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In an increasingly toxic world, more people are looking for natural remedies and simple ways to detox. If you’ve spent any time reading articles online or keeping up with social media, you may have come across something called an armpit detox. Baking soda is a common ingredient in these recipes, but does it really do what people claim?
What Is an Armpit Detox?
An armpit detox is like a face mask for the armpits. It’s a paste applied to the underarm area to remove toxins, chemical buildup, and odor-causing bacteria. You apply it wet and allow it to dry for several minutes, allowing the paste to absorb toxins and microbes. Then you rinse it all off and pat it dry.
People often try an armpit detox mask as a part of their switch to natural deodorants from regular ones. They believe it helps the body adjust to the absence of aluminum and other sweat-blocking chemicals in conventional deodorants and antiperspirants.
Depending on the ingredients, an armpit detox may reduce skin irritation, underarm odor, or excessive sweating that can occur as the body adjusts to toxin-free deodorant.
The armpit paste is usually made up of natural absorbent or antibacterial ingredients that draw out toxins and kill bacteria. For example, baking soda, bentonite clay, cornstarch, and charcoal all help absorb toxins. Apple cider vinegar and essential oils help with microbial balance.
What Are The Benefits of A Baking Soda Armpit Detox?
While not exactly dermatologist recommended, an armpit detox may provide a few benefits:
- Reduced armpit odor: Conventional deodorants can leave residue on the skin, which can block sweat glands and trap odor-causing bacteria. Cleansing the skin, balancing its pH, and managing bacterial balance can all help reduce odor.
- Healthier skin microbiome: Using more acidic ingredients in detox pit pastes can help restore the skin’s natural microbiome. Promoting a healthy skin microbiome with the skincare products we use helps to maintain a healthy barrier, protecting against toxins.
- Lower risk of breast cancer: Avoiding toxins near the lymph nodes while supporting a healthy skin barrier may help reduce cancer risk. However, there’s not yet any scientific evidence that doing an armpit detox helps this.
In general, lowering your toxic burden while supporting a healthy microbiome goes a long way toward creating a healthy body.
How NOT to Detox Armpits
The most popular armpit detox recipes call for mixing baking soda and vinegar. While the chemical reaction (fizzing) looks impressive, mixing the two is not a good idea.
Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, an alkaline ingredient. Vinegar is acetic acid, which is obviously an acid. So, the acid and base cancel each other out and don’t detoxify the armpits in any meaningful way.
In fact, baking soda’s high alkalinity (pH around 9) can disrupt the skin’s natural pH balance if used too much. (Human skin should have a pH of close to 5.0) When the pH becomes too alkaline, it can negatively affect the skin’s microbiome, increasing body odor over a period of time.
If you want to use baking soda in an armpit detox, it’s best to use it separately as an exfoliator. The abrasiveness can help slough off dead skin. However, it’s important to only use it occasionally, as it can have side effects. Baking soda can dry out and irritate the sensitive skin there, potentially doing more harm than good.
Don’t apply any armpit detox on freshly shaved skin as it can irritate the area. If you’re concerned you can also do a patch test. Try applying a baking soda paste to the inside of your arm and leave it for about an hour to make sure it doesn’t irritate the skin.
How to Detox Armpits Effectively
To do an armpit detox, first mix together your ingredients and make a paste. A good combination is bentonite clay with water or apple cider vinegar. Apply it to clean, dry armpits and let it sit for 5 to 20 minutes like you would a face mask. Once it’s dry, wash off the mixture in the shower or with a warm, wet washcloth.
It can also be beneficial to add certain essential oils to the underarm detox. Essential oils are more than fragrances; many of them are powerful antibacterial agents. Some essential oils to consider are lavender, lemongrass, rosemary, and tea tree oil. Just add a few drops to the paste as you mix it.
Using lymphatic massage can also help. There are over 20 lymph nodes in the armpits, and the lymph system doesn’t have a pump to keep it moving. That’s where massage comes in.
Having done an initial armpit detox, it’s time to make the switch to natural personal care products. You can DIY your own homemade deodorant with coconut oil and other natural products. This one has magnesium to help restore underarm mineral balance.
You can also find a variety of aluminum-free, paraben-free natural deodorants at your local natural food stores. However, it’s important to read the ingredients, as they may contain synthetic fragrances, talc, lanolin, or undesirable additives.
Best Deodorant for Smelly Armpits
Many of the natural deodorants on the market aren’t very effective. People complain that they have to reapply them throughout the day. That’s why I decided to formulate Wellnesse’s Mineral Deodorant. This deodorant uses natural ingredients that work for armpit odor without adding to your toxic burden.
It has coconut oil and shea butter to moisturize and baking soda to absorb odor and toxins. And it’s pH balanced so it won’t irritate the skin like straight baking soda will. The essential oils and zinc ricinoleate from castor oil also help fight odor. Plus it has a soothing palo santo scent. I love using it after the shower or an armpit detox!
Have you done an armpit detox of some kind? Did you notice any benefits? Share with us below!