Natural. The dictionary defines natural as “existing in or caused by nature; not made by or caused by humankind.”
For as long as I knew my grandmother, I never saw a commercial deodorant on her dresser or in the bathroom with all her other beauty items. As she became less secretive to her routine, and I became more conscious of what she did and didn’t do, I noticed she used rubbing alcohol, apple cider vinegar, baking soda, and Vaseline for most of her beauty regimens. Very interesting. This is why most of our older family members appear to be younger than they are as they reach very close to triple digits in age.
With illness and ultimately the death of my last grandparent, I started to review my own beauty regimens and the contents that I use on a daily basis. Switching toothpastes, deodorants, moisturizers, and of course hair products. Some aren’t as easy to transition to (love my Colgate) but if my grandmother could use baking soda as a deodorant for decades, I figured I could look into a more healthy option for myself. I received Saige and Ivy deodorant in a self-care subscription box and was hooked.
Saige and Ivy
There are a few ‘natural’ deodorants that are popping up on social media. If I didn’t receive this product in one of my self-care boxes, I would have also been skeptical of this one as well. However, I tried it and loved it. Before becoming an ambassador for the brand, I purchased all three of the deodorants, followed the brand online, and subscribed to their newsletter. When I support, I support it.
Not only is this brand a black-owned business, it’s a business created and owned by a black woman who is also a mom! So there was no question for me to keep this product as part of my regimen. Let’s talk about what’s in these natural deodorants.
Filtered Water –
Filtered water is similar to spring water. It comes from a “natural” source, then runs through carbon filters to remove the chlorine
Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) –
Unfiltered apple cider vinegar is made from apple juice and water, but the vinegar hasn’t been filtered out and isn’t pasteurized. Its appearance is cloudy and may contain small amounts of sediment. ACV has antibacterial properties, which can make it a good choice of cleanser.
Organic Coconut Oil –
Unrefined coconut oil is what comes directly from the oil of organic coconuts. It does not go through a bleaching process and therefore colorless in its liquid state. Similar to ACV, coconut oil also has antibacterial properties.
Essential Oils –
Self-explanatory of the type of oils used to create the aroma of each of the deodorants.
The combination of each of the ingredients creates a blend of goodness that activates “antibacterial properties that eliminate stinky bacteria under your arms”. Personally, I also eliminate the growth of hair that I found was not conducive to the process of detoxing and becoming acclimated to using a product without all the aluminum and toxins that have been found in commercial deodorants. I was self-conscious for a few weeks, constantly checking myself mid-day. Once I became confident in using the deodorant, the daily checks only happened on days where the humidity was on extra high. I continue to carry my fragrance of choice for the day, in my purse as a just in case. When the glass bottles are not in my purse, they are stored in my refrigerator. The coolness of the spray during the morning routine is quite refreshing. Especially if you have a recently shaven armpit – wow!
Becoming used to your natural scent is similar to when I went natural. I didn’t remember what my hair looked like without chemicals. I surely didn’t remember or cared to recall a time when I didn’t wear deodorant – but needed to. The memory is far from my mind, but while raising mini-humans, it’s now a present thought. My immediate family now uses some type of ‘natural’ deodorant. While the fiance and mini-humans are not fans of the ACV, they each have a ‘natural’ brand of deodorant that keeps them dry and free of “stinky bacteria”.
Other Saige and Ivy products: Body Powder, Deep Detox Underarm Mask, Replenish Underarm Scrub
Let’s Chat!!
Do you use a natural deodorant?
Image courtesy of @8GPhotog using iPhone 7
