The weather will be brutal over the next couple of weeks because of heat and humidity. That means you will be sweating up a storm, which is actually a good thing since perspiration is your body’s natural way to try to cool you down. If you would like to smell good during the sweltering heat, you may want to take advantage of our 20% savings on MoM aluminum-free deodorant. More about the sale in a moment.
What Causes Body Odor?
Sweat per se does not smell. The trouble is that sweat plus the natural bacteria that normally thrive in your armpits means the chance for body odor will increase dramatically over the next several weeks. Are you ready for the challenge?
Astonishing factoid # 1:
There are over 150 different kinds of bacteria living on the skin of your underarms. Some are more likely to cause unpleasant odors than others.
Astonishing factoid # 2:
The bad actors (Staphylococcus hominis and a couple of cousins) that have set up housekeeping in your armpits secrete compounds called thioalcohols. As these chemicals evaporate, they can smell like sulfur (rotten eggs, meat gone bad or nasty onions). As little as 1 part per trillion can be detected within several feet.
Astonishing factoid # 3:
Just cutting back on perspiration won’t necessarily make you smell good. The key to success is changing the bacterial ecology of your underarms.
Antiperspirants to the Rescue?
Most people do not want to offend friends or family with body odor so they reach for an antiperspirant at least once a day. The commercials on television make it seem as if an antiperspirant is the way to smell good in the summer. It has become a regular habit for millions of Americans to take a shower first thing in the morning and smear on the antiperspirant. But do you know what’s in your antiperspirant?
Concerns About Aluminum-Containing Antiperspirants:
Most people never bother to read labels, especially when it comes to long, hard-to-pronounce ingredients in body care products. Check your antiperspirant and you will almost assuredly find chemicals such as aluminum chloride, aluminum chlorohydrate or aluminum-zirconium salts. Even “natural” crystal deodorants can contain aluminum in the form of alum.
So what’s the big deal about aluminum? Search online for information about aluminum toxicity and you will likely see articles downplaying any risk. Some call any association between aluminum and Alzheimer’s disease an urban myth. But we found an interesting overview in the journal Neuroscience Letters (Jan. 1, 2016) titled: “Chronic Exposure to Aluminum and Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease: A Meta-Analysis.”
The authors reviewed eight epidemiological studies involving 10,567 individuals. They found that:
“Individuals chronically exposed to Al [aluminum] were 71% more likely to develop AD [Alzheimer’s disease]. The findings suggest that chronic Al exposure is associated with increased risk of AD.”
Does Aluminum Get Into Your Body?
Most people assume that what they put on their skin never gets into their bodies. That is not always true. British researchers reported a fascinating case a few years ago in the Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry (May, 2012).
“Aluminum salts such as aluminum chlorohydrate (ACH) are known for use as an active antiperspirant agent that blocks the secretion of sweat. A local case report of hyperaluminemia in a woman using an aluminum-containing antiperspirant for 4 years raises the problem of transdermal absorption of aluminum (Al). Only a very limited number of studies have shown that the skin is an effective barrier to transdermal uptake of Al…high transdermal Al uptake on stripped skin should compel antiperspirant manufacturers to proceed with the utmost caution.”
Many women shower, shave their underarms and then apply an antiperspirant. We worry that shaved skin may provide a portal to aluminum absorption.
Researchers writing in the Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology (April, 2014) seemingly agree with us:
“…given that the toxicity of Al has been widely recognized and that it is not a physiological component in human tissues, reducing the concentration of this metal in antiperspirants is a matter of urgency.”
No one can say for sure whether daily applications of aluminum antiperspirants for decades might pose a health risk. We have been surprised, however, that there have been so few well-conducted published studies of aluminum absorption through the thin skin of the armpits.
We did find one study of aluminum chloride applications to the palms of the hands (for treating hyperhidrosis or sweaty palms). The investigators discovered that aluminum did pass through the sweat ducts of the upper layer of the skin (stratum corneum). Until long-term research is conducted on this essential question, we are sticking with magnesium hydroxide as a deodorant.
The Story on Developing MoM Deodorants to Smell Good:
Over 10 years ago we heard from a reader of our syndicated newspaper column:
Q. I want to share a remedy I learned about when traveling in Brazil. Just apply milk of magnesia to your armpits. It is the best underarm deodorant!
A. What an unusual idea. Milk of magnesia contains magnesium hydroxide, which is both an antacid and a laxative. We have never heard of applying it to underarms, though. Perhaps it reduces the acidity of the skin to make odor-forming bacteria less welcome.
Several years after we heard that milk of magnesia was especially helpful against body odor, we decided to try and come up with an easy applicator. We worked hard to eliminate the aluminum and the bleach (found in most drugstore milk of magnesia products) and find a roll-on system that would make MoM easy to apply.
Here is a video to explain more about this product.
Eventually our brilliant natural products chemist created a terrific unscented formulation. He also helped us develop an Aluminum-Free Women’s MoM Roll-On deodorant with a gentle floral fragrance and an Aluminum-Free Men’s MoM formula with a fresh herbal fragrance.
We want you to smell good going into the hottest days of the summer. That’s why we are offering a special 20% sale on our most popular 2 oz. unscented Aluminum-Free MoM Roll-on Deodorant.
Take a moment to read some reviews:
Genie in Willow Spring, NC, says:
“Love it! First time in 60+ yrs I don’t have an odor. Even tried prescription deodorant, didn’t work.”
Elizabeth in Virginia asked for a Men’s MoM and we complied:
“Fantastic to be able to avoid crystal deodorants and their alum — I’m so angry that I was mislead by them into thinking that they had no aluminum! This works JUST as well, even on tough days when I have to speak to hundreds of people and really sweat. Please make a version with a new name so that I can give it to my son for PE class and he won’t be embarrassed in the locker room! Thanks!”
Chuck in Brandon, SD, switched from MOM to MoM:
“It is not like I have not used MOM (milk of magnesia) before. I have been using actual MOM and I bought yours because of no alum.
Never a whiff of body odor. Yours is also thinner and I like that. It works very well. You don’t need heavy soap to wash your old deodorant out and it does not ruin your shirts with deodorant that turns hard and does not wash out.”
Judy and Bill from Florida:
“We tried various aluminum-free deodorants and always gave up…they simply did not work. I still wanted aluminum-free and ordered MoM. It works perfectly for both of us, no matter the weather or activity. We will never use any other product. Thank you for it!”
Save 20% on Aluminum-Free MoM Roll-On Deodorant!
With the hot weather upon us, we wanted to make our original formula MoM available, especially to new users. The special discount code is Summer16. It is good only for a few more days, until the end of July, 2016. Please put that code into the discount box on the right as you check out. Here is a link. Don’t forget the discount code:
