Showing posts with label skin care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label skin care. Show all posts

September 24, 2010

Tom's of Maine 24 Hr Crystal Confidence Deodorant: All Natural Deodorant that WORKS

This may be getting close to TMI for you, Dear Reader, but I just have to share this great personal find.  I've been wanting to avoid standard antiperspirants for years now, for all those bad juju reasons we've all heard about -- and because rolling aluminum bits into my body on a daily basis just seems stupid, quite frankly.  (For what that does, read the postscript.)

However, this posed a big, big problem because while I can deal with the transition from anti-perspirant to deodorant okay, I just did not want to ... well ... stink.  There I said it: stink.  Smell.  Clear a room smell-bad.  This is a big deal for me, and I bet it's a big deal for you.  Sweat is one thing.  Stink is another.

So, imagine how thrilled I was after all this trial and error to find Tom's of Maine's 24 Hour Crystal Confidence Roll On Deodorant.  I like the Citrus Zest version, because the scent is so nice.  I also like that it works. 

Not to say that other natural deodorants didn't work -- they just didn't work for me after around 3 -4 hours.  Working from home, this is easier to accommodate than my past life in the Office.  I had gotten into the habit of using some of the other versions periodically during the day, because forewarned was forearmed.  Better to be a little nuts and add a little more here and there, than have a Deodorant Failure.  Funk is bad. 

No need with Tom's of Maine's 24 Hour Crystal Confidence.  Now, it doesn't last me for 24 hours.  But it'll go a good 12 or more.  And that, to me, is just fine.

Try it -- see what you think. 

PS - Potassium alum vs aluminum in anti-perspirants

Tom's of Maine Crystal Confidence does contain potassium alum, but this is different from commercial antiperspirant's aluminum component.  Potassium alum has a different chemical composition; you can buy it in solid, crystal form as Thai Sticks if you prefer that to Tom's version, and from what I've read, it's not absorbed into the skin.  It's too big, cellwise. 

Potassium alum lies on your skin and kills baceria; in the commercial anti-perspirants, some form of aluminum ( aluminum chloride; aluminum zirconium tricholorohydrex glycine; aluminum chlorohydrate; aluminum hydroxybromide; aluminum hydroxide) actually goes into your body to chemically block the sweat glands from releasing their liquid.  Apparently, the sweat glands just swell up with sweat that's not allowed to escape naturally.  Ewww. 

July 1, 2007

Homemade Laundry Soap

There are several sites with lots of recipe lists for homemade laundry soap. Why bother?

It's cheaper. Lots cheaper. The Simple Dollar reports a $70.00 savings and provides a per load savings comparison to bulk buys at Sams and Costco here.

Another factor is that making your own laundry soap means you know what's going into it, which can really help with skin allergies, eczema, and the like. Artificial fragrances alone are the source of many skin irritations.


For recipes, check out:
The Frugal Shopper
The Family Homestead
Christian Mommies

March 1, 2006

Keeping Skin Elasticity As You Age

I've googled around and compiled a list of natural foods and/or supplements that help in keeping your skin taunt, or elastic, as you age.

They are: green tea; black tea; 100 mg/day of grape seed extract; cranberries; grapes; bilberry; and black current.

Why? Because they all contain proanthocyanidins, which help your body stabilize its collagen and keep two proteins critical to elasticity within connective tissue that support organs, joints, blood vessels, and muscle.

Sources: rxlist.com; vitacost.com; mothernature.com; wikipedia.com. Photo: Lon Chaney in costume, courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...