Usually, in my cushy
Western lifestyle, this isn’t a huge deal, as I’d march down to the grocery
store and by a new one before the current one ran out – okay, who am I kidding,
I’d likely have a deodorant stash from all those BOGO deals that I am guilty of
buying into. Every. Single. Time. But where I am, currently, deodorant is one
of those annoyingly “expensive” things. I mean, not all forms of deodorant are, just most. And I’ve been having a hard
time finding my favourite cheap brand.
Anyway… this lack of deodorant has left me thinking…
to replace or just shower more. So I did a quick pros/cons list* and this is
what I came up with:
 |
|
The fine print...
*because the
“cost” of water is included in my rent
**… or manly,
because men’s deodorant is an estimated 473% less expensive than women’s
***… new
challenge?
**** which
probably isn’t so healthy.
|
But after completing this less than convincing or
scientific list, I decided to take it one step further and conduct a mini
research project on the pros and cons of using deodorant (or not). Here are my
findings:
Showering, in general, is a pretty good practice.
However like anything there is good and bad.
When it comes to showering less, the outcomes of doing
so maintains some of the good bacteria that is needed to keep us healthy
(remember, kids, not all bacteria are
bad bacteria!). It also means we get
to keep that protective layer of dead skin we carry around with us all day!
Yeah, it sounds yucky, but they actually help prevent the bad bacteria from entering our system (or however that works… I’m just
a blogger, not a skin scientist, people!)! Showering less also enables our
bodies to not rid itself of the naturally occurring oils that are there to keep
our skin nice and healthy.
But this doesn’t mean we should stop showering
altogether. In fact, showering is actually quite good for us. Some of the known
benefits of showering include the promotion of blood circulation, improves lung
function, and reduces muscle tension and stress (although, I’m not so sure how
much uber-cold showers apply to these categories!). Showering can also reduce
sugar levels, boost the immune system, make us go night night (or get sleepy) and
can even treat depression! Plus, it removes all the nasty toxins and bacteria
from the exterior of our bodies! In other words, showering is good… but all in
moderation.
Now, when it comes to deodorant, there’s a whole
series of information that blew my mind! To start it works by eliminating the presence
of bacteria (the culprits of your (or my!) smelly pits!). This is achieved through
the addition of various ingredients that help to reduce bacteria formation
(usually aluminum, which actually plugs your sweat glands, and sounds anything
but good). Then, a perfume is generally added to keep you smelling fresh, just
in case some of those pesky little buggers get in there!
With that in mind, if ever you need a reason or two to
not wear the stuff this – or these –
are it! The use of deodorant has been found to be one of the causes of breast
cancer, and it can also change estrogen levels (like I need help with that!). It’s
also been linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease, which also happens
to not be such a great potential side effect. Deodorants can cause allergic
reactions, such as irritation of the skin or rashes, and it can even stain your
clothes (yeah, you all know what I’m talking about… I’m sure most of us have a
pile of white t-shirts with lovely yellow pit stains. Thanks, deodorant! *cheesy smiley face*). Apparently in some
extreme cases, because many deodorants contain ingredients such as propane and
butane (who knew?!), it can actually lead to death through inhalation of the
fumes. But again… that’s a fairly infrequent happenstance! It’s also important
to note that just because you use deodorant means you will definitely get
cancer or Alzheimer’s disease, it’s just to outline a few of the identified
negative outcomes that can happen if
it’s used.
Feeling a little down now? Well, here’s something I
never knew before – did you know that when you shower a lot, it prevents your
body from processing the vitamin D you absorb from le soleil? Crazy!
Ultimately, I caved bought deodorant, even though I am
a little terrified of my estrogen levels blowing up even more than they already
naturally do, while forgetting I have breast cancer because I’ve also got
Alzheimer’s disease**. But, hey! - at least this is one thing I appear not to
be allergic to?! And, really, it’s a good thing I did, too, because it’s been
an average of 31°C every day for the last few weeks, which I’m sure you can
only guess would have left me pretty stinky! Also, by purchasing my new thing
of deodorant, it led to a delightful discussion with a gas station attendant
about how he, too, uses my preferred brand. So, there – good things come out of
potentially scary things. …I guess.
-the Orange Canadian
*Yeah, that’s right – I dared to use Comic Sans! What are you going to do about it?
**This isn’t actually
something to joke about, and I apologize if anyone gets offended by this. But
to be fair, both run in my family, so it is
a possibility.
