My weekly effort at reducing toxins: Deodorant

I have to apologize for the neglect!  Between being the very amateur (but free) photographer for my sister who is getting married, planning and executing half a dozen essential oil classes this month, being a full time mom, and trying to keep my house clean, and being a scout leader in my church, I have been a bit busy lately.  I happened to not be able to go back to sleep after my husband went to work this morning at 5 am, so I decided (after laying in bed for 45 minutes) to get my lazy butt out of bed and communicate with the outside world!  So, I mostly wanted to share my weekly effort at eliminating toxins from my home and life (plus my lame endo visit...read the previous post).  Anyway, I've learned that deodorant is one of those things that we should do without.  I know most of you think I am a complete granola as it is, so I will tell you that I CANNOT live without deodorant.  So, let me explain what I have done and why I am doing it.  I made my own deodorant.  Ha ha!  I laughed too when I read about it, but let me explain.  When you shave your armpits (yes I do shave my armpits in case you were wondering...ha ha!)  we get micro cuts and abrasions every single time.  When you apply deodorant, the harmful ingredients go straight to your blood stream and into your body.  Most deodorant contains aluminum,  fragrance, triclosan and various glycols.  Anyway, that is why.

Here is my recipe:

5 TBSP of virgin coconut oil (I melted it a little as it is a solid at room temperature)
1/4 cup of baking soda
1/4 cup of cornstarch
1 TBSP of Beeswax

Essential oils – 10 drops
Mix until creamy. Apply a pea size drop to each underarm. Keep in closed container. You can also put this mixture into a cleaned out old deodorant container.

I put mine into an old deodorant container and then put it in the fridge so it could set.  I used it and VOILA!  Worked perfectly!  Granted, I don't sweat much, but I think it will do the trick.  I used Ylang ylang essential oil and it smells delightful!  There are other oils that will work better at preventing odor, such as melauluca, but I wanted mine to smell good and melauluca does NOT smell good to me :)  Anyway, there ya go!  Enjoy.

Endo visit

So, I'm not really sure why I go to my endocrinologist.  Basically I pay $40 to have the doctor give me a pat on the back for having low prolactin levels and randomly wiggle his finger (I will explain that more in a sec).  I can do that for myself or have my hubby do it and put that $40 towards a new outfit or something!  In order to feel like my visit was worth while I will share a couple of pointers that may help some of you save $40 :)  If you don't get your blood tested regularly there are some ways to see if the tumor is impacting your vision.

Self  vision test:  Pick something in you living room to focus on.  I usually chose the pretty orange poppy picture on my wall.  Sit so that the picture (or whatever you chose to focus on) is in your peripheral vision.  If you can still see the picture, you are good to go.  If not, you better go to the eye doctor and get a field of vision test.  You see, if your peripheral vision is going out, you won't see black spots or anything like that.  Your brain will actually fill in that area with what it thinks you are supposed to see.  If I were having problems with my peripheral vision and I was trying to see my orange poppy picture, my brain would most likely fill in that area with wall instead.  Make sense?

Two person vision test:  Have your hubby, significant other, or random neighbor or friend or whoever, hold a finger in your peripheral vision while you look straight ahead (focusing on something).  Have them randomly wiggle a finger in several different areas of your peripheral and AS SOON AS YOU SEE THE WIGGLE say so.  Say wiggle, or finger or whatever your magic word is.  If you see the wiggle, great....if not, get a field of vision test.

So, I get my blood tested fairly regularly at my family doctor lab.  My last prolactin level was 17 :)  I'm ok with that!  *pat pat*  Unless I have a huge jump in my levels I will probably not go back to the endo.  Sorry bud....my $40 will be going back to me :)