Do Yourself Well: A Case for The Armpit Detox
Summer is a good time to air out your armpits for a variety of reasons. Here’s why you should detox ’em and how to do it.
Summer or not, your armpits are basically a black hole for sweat, oil, dirt and whatever deodorant you roll on every day. Because the skin of your underarms is, well, skin, it absorbs what’s on top of it. In winter, spring and fall, all that absorption and buildup can lead to irritation and inflammation, but throw in summer’s heat and extra perspiration? That black hole can quickly turn into a breeding ground for bacteria and result in some pretty funky stuff happening south of your shoulders.
“Funky stuff” includes, but is not limited to: extra odorous pits as a result of excess bacteria, irritation due to your skin’s microbiome being out of whack, painfully dry and irritated patches as a result of a skin barrier that isn’t functioning optimally, and more.
The good news is that there’s a pretty simple way to combat the aforementioned “funky stuff”: cleansing your armpit pores.
Yup, that’s right, your pits have pores. And those pores function just like the ones all over the rest of your skin. They need to be free and clear to “breathe” and do their job. But if they’re all clogged up with that lethal combination of sweat, dirt, oil and product, they can’t do their job properly and thus must be detoxed.
What’s more, if you’ve been using a conventional deodorant or antiperspirant, there’s a chance their chemicals and additives are hanging out in your body (possibly even your lymph nodes), blocking your body’s ability to sweat the way nature intended.
A Few Suggestions On How To Detox Your Armpits, Keep Them Happy And Healthy, And Generally Feel Better About The State Of Your Underarm Health
Like all good skincare DIYs, your armpit detox should start with Apple Cider Vinegar. From there, you’ve got a couple of options:
- ACV + Baking Soda + Charcoal: Mix three parts water, one part apple cider vinegar, and one teaspoon each of baking soda and charcoal. The ACV will help detox skin while the baking soda works to calm inflammation as the charcoal binds to the gunk in your pores and draws it out, leaving skin free and clear to breathe normally again.
- ACV + Baking Soda + Clay: Mix three parts water, one part ACV, and one teaspoon each of baking soda and clay. Swapping bentonite clay for charcoal will result in an easy-to-apply paste that you can use for a few days in a row to reset those pits.
When your pits are free and clear, consider a natural odor- and moisture-fighter that’s free of chemicals and additives that can mess with your pits. Just because a deodorant doesn’t feature aluminum or parabens doesn’t mean it’s not super-effective, all while being a lot better for your bod. Need a place to start? Consider the deodorant stick from Humble, which comes in three incredible, unexpected scents. Or 31st & State’s roller option that employs potassium and zinc to fight odor-causing bacteria. Or Lulu Organics’ Cream Deodorant, which is basically fingerpainting for your pits. Or Kaia Naturals’ Takesumi Detox Deodorant because it provides a mini armpit detox every time you wear it.
Happy perspiring!
Free People Blog
This post first appeared on Bldg 25 Blog – The Free People Fashion & Inspira, please read the originial post: here
