Sunday, August 17, 2008

the quest for plastic-free deodorant: extortion, conspiracy theories, careening plot twists and the triumph of good ol' homemade remedies over plastic

I ran out of deodorant last week, oh dear.

In the past, I've tried Tom's of Maine deodorant, which is good because it's aluminum free and not tested on animals. The trouble is-- the container is made of plastic. And it doesn't work for me.

For plastic-free alternatives, I checked out the deodorant stone at L'Occitane. No plastic there, you just add a bit of water. I might end up buying that, but it costs $21. I'm going to have to crunch some numbers and review my 2008-09 deodorant budget before making that investment. Good to know it's there, though. Because the #1 rule of messing with your deodorant routine is to have a backup plan!
plastic is forever














Now many of you know my theory about cosmetics/beauty products. The theory is that we're all getting ripped off. We've been brainwashed to believe that we need to buy shampoos, deodorants, etc. Raise your hand if you're sure! The first antiperspirant was patented in 1941.. somehow people survived before. So, are there any inexpensive household items I could use as a deodorant alternative?

Two good places to find out:
Earthclinic.com and Envirowoman

What I learned is that baking soda works for tons of people. Yup, you heard me right-- plain old baking soda. I also gathered that something antibacterial might help. So I've been dabbing tea tree oil and baking soda for the past 4 days and it's working! what a miracle. At this rate, I'll have a huge surplus in my deodorant budget!
plastic is forever

2 comments:

Fern Toe said...

I used the deodorant stone for about 1 month last summer and had to give it up...it didn't work for me and I wanted people to still come within 5 feet to talk to me--so my stone was short lived. I too am running out of deodorant and will try the tea tree oil and baking soda experiment with you. FYI, I got my deodorant stone on-line for $4.50 including shipping! And they last FOREVER my brother and mother also use the stone--it works for them.

plasticfreenyc said...

from my roommate:

kerry, i was reading your blog about your deoderant quest... have you ever heard of trying good old rubbing alcohol? my friend has been doing that for a while, you rub it on and it lasts for days, even through showers! maybe there is some rubbing alcohol you can find that doesnt come in plastic containers... not sure... I'll ask her what the exact details are on what she does.