Tips to detox your whole life
Anyone that’s been following me for a while will know how I adore a good detox!
It’s one of the things that Endermologie does so well with our bodies, but obviously I can’t help you with Endermologie right now, so I thought I’d throw some suggestions out to you to help with your own detoxes at home.
Now, I’m not going to focus entirely on diet as a thorough detox means cleaning out the clutter everywhere else too, so bear with me if it feels like I go a little off-tangent with some of my suggestions over the next few days.
To start off, I want you to consider your underarm deodorant. Let’s face it, a quarantine situation is a perfect time to play with different solutions to see what works for you and what doesn’t! Your family /housemates might not thank me for this suggestion now, but they will in the long run! And when I say that, I mean it, because we have good reason to believe that most commercial deodorant products are really not great for our long-term health.
Many of the better-known commercial products contain a list of ingredients that makes me squirm. For example, there’s those pesky parabens. Parabens are a chemical preservative used widely in cosmetics. There’s plenty of evidence that suggests parabens interfere with endocrine regulation – i.e. they affect the way our bodies produce and regulate hormones such as oestrogen. Given we apply deodorant to our underarms right at the source of many important lymph nodes and very close to our oestrogen-sensitive beast tissue (in men and women), there’s a real concern that it could promote the growth of cancer cells.
Then there’s aluminum. This metallic ingredient might keep your ‘pits’ dry, but it can also cause gene instability, which again could lead to the growth of cancer cells. We know that most breast cancers occur closest to the underarm region and many cases of diagnosed breast cancer sufferers have used commercial deodorants that contain aluminum. So, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out this isn’t a great correlation.
Next on my naughty list are phthalates (pronounced “thalites”). These chemicals are found almost everywhere, nail polish, perfume, shampoo, most types of synthetic flooring, kids toys and yep, you knew it, deodorants! These can also disrupt hormone function; this time androgenic hormones such as testosterone. Now, this doesn’t mean it’s a problem just for blokes. Us women produce androgenic hormones in our ovaries, adrenal glands and fat cells. Deregulation of these androgen hormones can cause all kinds of problems for us, such as delayed or early onset of puberty, regulation of hair growth, and issues with organ function including digestion, muscle growth and liver regeneration. Not to mention its role in maintaining a healthy bone density and a healthy sex life. So again, not ideal to be spraying on your underarm on a regular basis!
And, I can’t not mention triclosan. The one ingredient I love to hate. This stuff is also everwhere! In hand wash, paints, mouthwash, anti-acne products, kitchen chopping boards and sports clothes etc. Bleugh. It’s designed to kill bacteria and it does this well.
The thing is, as humans beings, we have at least a thousand identified bacteria living on our skin. These bacteria play an important role in protecting our skin and are our first line of defence against many diseases. They actually activate an immune response to prevent potentially serious infections. We need these bacteria to survive and thrive. Remember our skin is our largest living organ so it’s really important we look after it, so I urge you to chuck away anything with triclosan in it, yep even that handwash by your kitchen sink and stick to a proper handwashing technique with a mild soap instead. P.S. If you think I’m over-reacting, you might be surprised to know that when tested, 75% of Americans had detectable levels of triclosan in their urine and when they tested the effects of triclosan in animals they noticed it caused impaired thyroid function which is crucial for brain development.
And the list could go on, but the out-take is the same, when you put potentially toxic chemicals on your skin, it may absorb at least some of them and with repeated use in a sensitive area like the underarm, the outcome may be detrimental.
So, what to do instead?
Luckily, there are plenty of natural alternatives on the market now and I’ve tested most of them! I wish I could recommend just one brand, but I really think it comes down to personal preference and trial and error. The common ingredients in most of these products are: coconut oil, shea butter, essential oils for scent and either bicarb of soda or tapioca to keep the skin dry. I’ve tried many of my own concoctions over the years – it’s really simple to blend up these ingredients until you’ve found a consistency and smell that you like. My skin doesn’t tolerate repeated use of anything with bicarb in it, and although tapioca flour is not as bad, it also causes my skin to flare up after a time, so I tend to alternate.
There’s also a crystal deodorant which is essentially a block of potassium alum. Again, it takes a little getting used to, but for day-to-day wear it’s actually quite effective.
Some people recommend an armpit detox before you transition to more natural products. Usually that’s as simple as mixing up some bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar into a paste, or mix equal parts bentonite clay and coconut oil which is a little gentler on the skin. Then apply this for about 5 to 10 minutes and wash off and repeat approximately once a week.
Obviously, it’s best to wear natural fibers and let your skin ‘breathe’ as much as possible, i.e. don’t wear restrictive clothes that prevent circulation to your skin in that area. Plus keeping your diet clean and drinking plenty of water will also help.
So, perhaps it’s time you considered giving your armpits a detox? Let me know how you go will you and if you find a product that you think is unbeatable?
