Deodorant Intolerance

I have had a metal allergy for as long as I can remember.  It has affected my wearing contacts (to the point I stopped several years ago), the type of glasses I can wear (no metal on the frames), jewelry... barely anything but some small sterling silver hoops in my ears and a sterling silver ring on occasion. If I have metal on my skin, I break out in red, scaly, flaky rash that burns and itches, wherever the metal touches me.

I have had these patches on my cheeks from metal frames on glasses that would touch my cheeks when I smile; patches by my ears where the metal frames rested; patches on my fingers from wearing rings; my ear lobes swollen and red from earrings.  No fun this stuff.  I have even had three years of crazy issues with a tattoo on my calf, where the red ink (containing metal) was being rejected by my skin.  Just the red areas were puffy and swollen and trying to expel the ink.  Crazy!

A few years ago, I started to have issues with my underarms.  The same scaly, red, itchy patches were occurring, but it took me awhile to put two and two together.  It was actually my 10 year old that asked me "what is deodorant made of?"  I read off the contents and there it was - aluminum.  He shouted "You are allergic to metal!"  Smart kid!

I had realized that my deodorant was not absorbing into my skin, but sitting on top of it and creating a big, icky mess.  I would have to scrub it off everyday with a loofa and so I slowly stopped wearing it.  I don't have a big issue with sweating, so I really do not need an antiperspirant, but I do get stinky by the end of the day without something.  I started using a powder, by Perfectly Posh and that helped a lot.  It is great and has a faint scent of lemon berry.

One day, I decided that there must be some vegans or hippie folk out there on Etsy that made something.  I found Aspen Tree Naturals and this great lavender and tea tree deodorant made from organic coconut oil, organic shea butter, organic arrowroot, baking soda, lavender oil, tea tree oil and beeswax.  I was so excited that it came in a typical deodorant type container and that it was metal free.  It is really great stuff.

Because it is not as solid as a typical deodorant, I have actually decided that I don't like the "stick" as much.  I liked it because it was what I was used to but it is sort of goopy.  I scoop some out with my fingers and just rub it on with my hand.  I do the same with the Nature's Purest Gifts Deodorant - my second trial in organic deodorant.  I got the unscented and now wish I had not.  I do like having a little bit of scent.  It isn't overpowering.  It is made from coconut oil, cocoa butter, shea butter, beeswax, baking soda, arrowroot powder and essential oils.  I like it a lot too, but the same thing goes, it is easier to scoop some out with your fingers and rub on with your hand.

I received a coupon from my spouse for Primal Pit Paste, so I think I am going to order some of that next to try.  It is also natural, organic ingredients and you can get it in a stick or a jar.  I am going to try a jar this time, in fact, I am going to order some for my teen boys, too.  I don't like the thought of them putting a bunch of metals and chemicals all over their bodies.

Even if you do not have a metal allergy, I really recommend trying natural, organic deodorant (and other self care products).  We put way too many chemicals on our body.  I have started using a lot of the Perfectly Posh vegan products.  The face wash, moisturizer and body bar that I use everyday is vegan and chemical free.

Non Toxic Living

As much as I would like to clear out my cleaning supplies, hair and beauty products, pesticides, etc and replace them all with chemical free, "green" products, that isn't something that I can afford to do.  Most likely, you cannot either.  What have have been doing over the last year is slowly replacing everything I buy with less toxic and more natural products.

There are a lot of good alternatives you can buy and also many that you can make yourself, if you are into that type of thing.  Etsy and Pinterest have been a terrific way for me to find the things that I want or learn to make them myself.

Most of my skin care products come from Perfectly Posh.  They are cruelty-free as well as not containing many harmful chemicals.  No parabens, paraffins, gluten, fillers, soy, sulfates, lanolin, or phithalates.  And no animal testing.

On top of that, they feel and smell great and are packaged so hip many of the containers are reusable as well as having labels that peel off.  And they are made in the USA.  I love their vegan products and use most of them.

Simplify Your Life!

With the coming of Spring and warmer weather, comes that feeling I get every year of wanting to purge - ah, Spring cleaning!  I always have a hard time with this because of trying to make the time to do what needs to be done and balancing it with everything else that life has brought on.  This year, I am going to try to make some baby steps toward downsizing my life and I am starting with these three ideas:

• Minimize: Use less, conserve more. What can you use less of? Electricity, toilet paper, clothing, shoes, just to name a few.
• Maximize: Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. Basically, get the most out of your clothing, food, personal energy, resources, etc.
• Prioritize: Make time for what matters. Eliminate things that don't. Don't waste time, money, energy, or resources on the wrong things. Do you know what matters most to you?

So, I am going to sit down and grab my 2015 "Decomposition Book" that I started in January that has all my lists and ideas and gratitudes and start a new list of things that matter to me the most on a day to day basis and things that I spend time doing that I can not do.  Sometimes it is hard, because while I would like to not spend time on my commute to and from work, I have to as part of the job that I have.  But how can I start spending that time wiser?  Is there a way I can learn something or decompress more while driving to and from home?  Perhaps.

Beltane

Great Earth Mother!
We give you praise today and ask for your blessing upon us.  As seeds spring forth and grass grows green and winds blow gently and the rivers flow and the sun shines down upon our land, we offer thanks to you for our blessings and your gifts of life each Spring.

Merry Meet!  It is Beltane!  Light a fire, dance and feast, light a fire with the one you love!  Today is a turning point in the year and is all about the coming of Spring! The coming of fair weather and longer daylight hours would be most welcome after a long cold and dark winter.

To the pastoral Celtic people’s of Europe the changing pattern of the seasons was a matter of life and death, and marking these changes key moments in the life of the community. Beltane – “bright fire” – was one such marker celebrated in various forms across Ireland, Scotland and Man as the starting point of summer. A celebration of the time of light and growth to come, Beltane was associated with a variety of practices, from the display of fresh greenery to the baking of Beltane bannocks. Perhaps the most important element, however, was the lighting of Beltane fires on the first of May, which would recall the growing power of the sun and provide an opportunity to cleanse and renew the conditions of a community – both humans and their animals – that had spent the dark months indoors. 
In Scotland, the lighting of Beltane fires – round which cattle were driven, over which brave souls danced and leapt – would survive into modern times, although a process of slow decline saw towns and villages slowly abandon the practice in the nineteenth century. The last Beltane fire recorded in Helmsdale took place in 1820. In the middle years of the century the fires of Fife spluttered out, and by the 1870s they would go unlit in the Shetland Isles. By the start of the twentieth century, Edinburgh, which had for time immemorial seen beacons lit on Arthur’s Seat, ceased such public Beltane celebrations. (from A Detailed History of Beltane)

To me, Beltane is like the "new year" and I want to start off this new year living more green and sustainable; reusing or recycling; producing less waste and purging my house and life of things that do not bring me joy. (I read this great article about Marie Kondo, check it out!)  She says to discard everything that does not "spark joy" after thanking the objects for their service.  She says to dump your whole closet of clothes on your bed and go through them one by one and thank the one's you get rid of and only keep the one's that make you feel good.  I want to try this.