I'm supposed to be on break, but I just saw a film on Netflix Watch Instantly that I can't wait to tell you about.
Chemerical documents a family of five's challenge to transition from conventional cleaning, cosmetic, and body care product junkies to label-scrutinizing, DIYers. It's sort of like a non-toxic Supersize Me.
This is a great film to share with loved ones who think you're extreme for caring about this sort of thing. The film keeps things educational, light, and mostly positive- focusing on the power individuals and families have to create a safer, healthier home. I imagine it could be the gentle, but eye-opening, push many might need to go green for 2013.
You can learn more about Chemerical and find tools to help raise awareness about the toxins in your community at Chemicalnation.com.
I'm taking a little holiday from blogging until Monday, December 31. Merry Christmas, if that's your cup of tea. Either way, I hope you have a beautiful week.
The secret to getting a super shiny stainless steel sink faucet is simple: Buff it dry with a dry cloth right after cleaning. The longer you buff, the shiner it becomes.
Hello pink cell phone case reflection!
In terms of achieving a sparkling clean appearance, it almost seems like it doesn't matter what type of cleanser you use so long as you buff it dry. I've cleaned sink hardware with various store purchased and homemade all-purpose spray cleansers, including diluted vinegar, vodka, diluted Dr. Bronner's, Citra-Solve, Earth Friendly Products, toothpaste, and water. The thing that seems to make the most difference in results is remembering to spend the extra ten seconds or so to buff the faucet dry after you've wiped it with cleaning product.
I love microfiber cloths, but cotton cloths, socks, tee shirts-- basically any dry and somewhat absorbent cloth you've got handy-- will do.
After making a huge meal, you grab your Smartphone to Tweet or Instagram it before picking up your fork. Extra points if you use hashtags like #vegan, #organic, or #local. (Check out Eat It Don't Tweet It on youtube for laughs.)
You love your vacuum and talk to people about it when you're not vacuuming. Extra points if it's a Dyson. Even more points if you don't own a Dyson, but have a strong opinion about them.
You use baking soda at least four different ways everyday.
Your kitchen goes from spotless to shitshow to spotless again at least twice a day.
You bring your lunchtime apple cores and banana peels home for composting. Sometimes you carry other people's too.
You've jammed fruit from your community garden.
You read cookbooks on the toilet.
You read the labels of other people's cleaning and body care products when you use their toilet.
Are there any other signs? Let me know in the comments.
Thanks for reading this blog entry. I hope it was fun. Please like Olivia Cleans Green on Facebook, join my email list, subscribe to my YouTube channel and subscribe to my blog posts (by RSS or email) to keep in touch and discover more creative cleaning and green homekeeping tips.
I burned my veggie burger and in doing so sealed an enamel-like coating of oil onto my stainless steel pan.
Uh oh.
The oil wasn't budging with regular dish detergent and sponge action. I dusted the pan with baking soda then sprayed it with water to create a paste that I left to dry overnight. Baking soda paste gets grime build up off of ovens, so I figured it should also work on my pan. Right?
fingers crossed.
Wrong. When I tried scrubbing the pan the next day, I still made very little progress. I should note that the scouring pad on my two week old dish sponge is basically non-existent. (The plant-based scrubbers on biodegradable sponges don't hold up too well.) I'm pretty sure a better scrubber would have yielded better results.
I tried heating water in the pan along with some baking soda before scrubbing again. No change. I possibly made things worse because I got distracted and let the water boil for a pretty long time. The pan was smoking again. Argh!
I scrubbed the pan with my scrappy sponge, some Bon Ami powder cleanser, and lots of elbow grease. I did this for about three minutes, then left to go grocery shopping, leaving the damp Bon Ami paste to dry on the pan until after dinner. Four hours later I scrubbed some more, probably a solid five minutes, et voila...
Thanks Bon Ami!
It's about 98% perfect. The few remaining brown specs of oil can be addressed with some more Bon Ami and elbow grease the next time I clean. Almost perfect is good enough for me tonight.
If we're lucky, we see the Fair Trade seal when we're shopping for groceries like bananas, coffee, or chocolate. Most of us know it's something good, but what does fair trade certification really mean?
Fair Trade is a system of exchange that honors producers, communities, consumers, and the environment. It is a model for the global economy rooted in people-to-people connections, justice, and sustainability. When you make Fair Trade purchases you are:
supporting a fair price for products paid to farmers and artisans
investing in communities (scholarships, women's empowerment initiatives, clinics, etc.)
supporting environmentally sustainable production methods
increasing the economic power of small scale producers
supporting direct trade between importers and farming or artisan cooperatives
supporting the enforcement of fair labor conditions (including a ban on child labor)
Awesome! And fair trade isn't just about bananas, coffee, and chocolate. You can find fair trade tea, wine, vodka, crafts, yarn, body care products, clothes, and more. Just in time for Christmas!
I know locally sourced is supertrendy right now-- I support that-- but
there are still lots of things we have yet to ween ourselves from that come from far-away places that could use our economic support to improve their standard of living right now.
Cleaning: It's a dirty job but (eventually) someone's gotta do it. If that person is you, here are ten ways to make it more tolerable, perhaps even fun.
Accept housekeeping, or at least the need for it, as a natural cycle of
domestic life. Also remember that you're doing it for yourself (and for
your loved ones, if you don't live alone).
Work cleaning into your schedule so you don't end up resenting it
because it's interfering with other plans or so you don't end up not
doing it- which means more work next time.
Set a timer so you have a definite end point to look forward to.
Don't stress out about the results. Enjoy the process. Seriously. You'll
have plenty of opportunities in the future to clean every inch of your
home perfectly, if you choose. Do the best you can today without going
insane.
Make sure you've given yourself some care first: eat a snack, drink water, stretch.
Have a fun cleaning outfit. Don't wear PJs or ratty sweats
you wouldn't be caught dead in. Wear something ceremonial- something
that says "I kick dustbunny ass!," literally or figuratively. A kitschy apron, 50s housewife dress
(extra points for doing this if you're a guy!), fancy workout clothes,
and rad rubber gloves are just a few ways to make a you feel less like a
wench when cleaning.
Use tools and products you're excited about and are comfortable and easy for you to use. Invest time in nerding out when shopping for cleaning supplies. I once spent an hour picking out cloths. Also, don't feel bad about returning something that doesn't work for you. (Psst... I've shared my favorite cleaning tools in my Amazon shop.)
Make your own cleaning products and add your favorite essential oils to
them. Here's an easy all-purpose cleaner: In a heat-safe bowl or glass
(I use a beer stein), dissolve 2 TBS washing soda, 1/2 tsp baking soda,
and 5-8 drops total of your favorite essential oils in 2 cups hot
distilled water. Once it cools, transfer it to a spray bottle. Add 1/2
tsp natural (fragrance-free) dish detergent.
If you're cleaning with someone else, make it a contest. Compete to see who can pick up the most misplaced items in 10 minutes.
Do you think it's possible to have fun cleaning? How do you make cleaning fun? How many things can you clean while this video plays? (warning: some adult-language)
My hands hate winter. The cold temperatures, windy weather, and germ-busting extra hand washing usually mean my hands, which are often already in danger from lots of cleaning, are even more fragile and susceptible to dryness, cracking, and chapping.
I am determined for this winter to be different. I researched a few natural ways to prevent and heal dry winter skin naturally. Here's my action plan:
Drink water.
I <3 Tap Water! (& stock photos, ha ha!)
When you're dehydrated your skin is the first place your body skimps of water, in an effort of keep what's needed for more important organs. I've increased my water intake to a solid five pints a day. I did this by replacing the jam jar I had been using as my water glass with a pint glass. I also started keeping a Klean Kanteen bottle at work that I use strictly for water.
Diet.
Raspberries and 80% dark chocolate: both sources of Vitamin C. (Image via Got Chocolate)
Julie Gabriel, author of Green Beauty Recipes, says,
“A diet rich in magnesium, essential fatty acids, vitamin C, and beta-carotene naturally feeds your skin from inside and makes it less prone to dryness.” She recommends feeding your skin with a meal plan that includes dark chocolate, salmon and other fatty fish, oranges, mango, and carrots. (via 6 Natural Cures for Dry Skin)
Since there's no way I'm eating fish (#teamveg), I've been enjoying flaxseed oil (also packed with essential fatty acids) in my bowl of hot cereal every morning. (Update, December 2014: My naturopathic doctor also just recommended I take these high quality vegan Omega 3 supplements.)
Avoid washing your
hands with harsh soaps or dish detergents. Antibacterial soap is the
worst, so look out for Triclosanin the ingredients. Easy Immune Health reports, "The FDA, CDC, AMA, Health Canada and other
governmental organizations have consistently stated that there is no benefit to handwashing with antibacterial soap to reduce illness
in healthy people. At least one study has even shown that because of
the drying and irritating effects of antibacterial soaps on the skin, the levels of harmful bacteria was increased in health care workers after numerous handwashings!"
Wear gloves.
Crushing on these fancy rubber gloves. (Image via maker MoonberryRain on Etsy)
I wear mittens whenever it's even just a little cold or windy. I also know I should be consistently wearing gloves when I hand wash dishes and clean. (This might be the hardest habit to take on!) Exfoliate.
It's important to remove dead skin for smoother feeling skin. Care2.com featured a list of 10 DIY Winter Skincare Recipes.
They share a recipe for homemade sugar scrub: two parts sugar, one part
olive oil or coconut oil, and your favorite essential oils. Yum! This DIY Clementine Hand Scrub looks good too!
One of the reasons many people don't take up home juicing
is because it involves a lot of cleaning. I wanted to share this ad for Jade Yoga because it looks like the model Amy Ippoliti, a yoga instructor and lifelong juice enthusiast, has got it figured out.
She's brilliantly tucked a composting bag inside of the part of the juicer that shoots out
the pulp. What a great way to make clean up and composting easier!
I went to her website and found more great juicing advice. In a blog post entitled, "Why I can't go a day without juicing," Amy recommends investing in the Breville Elite 800 ($300, whoa!). She writes, "It gives the silkiest, most quality juice and is a long lasting, easy to clean machine!" All the parts except for the mesh filter basket/Nutri Disc and food pusher can be washed on the top shelf of the dishwasher. Unfortunately, the basket can be the hardest part of a juicer to clean. Amy recommends using OXO Good Grips Dish Brush instead of the brush that comes with the machine to clean the basket.
Jolie Kerr, of TheHairpin.com's Ask a Clean Person column, dispensed some good advice for getting both your juicer and the produce you're juicing clean. Check it out: I Drank the Juice and It was a Mess.
I have a Breville Compact Juice Fountain ($100). I like it. I don't even mind the clean up (though it does keep me from making juice if I am in a time crunch). Drinking juice makes me feel like I am doing something special for myself, which always feels nice. My favorite juice is Kris Carr's Make Juice Not War Green Drink.
Do you have a juicer? What's your favorite juice to make at home or drink out at a juice bar?
Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers in the Philippines, it's USDA certified organic, and it's the highest quality coconut oil they offer. Superfancypants!
Wondering how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils? Read What is Virgin Coconut Oil? and watch the video below.
Tropical Traditions also carries other varieties of affordable high quality coconut oil, as well as other coconut products. Visit their website to check on current sales, to learn about the many uses of coconut oil, and to read about all the advantages of buying coconut oil online. Since the FDA does not permit discussion of the health benefits of coconut oil on a page where it is being sold or given away visit CoconutOil.com for more info on that topic.
Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.
I've used and loved The DivaCup for about seven years. My DivaCup changed my life—or at least my life for
a few days every month. The DivaCup is a reusable, flexible silicone cup
that collects all your menstrual
fluids. It is very comfortable and since it works by catching
fluids, it doesn’t do that crappy supersucking thing tampons
are famous for if your flow is low. Besides, absorption isn’t really good
for our bodies anyway. (Toxic Shock Syndrome anyone?)
In addition to being healthier than tampons, this dandy cup will also save you some cash and help you save the planet. It’s only $35
which is a bargain compared to even just a year's worth of disposables. Not using those tampons means you're keeping those tampons and their plastic wrappers and applicators and cardboard boxes out of landfills.
Perhaps the best thing about The DivaCup is owning one means never having to send your partner, kids, or (worst yet) your crampy self out to the bodega to pick up emergency tampons or pads. (Excerpted from my article in Satya magazine.)
I am not a huge fan of pads, but occasionally I need extra overnight protection so I use a washable cloth menstrual pad. It's basically a swatch of terry cloth that snaps onto my panties. Hot! Not really, but it is conserving resources and keeping lots of chemicals and waste out of the landfills, which is definitely hot.
Why? I'll share the wise words of one drunk shopper overheard in an eco-friendly boutique: "You don't wanna be sticking chemicals in your chicken."
Conventional lady products are made of rayon (or a cotton-rayon blend) and treated with chlorine bleach and pesticides. Many also contain synthetic fragrance made from hormone disrupting chemicals. (Check out PracticallyGreen.com for more info.)
Whenever I know using a DivaCup won't be easy (no sink in ladies room), I use either NatraCare products or Maxim's organic tampons. I just noticed that Seventh Generation also makes a line of organic cotton tampons and natural pads made from a superabsorbent wheat-derived material. Choose no-applicator tampons and unwrapped pads whenever possible to reduce waste.
Skip the chlorine bleach or Shout. Instead use Ruby's Red Wash, an all natural enzyme-based menstrual blood stain remover. I've used it once and it worked like a charm. According to user testimonials, it works on even dried-in stains.
If you don't have this product, try to treat the stain as soon as possible. Rinse it with cold water. If that doesn't take care of it, try your luck with lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide, salt, washing soda, or dish detergent. I'm still learning good laundry habits, but each of these have worked for me at least once.Whatever you do, don't use hot water or put a stained garment in the dryer, as the heat will set the stain.
A quart of coconut oil is a lot; the good news is there are hundreds of culinary and personal care uses for coconut oil. In just 2 days I've used it in the following ways:
I used it as substitute for margarine when baking vegan peanut butter cookies. Delicious! Normally I use Earth Balance when baking, but I much preferred the slightly sweeter, more natural flavor of the coconut oil. Lots of folks on the internet say they don't notice the taste of coconut when it's cooked or baked, but the four friends who tried my cookies said they could taste the difference a little. It wasn't overwhelmingly coconut-ty, but definitely noticeable.
I added a tablespoon of it to a cup of brown rice while it was cooking. OMG! Flavor City! I think I will always make rice this way! Again, it tasted of coconuts.
I sauteed tofu and broccoli in the coconut oil instead of my regular olive oil. It was mildly coconut-ty and superyummy, but broccoli is my favorite food so it's not fair to judge. (I once saw a bunch of raw broccoli in the middle of the street, slightly damaged from being run over by passing cars, and felt hunger pangs.)
I popped popcorn in it. Eh. I was underwhelmed. Canola oil remains my favorite popcorn popping oil.
I used it on my hair. I deep conditioned my supercoils (#team4A, yay!) with about a tablespoon of it overnight. The next day I washed and conditioned my hair, and spritzed it with a mix of aloe, water, and essential oils, then sealed in the moisture with another half tablespoon of coconut oil. This has been part of my hair ritual for a while. I've tried coconut oil, olive oil, and various conditioners/ moisturizers marketed for curly hair, but this was my first time using this brand and grade of coconut oil. Tropical Traditions did not disappoint. My hair feels supersoft and is very shiny!
I used it to moisturize my skin when I got out of the shower, after washing my hands, and as a lip balm after brushing my teeth. This has long been my favorite use for coconut oil. Tropical Traditions was excellent. It feels supercreamy- perhaps creamier and richer than other kinds I've tried, maybe because it is unrefined- and it smells divine.
I even tried oil pulling, an Ayurvedic practice where you swish oil around in your mouth for twenty minutes first thing in the morning. Holding the oil plus twenty minutes worth of saliva (eek!) in my mouth was harder than I thought it would be, but I did it- twice- and I think I'll keep on doing it. My teeth feel so clean afterwards, I feel a little guilty about drinking my morning coffee.
I totally want to make hot cocoa with it too. I've been overdosing on the aforementioned cookies so in the interest of muffin-top prevention, I'm waiting until next week to try it.
And because I'll try anything twice so long as it's tweaked a little, I'm considering trying the oil cleansing method again. This time with coconut oil and a fat stack of washcloths. I'll be sure to keep you tuned in!
Do you use coconut oil? How? If you've never used coconut oil before, be extra sure to stay tuned and enter the Tropical Traditions coconut oil giveaway I'll be hosting soon!
Wanna know what's so special about Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil? It's handmade the traditional way on small family USDA certified organic farms in the rural Philippines. Check out the video:
Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.
Head over to KrisCarr.com to see her chat with Heather White, Environmental Working Group's Executive Director about body burden and toxic chemicals in personal care, cosmetic, and cleaning products. I'm not embedding the video because I really want to encourage you check out Kris Carr's site and perhaps fall down a rabbit hole of awesome lifestyle shifts.
Kris Carr is one of the most contagiously enthusiastic women of wellness. In case you're not familiar with her, I'll brief you: Kris is a cancer survivor who healed herself with plant-based foods, herbs, and yoga. She shared her story in the documentary Crazy Sexy Cancer. She then wrote the New York Times bestseller Crazy Sexy Diet which launched her even further into popular culture. Now Kris Carr is an unstoppable brand with a new cookbook and a new website. She is amazing and I love her!
The Environmental Working Group is pretty fantastic too. EWG works to inform and educate consumers about the chemical ingredients lurk in everyday products. They also mobilize citizens to take action. This includes to lobby for the replacement the ancient and weak Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (the only federal regulation of chemicals in industrial consumer products) with the Safe Chemicals Act of 2011.
Heather White shared some pretty scary stats and facts. Two points she raised that I find most compelling:
Toxic substances like PCPs and DDT that were banned 30 years ago have been discovered in newborn babies. Yikes! (And check this out: 232 chemicals found in the minority infants. #environmentalinjustice)
We can't shop our way out of this. Making personal consumer choices aren't enough to make these scary chemicals not our problem. We must demand federal regulations to get these chemicals out of the marketplace in order to protect the environment, ourselves, and future generations.
The video reminded me how important it is that I continue to advocate for the support of the Safe Chemicals Act, especially now that I live in a new state. What did you take away from the video or Kris' blog post?
Lots of DIY green cleaning solutions call for washing soda, but it can be hard to find. It's typically in the laundry and cleaning supplies aisle of supermarkets, drugstores, and hardware stores, but it's not in every shop. I was surprised and disappointed when I couldn't find it at my neighborhood Whole Foods.
Spread out desired amount of baking soda on a baking dish. Sarah suggests using a shallow baking pan. I don't have one, so I made do with my casserole dish.
Heat for 30 minutes or longer. Stir often.
Keep checking on it until it transforms from baking soda, which is a powdery, crystallized, and clumpy substance, to washing soda, which is grainy, dull, and opaque. (Paraphrasing Penny, who also blogged about this.)
I had to heat my one cup of baking soda forever (about 75 minutes) because I didn't have a shallow pan or really bother to stir much. Two lessons learned: Borrow a cookie sheet from a neighbor. Don't be lazy.
This is what I ended up with:
Homemade Washing Soda
Honestly, it's kind of hard to look at it and tell the difference. It does feel a little grainer when I poke at it with a rubber spatula.
It's easier to see the difference when I look at baking soda and washing soda side by side.
While it's fun to know another MacGyver-ish baking soda move, I don't think this will become my preferred method of procuring washing soda. At 6 cents per ounce Whole Foods brand baking soda is cheaper than the 9 cents per ounce Ace Hardware website lists for Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, but I'm not sure the savings warrant the effort and gas I put into it. Maybe if I were making lots of it at once...
According to the Arm & Hammer product locator, their products are also sold at Walmart, Costco, Home Depot
or Lowe’s. Another blogger says you can find it at Amazon, Kmart, Ace Hardware, Dollar General, and other big box stores.
You can also buy Nellie's All Natural Laundry Soda on Amazon. It's a superpricey 32 cents per ounce but it's nice to buy from a company like Nellie's that is certified cruelty-free and is committed to not testing any of it's products or ingredients on animals. Arm & Hammer can't say the same.
Fuzz and lint balls can take your cozy winter look from chic to cheap. Good news is there's a supereasy way to remove them with just a pumice stone. I'll show you howwith pics and video. Woo hoo!
Before: Pumice stone waits to woo natty sweater dress.
Starting at one end, pull the pumice stone across your sweater (or any other knit or crocheted garment). Be sure to move in the direction that the knit is going.
Once you reach the other end, remove any fuzz that's collected on the pumice stone or loosely bunched up on the side of the garment.
Fuzz stuck to pumice stone and not your sweater. Yippee!
Repeat until you have pulled the pumice stone across the entire sweater. Oh yeah, I should've mentioned you need pumice stone and patience because this isn't really as fast as it is effective.
After: Same spot, now fuzz free!
If you're fancy, touch up the sweater with a lint roller afterwards.
If can openers could talk, they would have a voice like Rodney Dangerfield and say "No respect." This little gadget gets yanked out of the drawer regularly, but rarely gets more than a quick rinse or a scrub with soapy water. Neither of these actions do much to keep it's special parts gunk-free, which makes it harder for them to work well.
"Help!"
A clean can opener is a happy can opener! Here's how to get a can opener really clean with just baking soda and tap water, and the help of an old toothbrush.
I used club soda, but water will do.
Mix together 1 tablespoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon of water to create a very runny paste. (Think melting ice cream.)
Apply paste to can opener with an old toothbrush. Be sure to open, close, and turn the can opener that way you can brush part of it.
Scrub, scrub, scrub!
Rinse and dry.
Self high-five! You're awesome, even if no one else in the house notices that you cleaned the can opener!
Ready to go!
The first time I tried this solution, which I found on Real Simple, I cleaned the can opener in my boyfriend's bachelor pad. It was very gnarly, but I managed to get it superclean in about 20 minutes.
This time around, I let the paste rest on the gadget for about 15 minutes and I used club soda (Go Team Minerals!) instead of tap water, in hopes of spending less time scrubbing. I was able to get the can opener clean in 3 minutes, but it might have been because the can opener wasn't as dirty. #BadScience I guess the only thing this proves is both techniques work. Well, hooray for that at least!
While I want extra housework as much as I want another hole in my head, I'm so grateful for these tips! I don't think I've ever cleaned the detergent tray of my washer. (I don't actually use it, but the previous tenants might have.) Also my dishwasher could use some TLC. I can't even begin to imagine the build-up situation in there. In fact, I've been actively resisting imagining it. I think tackling that task will require a motivational shot of whiskey!
To make this deodorant cream, I used: corn starch, baking soda, coconut oil, and essential oils. I made a very small quantity; it's a
strategy I highly recommend for the maiden voyage of most DIY products. This way you can
avoid the possibility of getting stuck with a ton of something you
completely hate.
Note: I didn't use vitamin E because I don't have any on hand. I figure
I'll be OK without a (natural) preservative since I'm only making about a month's supply. (Update: This batch was enough to last over 3 months!)
Shout out to tuesday bassen, who made the girl face magnet. I still love it!
I quartered the recipe. Math generally makes my brain hurt but creating charts helps.
Am I the only person drooling?
I sifted the baking soda and corn starch into a cup. I added coconut oil and essential oils: an aromatherapy blend of lavender, bergamot, patchouli, and geranium called Stress Less and tea tree oil. I got a little carried away and actually added a lot more EOs than the recipe called for- about 1/8t tea tree oil and 5 drops Stress Less. This stuff is going to be super mighty, which is perfect since my pits can get really funky!
I blended everything together with a fork until it was the consistency of cupcake icing. I resisted the (very strong) urge to eat it by constantly reminding myself it wasn't cupcake icing. This was the hardest part!
Always label DIY products with ingredients and date. (Date label is on the side of this tin.)
I scooped it into a clean, dry empty tin savaged from another natural product. I made handwritten labels and was sure to include: what the product is, ingredients, and the date made. This is so important for three reasons: I'll have the info hand if I wanna make adjustments to future batches; I won't accidentally use this as hair or body balm; and I won't accidentally keep this into the next presidential election year.
The original recipe suggests storing the cream in the fridge, but since I don't get dressed in the kitchen that's not my first choice as a storage area. So far, it's staying pretty solid in my woman-cave/closet. It's not that hot in there.
After three days of field research, including working retail on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, I can attest that this deodorant works well. It didn't keep me as dry as powder-based natural deodorants. (I was almost instantly sweaty on Friday.) However, body odor never became an issue, even thought I totally skipped my shower on Sunday in favor of getting to brunch early! Also, it absorbs into the skin pretty well, so armpit coke lines aren't an issue. LOL!
