. My thought was that MOST days, a deodorant would be okay. I am an "average" sweat-er, so I imagine my experience would be pretty typical.
I won't bore you with ...