You have surely heard of a juice cleanse, but a few know the benefits of armpit cleanses.

Namely, this cleanse is extremely useful, especially if you commonly use commercial deodorants and antiperspirants.

It will eliminate the accumulated toxins on the skin, strengthen the immune system, reduce the risk of cancer, and remove the volume and odor of sweat.

With the aim to stave off body odor, around 95% of people use deodorants, boosting the industry with an $18 billion profit annually only in the United States. Yet, this brings detrimental side effects.

These are the most important reasons to stop using commercial deodorants:

-Sweating is healthy – Our bodies produce sweat to remain cool, reduce toxins, and support immunity. Let’s face it, our body includes two million and four million sweat glands with a good reason for sure!

-Numerous chemical ingredients – Deodorants include a large list of chemicals, including parabens, aluminum, phthalates, formaldehyde, and even pesticides.

These toxins end up on the skin, which is believed to be even worse than ingesting them, as they enter the bloodstream directly, without being filtered at all.

-Their poor effectiveness – It is not clear why they stop being effective after some time, but experts advise that we change brands every half a year to ensure that we get the effects we expect.

-The adverse effects of the chemicals involved – These chemicals lead to various side effects, such as allergies, weight gain, inflammatory responses, hormone disruption, Alzheimer’s, cancer, antibiotic resistant bacteria, skin irritation, thyroid dysfunction and much more.

-Antiperspirants are not effective – Despite being high in chemicals, antiperspirants are not even as effective as claimed. The requirements by the FDA need that the brand reduces sweat by 20% in order to deserve the claim ‘all day protection’, and ‘extra strength’ products are requested to be able to reduce only 30% of the dampness!

-There are people who do not need them --There are people who do not produce armpit odor, so they do not need it, even though 75% of these people still wear it!

Antiperspirants, Deodorants and Breast Cancer

Despite the numerous toxic chemicals in their content, the major concern nowadays is due to the relation between deodorants, antiperspirants, and breast cancer.

Research shows that 1 in 8 US women will develop invasive breast cancer in her lifetime. Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer type in America, with 30% of newly diagnosed cancers in women expected to be of the breast.

The death rates are incredibly high, with 40,450 women expected to die this year from breast cancer.

These statistics are alarming, so experts seek the reason for this cancer. Due to the proximity of the breast to the underarm, it is no surprise that they estimate the effects of antiperspirants and deodorants.

The Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry published a research paper, which declared that “Clinical studies showing a disproportionately high incidence of breast cancer in the upper outer quadrant of the breast…provide supporting evidence for a role for locally applied cosmetic chemicals in the development of breast cancer”.

According to the author, numerous studies try to find the link between the high incidence of breast cancer and the long-term, low-level chemical absorption from cosmetics through the armpits.

One report from 2014 claims that aluminum in antiperspirants is the main culprit for this, and research has shown that the age of breast cancer diagnosis was greatly earlier in women who used antiperspirant deodorants and frequently shaved their underarms.

It is not only aluminum in these products which is a carcinogen, but the Breast Cancer Fund also suggested their common ingredients, such as parabens, triclosan, and phthalates.

Hence, an armpit cleanse is of high importance, in case:

1. You are trying to switch to a natural deodorant

When people transition from commercial deodorants to natural ones, they often experience rashes or excessive sweating and smell.

Research has shown that the frequent use of antiperspirants and deodorants alter the bacterial microbiome in the armpits, leading to an excessive production of bad bacteria which cause the bad odor. Yet, a simple detox will balance bacteria and the unpleasant smell will disappear.

2. You often get bad B.O. or suffer from the adverse effects of the use of the commercial products.

After the armpit cleanse, the odor will be significantly reduced, and even after using natural deodorants, you will experience less perspiration and irritation.

3. You try to lower the risk of developing breast cancer.

An armpit cleanse will lower the risk of breast cancer, as well as the exposure to harmful chemicals and their adverse effects.

This is how to perform the armpit cleanse:

This method is extremely simple and it contains only two natural ingredients:

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon bentonite clay
• 1 teaspoon of raw apple cider vinegar

Instructions:

In a spoon or two of water, add the vinegar and clay and stir until you prepare a paste. Then, spread a thin layer on the armpits, and leave it to act for 15 minutes. Yet, note that if you feel pain after spreading it, you should rinse it right away.

Use a washcloth to rinse it off in the shower. Then, dry the armpits well, and you can apply a natural deodorant afterward if you wish.

This method should be repeated until your natural body odor is partly reduced and you can apply natural deodorants. After this procedure, it would be extremely beneficial to completely avoid commercial deodorants and antiperspirants.

Furthermore, you should drink plenty of water to support the natural detox and cleansing capacity of the body. Also, in order to enhance the lymph and blood circulation, you should dry brush your skin.

The armpit cleanse will be significantly supported by the consumption of certain foods, like healthy fats, vegetables, nuts, fruits, seeds, high-quality protein, and whole grains.

On the other hand, some foods cause more sweat, so if you are trying to reduce body odor or excessive dampness, you should reduce the intake of onion, garlic, processed foods, caffeine, spicy foods, alcohol, sugary and fatty foods.

You should also limit the intake of meat as according to a Czech study, conducted in 2006, vegetarians have a ‘significantly more attractive, more pleasant, and less intense’ odor than their omnivorous counterparts.

Additionally, you should use herbs like sage, basil, parsley, mint, and rosemary, along with supplements such as chlorophyll and wheat grass, as they are natural body deodorizers.

On the other hand, proper hydration and sufficient amounts of vitamin soluble vitamins C and B will support the elimination of toxins through the urine, instead of the skin.

Remember that even deodorants are not necessary if you insist on using one, make sure it is natural. They are completely healthy alternatives of the commercial ones, using nourishing and all-natural ingredients such as essential oils, baking soda, coconut oil, shea butter, and witch hazel.

Sources and References:
theheartysoul.com
Other included sources linked in The Hearty Soul’s article:
naturallivingideas.com
mamavation.com
Featured image source: WikiHow