What Are You Putting Under Your Arms?

Do you know what goes into the making of commercial deodorant? I thought the brand that I used was the best. It kept me smelling fresh and it kept me from sweating. Now that I am transitioning to using all natural ingredients, I decided to read the label on the commercial deodorant in my home. I was shock when I realized what I have been putting under my arms since I was old enough to use deodorant. I decided to check my husband deodorant ingredients, and yes pretty much the same thing.
"Deodorant" is actually a cosmetic substance applied to your body to help prevent odor. People commonly brand any substance placed under the arms, deodorant. However, if you use antiperspirants your not just using deodorant, you are using a FDA approved over-the-counter drug under your arms. If you are wondering how an antiperspirant deodorant can be classified as an over-the-counter drug, here is why. According to Wikipedia, an over-the-counter drug is a substance use to treat a specific condition, in this case sweating, without the supervision of a physician. This substance also has to be proven to be "reasonably safe and tolerated". What makes antiperspirant deodorants an over-the-counter drug is that it contains aluminum. Aluminum can cause contact dermatitis in those that are allergic. Different brands of antiperspirant deodorants uses different compounds of aluminium, there are aluminium cholorhydrate, aluminium zirconium tetracholohydrate, aluminium salts, etc. It all varies on the commercial brand.

a famous anti-antiperspirant deodorant brand

The aluminium reacts with the oils produces by your sweat glands to create a plug. The more you use antiperspirant deodorant to less you will sweat because your sweat glands are being blocked. This could result in several side effects, such as darken armpits. Also with frequent use, your body will began to product an organically, Synthetic Musk Galaxolide. This is a musky, flowery, wood scent. Galaxolide is a fragrance sometimes used in commercial soaps, cosmetics and detergents. Just imaging the damaged your doing to your armpits.
Also, it is thought that the aluminium in antiperspirants causes breast cancer, dementia and Alzheimer's disease. There is even a warning on the label that states to consult with your doctor if you have kidney disease. Patients with high levels of aluminium and kidney disease are more likely to develop dementia. Thus, the FDA requires this warning on the labels. A study completed in the European Journal of Cancer finds between 1945 - 2000 antiperspirant sales increased 14,000%. With this increase many of the women who uses antiperspirants and shaved under their arms has been diagnosed with breast cancer 19 years earlier than women who did neither. This study is accepted, because the lymph nodes in your armpits are connected to the lymph nodes in your breast. Thus, linking what you put under your arms to the changes in your breast tissue.

How antiperspirants work. 

Other studies have been conducted to refute the study done by the European Journal of Cancer. According to Ted S. Gansler, MD, MBA, and director of medical content  for the  American Cancer Society, "There is no convincing evidence that antiperspirant ... use increases cancer risk". This is thought so because the aluminium is not absorbed into the body but forms a plug in the sweat duct as a chemical reaction. Although there has been a few chemicals produced from antiperspirants found in breast tissue, there is not enough evidence to show these chemicals are the cause of breast cancer. Right now scientist are still in the research phase. Studies are contradicting themselves on whether using antiperspirant is good or bad for your health. Since there is no confirmation of whether commercial deodorants can cause health problems or not, an alternative to using commercial deodorants/antiperspirants is make your own homemade deodorant. Therefore, knowing what you are putting under your arm.

Did you know you can easily make your own deodorant at home with kitchen ingredients familiar to you? Making your own deodorant will mask the odor, however, you will sweat. Sweating is your body's natural way of cooling down and removing waste. The perspiration from your body is really odorless. The odor comes from bacteria feeding on the oils from the sweat glands, dead skin and hair cells. When making homemade deodorant, if you use essential oils it will inhibit the growth of microbes, like bacteria. Thus, preventing odor. There are a wide range of deodorant recipes available on the internet. The one that caught my attention was the information offered by Wellness Mama. All the ingredients she used to make her natural deodorants were similar to the ingredients +Bloomfield Bath uses to make all of their Natural Body Care products.

Ingredients Needed:

1. Corn Starch/Arrowroot 
2. Baking Soda
3. Coconut Oil
4. Essential Oil 
1. this is the fragrance
5. Vitamin E
1. to keep the armpit area soft
6. An empty container

Directions: Quick and Easy

     Mix baking soda and corn starch together.(1/4 of cup of each) Mash in the coconut oil (6 tablespoons) with fork until well blended. Add oils (about 1 tablespoon) and store in container. 

I adjust this recipe based on what I had available in my cabinets. I did not have coconut oil, so I used Bloomfield Bath's Premium Body Butter~Unscented. As for Essential Oils, I used +Bloomfield Bath's Miracle Oil Hair and Body. When I placed my finished product under my arms, it had the same consistency of the antiperspirant I used before. If you have sensitive skin you may want to replace the baking soda with bentonite clay or using less baking soda. As I read some of the responses to this recipe, some of the makers added other ingredients like bees wax, unrefined, or a little lemon juice. The bees wax works like a hardener and the lemon juice is great with preventing your armpits from getting darkened. It's great to experiment to find the perfect product for you.

all the ingredients mixed

Applying homemade deodorant under your arms has other benefits, besides preventing clogged sweat glands. Homemade deodorants moisturize your armpits, allows your body to rid itself of toxins, keeps you from have under arm odor, and its budget friendly. When creating your own homemade deodorant, play around with the essential oils and ingredients until you find the consistency the works best for you. When I make my next batch, I am going to try with the Honey Almond Premium Body Butter. I like that signature scent from Bloomfield Bath. Although there are 11 other Signature Scents options, I want to start with my favorites until I find the right scent for me. There are more and more options available now for taking care of your skin and keeping it healthy and beautiful.  Using natural ingredients is the best way to preserve your skin's radiance.

after sanitizing my container, added the mixture.

The finished product

Witch Hazel & Ethyl Alcohol ~ What's the Difference?

Hamamelis virginiana tree

Hamamelis x. intermedia

 +Bloomfield Bath uses two alternatives to alcohol in the making of their skincare products, Witch Hazel and Cetearyl Alcohol. The cetearyl alcohol is used in the lotions, creams, butters, and conditioners to prevent the product from separating. The witch hazel extract is used in the Floral Water Skin Toner to help cleanse and moisturize your face, gently. This blog is going to address effects of witch hazel, cetearyl alcohol and ethyl alcohol on the skin and is only for informational purposes only. Please consult your dermatologist regarding your skincare needs.
  If you are wondering, "What is Witch Hazel?"It is a small tree found in the damp woods through out North America and Asia. There are 3 species in North America and one each in Japan and China. The extract is made from the bark, flowers and leaves. The colors of the petals can be yellow/pale, orange or red. The fruit has two parts each with a black, glossy seed. Eight months after the tree has flowered, the seed explodes from the fruit, flying up to 33 ft away from the tree. Most of the species of the Witch Hazel Tree blooms between January and March, except for the Virginian species. This species blooms between September and November. The branch of a witch hazel tree was once used to find water, now this tree is used as a natural herb for cleansing, moisturizing and toning the skin.

the buds on the witch hazel tree

The bark, leaves and twigs of the witch hazel tree has high amounts of tannins, which when used on your skin, will tighten pores, reduce/soothe aching, inflamed varicose veins and remove excess oils. All this without drying out or breaking down your skin cells. The properties of this tree causes the body tissues to contract which helps with reducing blood flow in minor bruises. There are many uses for witch hazel, most being external, and it is an ingredient used in many healthcare products. In addition to being able to tighten the skin and remove excess oils, witch hazel can be used as a natural remedy for psoriasis, eczema, cracked or blistering skin, poison ivy and even treating insect bites. Witch Hazel is a powerful antioxidant and it also contains procyanadins, resin, and flovonoids. These antioxidants contributes to the removal of damaging impurities. Witch Hazel will even treat sunburn and it will disinfect minor cuts. Many tattoo artists use witch hazel in the after care of doing a tattoo.

Home Remedy uses for Witch Hazel

Why shouldn't we use rubbing alcohol on insect bites, cuts and bruises? Ethyl Alcohol (also known as rubbing alcohol) is a flammable chemical made of a specialized methylated spirit (also known as Denatured), ethanol alcohol and water. (Denaturing makes the solution undrinkable when mixed without altering the chemical makeup.) Rubbing alcohol breaks down your skin's barriers preventing the skin from naturally protecting the body. Witch Hazel, on the other hand, nurtures the skin by moisturizing and preventing it from drying out. When you use witch hazel instead of rubbing alcohol, your skin will continue to doing what it is made to do, defend your body against harmful dirt and grim.

long term alcohol use on the skin prevents your skin from doing its job.

Alcohol can be mixed with any ingredient easily and some skin and hair care companies add this to their products, to increase the ability of their ingredients penetrating through the skin. Some of the ingredients may be good for the body, but there are some ingredients that could be damaging. The more you use alcohol on the skin, the more damage you are doing to your skin cells making it more difficult for them to be repaired. Some with oily skin may think that using ethyl alcohol to wipe away excess oils is helping, but this is not good practice. The alcohol will not only dry up the skin, but it will also cause your pores to produce additional oils as a response to the dry skin. Thus, causing you to use more alcohol. This is not a chain reaction you would want to repeat. The more you apply the alcohol to your skin to more it will tear down your skins barriers. Making you more susceptible to the invasion of impurities. There are natural options available to help keep your skin soft, beautiful and protected. Bloomfield Bath offers a Beautiful Face Set that comes with a cleanser, a toner (alcohol free) and a moisturizer. The beauty in the set is you do not have to use all ingredients at once for the product to work. If you use the cleanser in the morning, there is no need to use the toner. If you choose to use the toner that night, no need for the cleanser. You may want to use the face cream to add moisture, but the key here is minimum works best. There are three floral water options: jasmine, lavender, and rose. This is not a scent choice, it is more of a type of flower you would prefer to receive floral water from. 

Another way to draw out impurities and gently exfoliate your face is using the Facial Mask. The mask contains natural fruit extracts and are beneficial to your body's care as well.

The 2nd alternative to alcohol that Bloomfield Bath uses to keep your skin protected is a natural vegan alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol. Cetearyl Alcohol is a mix of  cetyl and stearyl alcohol and it is found in plants. Cetearyl Alcohol works as a foaming agent in addition to be a stabilizer. This alcohol helps binds ingredients together, naturally. The added bonus of Cetearyl Alcohol is the calming properties that maintains the skins smoothness and softness. Your skin's barriers is the protection your body requires. So Use alcohol free products and say "Bye-Bye" to ethyl alcohol for your skincare needs. 

Bloomfield Bath

Orange Goodness

+Bloomfield Bath is introducing a new scent for the summer, it is called "Orange You Glad".  You can have that scent, or any of Bloomfield Bath's other signature scents, applied to any of our signature soap bars or body products. Today I am going to talk about the advantages oranges provides for your skin. Most people understands that oranges are a great source of calcium and folic acid and this is a great aid for your health in general. Did you know that the orange also produces ingredients that aid in great skin care? Even the peel of the orange will help protect and care for your skin. Let's talk about the orange peel. 

   

The orange peel has more Vitamin C than the pulp of the orange, it helps reduce aging and oiliness of your skin, and it can aid in the cleaning out of excess dirt and bacteria that could clog your pores. Orange peels can even lighten dark spots and give your skin that shine everyone strive to get. Since the orange peel have more Vitamin C than the orange itself, it will protect your skin again premature ageing. You can use the orange peel by drying it, then grind it into a powder to be use as a body scrub or by placing the powder in milk or milk cream to be applied to your face.(Please dilute the paste because of the high content of citric acid) When the orange peels are added to the upper layer of your skin it will meet 16% of your daily dietary supplements for calcium. Which is also great for bone strength. Over time, the orange peel paste will reduce any blemishes and dark spot and provide your skin with a natural glow. Topical application of oranges peels on your skin removes dirt and dead skin cells keeping your skin moist and toned. It also defends your skin against harmful UV rays. The Vitamin C and calcium antioxidants maintains the oils in your skin reversing dry skin helping your skin look and feel healthy.

Not only are oranges good for your skin but they, also, boost your hair health. Oranges stimulates hair growth, treats dandruff, and is the perfect conditioner for your hair and scalp. In addition to vitamin C, the orange contains vitamin B and insonitol, which helps avoids hair loss and stimulates hair growth. When applied to the scalp or used as a cleanser or rinse, the orange, naturally can rid your scalp of dandruff leaving your hair clean and shiny. Now you can add the orange to your list of natural products usable for great skin health.

Orange You Glad

Scents Leads the Way

Scent is one of the most powerful senses. It can trigger wonderful thoughts or enjoyable memories. Bloomfield Bath-Natural Body Care scents will make your special memories shine. Bloomfield Bath can customize your body polish and butter (or lotion or cream) with the scents of your choice. Our Signature Scents are In your Dreams, On the Island, Candy Store, Coconut Cream, Oh My Oats and Honey, Euphoric, Classy Lady, and Perfect Gentleman. The Signature Oil Blends are Lemongrasser, Lavender Love, and Honey Almond. What is your favorite scent?
Signature Scents