A few years ago I made the decision to kick my addiction to conventional deodorant. It came about because much of the research I was reading at the time spoke of the horrors of chemicals, both to our bodies and to the environment. I was ready to go chemical-free. Each company will tell you it’s individual products are safe, but the problem is that very few of us use just one product. We use up to twelve a day, and no one is testing the safety levels of the actual toxic cocktail we’re submitting ourselves to every morning, and every evening.

I removed every last hair product, face product, skin-care, anti-aging, miracle-working product from my home. You name it, I had a product for it. I put them into a huge plastic bag which was nearly too heavy for me to carry, and I gave that bag away on Used Victoria. Gone were the Parabins, Sodium Laurel Sulphates and other crap that, over time can do a lot of damage to your body.

Changing out my soap, laundry detergent and household cleaners was easy. I even found a line of makeup that was chemical free, and I really liked it! But there’s a reason why the majority of us find that deodorant is the most difficult product to stop using.

Deodorant works well, and that’s because it clogs your sweat glands with chemicals and aluminum, which makes you unable to sweat for a period of time. Sweating is natural, but it sure isn’t socially acceptable unless you’re wearing spandex. What ends up happening, is your body goes into overdrive trying to sweat out the chemicals clogging your glands, which in turn, makes you apply more deodorant.

Truly chemical-free, aluminum-free deodorant just doesn’t work. Or at least, that’s what I thought at the time. What I later realized, was that it doesn’t work the same way the bad stuff does, and it requires a bit of a lifestyle change that ended up making me way more in-tune with my own body.

The first week was nearly impossible. And so was the second. I didn’t want to put any of my nice clothes on. Like a smoker trying to kick cigarettes, I even gave up a couple of times and went back to using my speed stick. I’m going on a date, I have to smell nice! But I was adamant, and I began to search for help online.

What I discovered, and what ended up working for me, is that if you plan on kicking deodorant, you need to give your body time to adjust. For me, it took my body two months to get used to the fact that I wasn’t abusing my sweat glands anymore.

You also need to eat properly.

How well your digestive system is working, and how your sweat smells are really closely related.

This may sound strange, but it actually makes a lot of sense. Your sweat glands are sweating out the toxins from your body, and most of those toxins come from what you eat. When you don’t eat enough fruits and veggies (the things that make your digestive system work), your sweat smells bad because the crap you’re eating instead, is full of salt, sugar and fat. This doesn’t mean that you can’t eat junk food, it just means that you have to eat enough of the good stuff to negate the bad. And believe, me I love junk food! Pizza, popcorn, chocolate, all of it! But if you eat healthy meals, and only have junk food as a snack, you’ll be fine.

I can now tell by the smell of my sweat when I am dehydrated. Sweat is water, after all, and when you aren’t consuming enough of it to allow your body to rinse out the toxins, those toxins get more concentrated, and that is what smells bad.

My sweat also smells differently when I am sick, when I’ve consumed alcohol, or when I’ve eaten meat.

I have found that a daily Chlorophyll supplement helps your digestive system work well. I still do this now and then, when I can tell by the smell of my sweat, that I’m not getting enough nutrients. Because let’s face it, sometimes I’m too busy to cook myself a healthy meal, or I want to have an alcohol-fuelled night on the town. Chlorophyll (I like to get it in liquid form) is like a shot of leafy greens because it is, actually, the part of green vegetables that makes them green. And that part happens to also be what is really good for you. It also works very well as an internal deodorizer, and is the reason why I am still deodorant-free today.

So, if you’re planning on kicking your deodorant habit, start taking a Chlorophyll supplement about a week before you do. And, start getting enough fruits and veggies into your diet. I also recommend you do it in the summer when you sweat more naturally, since it won’t be as noticeable. Expect your body to over-sweat for awhile. After a month or two, you’ll notice that you’re sweating a lot less, and that your sweat has no smell. You’ll soon begin to make the connection between a certain smell, and the nutrient you’re missing.

Kicking the deodorant addiction takes perseverance and patience, but it is totally worth it! I now eat healthier, drink enough water, and go easy on red meat, because my body tells me when I’m not doing enough of these things. I can go to the gym and sweat my heart out, and I don’t smell bad. I feel good about the fact that I’m not clogging my sweat glands with chemicals, and that I’m listening to what my body wants.