Well, to take up my own challenge and stay unashamed, try not using deodorant. Just wash your arm pits every day (that sponge bath thing if you're not showering). When I first tried this 25 years ago, the first couple of weeks were pretty difficult. I smelled really bad - it seemed like I was purging all those toxins that deodorant/anti-perspirant had prevented me from purging for years. I thought, "Wow, I am going to have to abandon this experiment!" Then all of a sudden it got better and that daily washing took care of the problem. I have spoken to other people who have had this same experience. And if you think that I just got used to the smell, I am willing to bet money that my coworkers, the people in my yoga class, and the people I dance with don't think of me as "that smelly woman".
When you think of what deodorant and anti-perspirant do - either mask odors or prevent your body from perspiring, which is important to ridding your body of toxins - you may want to look at other solutions to the problem you are trying to solve. The odor is there because there is something on your skin that has a smell you don't want to have. Use plain old soap and water to wash it off. No more little plastic bottles. Earthily, Gail At 04:29 PM 2/26/2008, you wrote: >I was not offended by Tony's comment (I gave him the benefit of the >doubt and assumed he had tongue-in-cheek); in fact, given his >profession (chef), I hope he does wash his hair more often than I do. > >But staying earthy (and along the lines of that great series of >graphics re: all our "by-products" on display at IC): > >Does anyone have suggestions for deodorants that do not come with >lots of plastic packaging? > >I brush my teeth with baking soda, and the cardboard container is >easily recycled, but Tom's no longer has deodorant in glass bottles, >and I hate to think how many plastic Tom's dispensers have been >buried in Seneca Meadows on my behalf. > >We do have to balance ecological responsibility with social >responsibility--minimizing BO. Heavens, one reason Isabella >bank-rolled Columbus was to get all those East Indian spices to mask >odors. > >Margaret > >PS: actually, this has nothing to do with how smart we are: we >habituate to our own BO, and this can be a problem in close >quarters. Ask Amy (local girl makes good) seems to print a letter >on the subject of how to diplomatically tell co-workers they have an >odor several times a year--so scads of letters must be getting sent >to her on the subject. I've been meaning to write in to her saying >that BO is not always a matter of hygiene; sometimes it reflects a >health problem such as diabetes. Other times it's just food >preferences. I know I have gone through garlic phases that were >probably not pleasant in close quarters. > > > > > Frankly folks, I find some of this discussion a little......too earthy. > > > >Nothing like a little shaming to put an end to a useful discussion. And I > >was just thinking how wonderful it is when this listserv becomes an > >electronic "salon". I would go so far as to say that your insinuation here > >is a bit offensive, Tony. > > > >We really need to trust that everyone on the list is smart enough to > >figure out when they are in danger of offending their co-workers and need > >to wash. Living more sustainable is going to mean challenging many of the > >behaviors that have been marketed to us by corporations and media. It's > >going to bring up the ick factor for many of us. But if we don't have an > >honest and open dicussion, how can we ever hope to change things? > > > >Gail > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > >RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: > >[email protected] > >http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins > >free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org >_______________________________________________ >RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: >[email protected] >http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins >free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org _______________________________________________ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
