Alright, today's topic is one that we can all relate to. At one time or another we have felt less than fresh. Stinky if you will. And in our quest to stay fresh we try all types of things to deodorize our bodies.

When my mom got breast cancer I started to take chemical exposure more seriously and the more I researched it the more it began to concern me. One big red flag that popped up in my life came in the form of deodorant. It was really scary learning what I was putting on and therefor in my body.

I shave under my arms every day. It is part of my beauty program. Most of you can relate to this, at least if you are a woman. Though some of you guys might have this in your routine as well.

If so, good for you.

The hair acts as a sponge for the bacteria that in turn makes the area stink. By shaving you are reducing the surface area that provides the bacteria a home.

Still you are then probably placing harmful chemicals onto the surface which might be further susceptible to harm from small aberrations on the skin's surface when you were shaving. This leaves a lot of room to let contaminates into the surface.

So how do you stay groomed and at the same time, healthy?

I asked myself the same question, and what became clear is that I need to pay more attention to what I am playing on and in that respect in my body. When I started to look around it became apparent that there are plenty of alternatives, some of them commercial, others are natural.

The first one I tried worked great, still it wasn't for me: Baking soda. Yup. Just the normal stuff you have in your kitchen. That would be the straight baking soda, the kind that you mixed with vinegar when you were a kid to make a fountain. The one that is activated when it comes into contact with liquid won't work. The Egyptian's used this thousands of years ago. They hated stinking, too. And it works great in my environment, ancient Egypt was certainly hotter and if it worked for them, then it will certainly work for you.

I would continue to use it but it dries my skin out a little too much. I am a sensitive girl like that so I had to look elsewhere.

Before I went to a commercial solution I decided to try some other options and began mixing my own deo. And while it might sound daunting making my own deodorant has been a lot easier than I thought.

The mixture is simple with just a couple of ingredients:

• Coconut oil or Shea butter to protect those sensitive pits
• Beeswax to produce a smooth consistency that makes more of a roll on texture
• Zinc oxide as a baking soda alternative. Before you get anxious Zinc oxide is added to many food products, including breakfast cereals, as a source of zinc, a necessary nutrient. Zinc sulfate is also used for the same purpose. Some prepackaged foods also include trace amounts of ZnO even if it is not intended as a nutrient.
• Vaseline and silicone to further smooth out the deodorant

I can't claim the recipe for myself. Some nice woman shared it with me when I inquired about deo alternatives and once I got over the mindset of making it myself it got easy.