Sunday, 6 May 2012
'Green' deodorant
I HATE PLASTIC!
Well, that's not quite true. Plastic is a wonderful material in itself; lightweight, strong and colourful BUT (and it's a huge, mega-sized 'but', bigger even than mine, and that's saying something!) it takes hundreds of years to break down and, not being a natural product, never actually decomposes. It also requires oil to make it, which we're rapidly running out of. (Have a look at Soul Soup Sister's blog post about where a lot of plastic ends up.) So I am trying to avoid buying products in plastic containers - for example, I buy rice pudding and custard in tins, which can easily be recycled.
One product which always comes in plastic containers is anti-perspirant/deodorant. (Except spray cans, but they can't be recycled either.) On the recommendation of another blog friend, Ember, I tried a Lush dry deodorant bar. Lush cut down the need for packaging by taking the water out of things like shampoo and deodorant, and try to use natural ingredients. I have to say that this is the MOST EFFECTIVE deodorant I've ever used. I love the zingy smell too! It takes a change of routine to use it since it is neither a roll on or a spray but a bar. I found it quickly broke into pieces so I keep it in a little lidded pot. To use it I wet my fingers and scoop up some of the powder (you only need a very little) to make a kind of paste, then apply to my underarms. It has never marked my clothes and keeps me fresh all day, unlike my old roll ons which used to give a sour smell by the end of the day.
However, I have now run out. My nearest Lush store is 40 miles away. I can order online, as I did last time, and Lush are committed to recyclable and biodegradable packaging, but it still seems a waste to send it all that way. I looked up the ingredients in the Lush bar and the main active ingredient seems to be bicarbonate of soda, with most of the rest of it being a combination of essential oils to make it smell nice. Sooooo I have come across what looks like a good recipe for homemade deodorant. When I've tried it for a week or so I'll let you know how I've got on!
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hmmm - very much like the idea of the Lush deodorant, I'll keep an eye out for that, thanks for a good tip - I must have missed it on Ember's blog
ReplyDeleteIt's really good, Kat. Hope you like it too x x
DeleteI hate plastic too... as you know. I have grown peas this year like I do every year. Normally I put up plastic pea netting for the peas to grow up, but this year I can't do it! I can't use plastic! So this year I plan to concoct a natural structure for them to grow up.
ReplyDeleteLush products are wonderful aren't they. I keep meaning to try their shampoo bars... no plastic there!
I have been using bicarb of soda as my deodorant for about 6 months. I just rub a small amount into my arm pits each morning, sometimes I add a drop of essential oil.
Much love to you.
Ooh thanks for that, Trish. A lot of people commenting on the website I mentioned said that bicarb of soda on its own was too harsh, causing irritation, which is why the amended recipe mixes it with cornstarch. I gather that here in the UK cornstarch is cornflour - hope it doesn't turn into some kind of sauce under my arms!!! Lol x x
DeleteHow has the new deodorant worked for you? And, you are correct corn starch is corn flour.
ReplyDeleteLinked to your blog from Ember's blog.
Blessings to you,
Bean
Hi Bean. Amazingly, YES IT WORKS!!! It didn't work as well as I'd hoped on the first day, but I don't think I put enough on. It even worked when I did my exercise class; my face and back were sweaty but no pit stains and no smell! Mind you, I washed as soon as I got home and re-applied - don't know if I'd have stayed fresh all day. I'm thinking of experimenting now by adding bicarb of soda to Simple talc.
DeleteI will give it a whirl, thank you for the info.
DeleteBean
Don't have too much of a downer on plastic mate, it can be recycled. I know from experience of my own area's woefully lack recycling system, that all plastics can, technically, be recycled, but not all recycle organisation will take all types. Here we can recycle most plastics, packets that washing capsules come in, milk cartons, soft drinks bottles etc. One thing that I have a lot of, that won't get taken away for recycling, I have tried, is the spindle packs that blank DVDs come in. They get put back for me to put onto landfill, which is a big shame. Lots of things that get put onto landfill can be recycled but they just don't do it. We can also recycle our aerosol cans here and old batteries.
ReplyDeleteGood luck mate. Look forward to reading how you get on.
I'm glad they recycle lots more plastics where you live, Sarah. I agree that lots of things go to landfill when they could have been recycled. There's still the problem of them being oil based, and that oil will run out one day.
Delete