Why I'm here - underarm BO

Start here! Share your feelings
#1

Hey peoples,

I just want to share with everybody why I’m here in the hopes that other people wont be so hesitant to join for the same reason - and hopefully wont feel too badly about the solution that I’m choosing for the long term. Personally, I think it’s awfully embarrassing…

I’m a 36yo hetero male that started having sort-of bad underarm BO. I switched to Mitchum about a year and a half ago - not because there was any problem at that point in time… It was just that I wanted a change of pace and this one happened to work great… Just as the stick said, I actually COULD skip a day if I wanted to. However, recently it hasn’t been working as well.

I searched the net for reasons why and some said to switch deodorants because one’s body ends up getting used to a particular one - which was strange seeing as how I already DID switch well beforehand even though I wasn’t ‘stinky’ at the time! :blush: However, since the problem recently started, I did switch to a deodorant-only product, but the problem still persisted somewhat. I believe it could also be due to hormones changing as one get older, but I’m not sure.

I searched further and found that many people said that if someone has no underarm hair, that the odor is greatly reduced. Well – being a guy, I was extremely hesitant to try this out. After researching it a bit more, I found that a decent percentage of males actually do shave their underarms - not a HUGE percentage, but a good many. I even notice that on TV now, that there’s a pretty high percentage of guys that shave their pits.

SOO - after discovering that AND all the incredible people on this forum, I decided to take the plunge and shave my pits to see if it would help much. It turns out that it helps a GREAT DEAL - so much so, that I don’t really even have to put either anti-antiperspirant and/or deodorant on anymore! Sure, it still helps if I put some on, but if I’m not doing anything physical that day, I certainly don’t need to!! Not anymore! :smiley:
Plus when I DO put some deodorant on, I just need sooo much less that it’s a great economical decision too.
It works so well for this problem that I even bought an epilator so I don’t have to do it as often - hurt like all hell at first, but it’s not that bad at all anymore.

I’ve read that many people say that one feels much cooler even with just only shaving their underarms, but I haven’t been able to test that one out quite yet.

Anyways, for those of you that read this far… Thanks for hearing me out - it feels good just to vent!

#2

Wonderful post. You may also wish to check out “Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal” by TCCD international PO Box 10761 Pompano Beach, FL 33061 www.tccd.com

When used correctly (clean the underarms, and rub under the arms either before they dry, or wet the crystal in order to activate it) and one will not only be dry, but one will reduce, or eliminate odors. It is best to rub the crystal under the arms until the area becomes dry to dispence the correct amount of product. It can also be used on feet, breasts, and other moist areas without problems or adding bad tastes to the skin.

#3

Certain-dri. Works like a charm. My husband had an issue at one point of time. When you first start using it , you put it on every night before bed. Then you gradualy reduce it to once a week. My husband found it to work better after shaving the underarms, even though its not recomended to put Certain Dri on freshly shaved skin. But obviously you dont need that any longer.:slight_smile:

#4

Hey hoggy, if you are going to shave your underarms, and you like that feeling, why not just have them lased?? If you have dark, coarse hair on light skin, just go for it with an quality laser. underarms are a great area for LASER hair reduction. No need for razors or special deodorants.

#5

Hey James - it’s nice to see someone of your caliber posting in this thread. I checked that site out and saw that the shipping charges are kind of ludicrous.
Same goes for the ‘Certain-dri’ product that Sanny suggests.

However, if I see either product anywhere locally - like at Walmart, Target, Kmart, or the like… I will not hesitate to buy it and check it out!

Dfahey - Unfortunately, I have very light hair on very light skin, so I don’t think laser would help.
I actually have mixed feelings about ‘shaven’, or rotary-epilated in my case, underarms. I do like the feel and, so far, there has been hardly any itching to speak of… But my skin kind of seems to be ‘sticky’ - yet I don’t want to use powders due to the smell. I’m also not sure I want it to be permanent, due to the stigma with guys with no pit hair. Although - I’ll completely, absolutely & wholeheartedly agree to the fact that seeing ANY guy’s pit hair is utterly disgusting! :sick:

#6

You can use cornstarch, there’s no smell.

I’ve seen the Crystal type deodorants at Walgreens.

#7

I might try some cornstarch at some point… What has been bugging me though is even with powders - doesn’t it ‘wear off’ pretty quickly? I just can’t imagine that either cornstarch or powder would last very long whatsoever under the arms. I would figure it would rub against a shirt and come off right away…

James - do you know the ingredients to that “Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal”? Or, Sanny - what about the ingredients to Certain-dri? I would like to compare them with the crystal type ones at Walgreens that Choice has spoken of.

Thanks.

#8

Cornstarch works well, I use it to help alleve chafing and sweating. I like it far more than baby or talcum powder because it is absorbent, really cheap and doesn’t smell and make me sneeze.

I remember Certain-Dri uses aluminum chloride as opposed to what other antiperspirants use. Certain Dri really works well to stop sweat; in a tg makeup tricks video I have they recommend using it on the upper lip to stop sweat from ruining heavy makeup cover put over the lip to hide shadow. It does work! She gave an explanation as to how it works but I don’t have handy right now.

#9

Vickie - you’re talking about under the arms? – in regards to cornstarch and/or powders ‘rubbing off’ quickly?

I’ve done enough reading to find out that aluminum compounds seem to be invariably associated with stopping perspiration. I know aluminum chloride is the most common one. The Mitchum I’ve been using in the past contains aluminum sesquichlorohydrate. (Say THAT one 5 times fast! :wink: I’ve read that, essentially, the aluminum part of the compound clogs the pores so that sweat doesn’t come out of them.

What I don’t know is if there is any real difference between all the aluminum compounds - or if there is any alternative to aluminum as far as antiperspirants are concerned.

That is now why Certain-dry may be out of the running, since it may be an aluminum compound. As I said, I first had awesome - nay, incredible - results when switching to Mitchum for about 1.5 years or more until recently. (You may want to start getting cautious again, Sanny! :wink:

So I guess the last thing to wonder about so far, are the main ingredients in ‘Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal’ that James mentioned.
Plus, from what I’ve read - it’s been suggested to stay away from antiperspirants for a bit and just stick with deodorants only.

#10

Hoggy:

I have a different problem and am dealing with the same issue. I have a slight under arm rash that not a doctor or dermatologist can really diagnose. I’ve been told everything from rosacea to heat rash (and I don’t think it’s the latter).

To compound it, I’ve always had sensitive skin there and have not been able to use deodorant for years (had to use baby powder).

But with the rash, the hair made it much worse. I couldn’t shave them because it made it worse (and felt weird about it). However, I had laser hair removal on my chest and while at my clinic (where they do waxing), they recommended waxing my underarms and trying rosacea syrum.

It helped tremendously. After a couple of months, the rash isn’t gone but it is greatly reduced. However, besides the syrum, the other thing is I must keep the area pretty much free from hair.

I talked to a few professionals and a friend or two - and they told me to do what makes me feel better and more comfortable.

So, I guess my long winded point to you is that I understand the challenge of deciding whether to remove the hair or not - and to me, for a health related reason, we should do what we need to do.

Best of luck - and BTW, baby powder works great under there on smoother skin.

#11

I’ve been using Certain Dri since I was in my teens and it has been a lifesaver. All my friends are now addicted to it too. Btw, it’s sold in most drugstores (CVS etc), so no shipping charges to pay. I think it’s around $7 now. Would definitely recommend it.

And yes, shaving or at least trimming the hair short (what my guy friends do) helps a lot - in part because the deodorant you’re applying is actually coming more in contact with the skin than the hair.

#12

Hey Lesshair,

Yeah - this forum states not to ask questions, so your post helps to serve that purpose and get it back on track.

I’ve been thinking a LOT lately on what to say in the unlikely event that someone notices that I have no underarm hair.

My thinking at this point is - I’ll just simply tell them the TRUTH. That it has cut down heavily on odor and is a lot easier to wash… …That I have to use far less product, so it makes economical sense too.
If they get juvenile - and I don’t think they would anymore - I’ll just say something like “F**k you, stinky ape boy!” :wink:

The main problem with most powders is that they tend to smell kinda ‘girly’ - the other problem being that I don’t think they would last long anyway in order to justify the added cost.
It may be due to the fact that I should just get used to it and ‘suck it up’, as Monk’s assistant has said on the TV show. :smiley:

And thanks, Lagirl - I will definitely pick up some of that Certain Dri to check it out. Perhaps I’ll be able to go a week or three without showering, hey?? <evil grin> (Just kidding, of course.)

#13

The one I listed is Potassium Alum and Aloe Vera. The maker says they create their Potassium Alum using Potassium and Chromium and that no aluminum is used in their product. They claim the action of the product is that it is an astringent that keeps the bacteria from building up and thus fights odor that way.

It should also be noted that antiperspirants all act by clogging the pores and are absorbed by the buy in an effort to clear them. This requires the kidney, liver and the blood brain barrier to encounter the ingredients of your antiperspirant, and is one reason sited for things like Alzheimer’s and Parkenson’s as the aluminum chlorohydrate mixes with the fluoride and chlorine found in toothpasts and municipal water supplies. People forget that while one thing may be relatively harmless, when combined with other things, a new deadly cumulative threat may be created. You are told not to swallow toothpast, mouthwashes, and tooth whiteners because they are toxic, but if you are putting them in your mouth, they are being absorbed into your blood through the mucus membrain tissues under the tongue and the back and sides of the mouth anyway.

Floride is a good example. One is supposed to avoid fluoride in excess of 1 ppm in a litre of water, but most municipal water supplies are floridated at 0.5 ppm - 1ppm, so anyone drinking a gallon of municipal water per day may as well be in one of Hitler’s concentration camps for all the fluoride they are getting per day. Add to that the fluoride in their favorite toothpaste, and that number of daily exposure increases. Fluoride is also in many popular mouthwashes, and some people even do fluoride rinses on top of all this. Some people are exposing themselves to levels of fluoride that could be measured in milligrams, or even grams per day at this rate.

#14

The formula for chromium potassium alum is CrK(SO4)2.12H20, and the MSDS can be found at:
http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/C4367.htm

The formula for common potassium alum (with aluminum) is KAl(SO4)2·12(H2O). The MSDS can be found at:
http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/a2856.htm

#15

I would like to report that for the past year, I have been using simple Milk of Magnesia as deodorant/anti-perspirant, and it has worked better than my wildest expectations. It is also way less expensive than commercial underarm products. Furthermore, the dark irritation that had been in my underarms from using commercial anti-perspirants has fadded away. The only “problem” was finding a rifillable glass roll on bottle so that I don’t have to pour out a spot of it on the product lid in order to use it to apply the product.

If you choose to give this a try, you need to look for the plain milk of magnesia. No flavors, no additives, no sucralose. The only thing the ingredients should say is; Magnesium Hydroxide, Purified Water, Sodium Hypochlorite.

If you are in the US, make sure that you look for the listing of “Inactive Ingredients” as well as the “Active Ingredients” as these can be separated by the full length of the lable, and strangely the unwanted stuff like Sucralose, Menthol and so on, when present, are listed in the Inactive Ingredients. In the US, the listing will say:
Active Ingredient: Magnesium Hydroxide
Inactive Ingredients: Purified Water Sodium Hypochlorite.

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#16

Hey, If no one has already said this, baking soda will kill even serious BO. Just dampen the pit and rub on. I have had to use it when I already smelled aweful, and it eliminated the smell entirely.

#17

You have a good point. Perhaps I should have noted that although the M.O.M does great at keeping you dry most times, and thus eliminating the source of the odor, baking soda can give that extra insurance one may need.

After that last post I made, I started adding baking soda to my mix for just that reason. One can just put a dab of it under the pit after washing, and then add the Milk Of Magnesia, then use a blow drier to quick dry it so one doesn’t have any white marks in the clothing.

Bonus information:

If you get one of those deodorant/antiperspirant containers that have the “glide on gel” you can refill it easily with your M.O.M. plus Baking Soda mix. Letting the M.O.M. thicken up some by sitting it out to evaporate some of the water will make the mixture thicker and easier for use.

Now you have a reusable commercial deodorant antiperspirant container that holds a natural deodorant antiperspirant that you make on your own. A roll-on bottle would work best (no thickening required) but the new packages discourage refilling as they can’t be easily opened without compromising the package. The old glass roll-on bottles had an insert top and you could remove the roll on ball with a twist, and refill the bottle and push the insert cylinder holding the ball back in and reuse. Ah, the good old days.

#18

Thanks James, I have never heard of the M O M used in this way. I like the idea as I prefer all natural remedies when possible, J

#19

Oh, I just found roll on bottles at Cranberrylane.com, they are very cheap. I plan to make some of the J Walker De-funk