There's another post relating to this but I didnt want to hijack that Driving in the car the other day, my 9 yr old says, mom, it smells weird under my arms....so when we parked, I took a sniff, and it smelled like what armpits smell like when the glands are just newly operating, so its very pungent... I wasnt expecting this for at least another 2 years....he just turned 9 in June! The smell isnt noticeable from a distance yet, you really have to put your nose right up to it to smell it, so I'm not sure we should introduce deodorant yet. DH and I decided we'd wait until it becomes noticeable and then take him to the store to pick out a deodorant....but now I'm wondering that we should maybe start earlier, so it becomes a lifelong habit. But isnt he too young?? There isnt any hair yet, and I dont see any other changes....I'm having mixed feelings...I wasnt expecting puberty to hit until at least 12 or so....I'm soooo not ready for my little boy to grow up! What do you guys think? And if I do go with deodorant now, are there special brands suitable for children?
My ds is only 7 and doesn't really have BO so much yet, but if he goes out to play he comes in smelling like outside (we tell him he smells like a squirrel ). When he comes in from playing, I have him wash up and put on deodorant. It's just a good habit I've tried to start with him so it won't be a big deal later. All four of my kids wear deodorant most of the time. I'd much rather smell deodorant after the finish Tae Kwon Do class, than sweaty kids. And, I don't know about boys, but by 9 my niece was already needing to wear it, so maybe he's not that early at all.
My (almost) 10yo wears it from time to time. Mostly we suggest it when he's about to do something that we know will make him sweaty. As to an appropriate brand: we use only natural deodorant that does not contain an antiperspirant. It is necessary to allow the body to sweat. Plus most antiperspirants contain aluminum, which is a known carcinogen (and we rub is all over the sides of our our breasts!). But here I go on my little crunchy rants again.
My 9yo dd NEEDS deodorant because she is always um...smelly. She is just like her dad. Not saying my dh stinks....he just needs heavy duty deodorant. It's just they way God made them. Even though she hasn't hit puberty yet she has to shower at least every other day and she puts deodorant on every day. My 12yo ds only showers twice a week and he wears deodorant as needed. Each kid is so different so do what you feel is best for your ds. I will second finding one without aluminum and make sure it is not an antiperspirant. The Aluminum in them is bad for anyone, but especially bad for young kids.
My oldest son is 8 1/2 and he needs to wear deodorant daily, especially if he is going to be physically active. He wears a natural deodorant without aluminum.
Yes, please make sure it has no "antiperspirant". God made our bodies to sweat and if you try to stop that it causes problems.
My 5 yo DGD has an underarm BO if she doesn't get a nice long, SOAPY, SCRUBBY bath every day. My 7 yo DGS can be perfectly clean straight from the tub/shower smelling like a little man (he loves his Pa-pa's body wash stuff) -- but if he just walks outside, hot or cold, playing hard or just take the trash out, for 5 minutes, he comes back in smelling like a little wet dog! (We joke about how God made little kids smell disgusting like that so the dinosaurs wouldn't want to eat them! or how the smell would knock a buzzard off a garbage truck) You might try dusting the pits with plain old baking soda. Or a baking soda body powder. Or you can look for those fist-sized rocks of plain old salt sold for the same purpose. (I used to see them advertised in martial arts magazines.) No chemicals but pure NaCl, straight out of the ground. Salt kills germs that cause odor.
Yeah, the aluminum is what I was worried about. I wasnt aware they make them without that. Would it still block smell? I like the salts idea, Lindina, but where does one find that?
I'm not sure, MTM, but maybe health stores? Maybe gymnasiums? I used to see it in the advertising in martial arts magazines, but I haven't read those in a long time -- try looking at some at the newsstand?
I googled "rock salt deodorant" and got lots of hits, including Amazon, WalMart, and some online health products companies. I also got this discussion, which is interspersed with ads so keep reading to the bottom of the page if you want to get all the posts: http://ask.metafilter.com/190636/Stinky-hippie-seeks-odor-control It includes at least one recipe for homemade natural deodorant. This page also has a recipe: http://asonomagarden.wordpress.com/2009/07/28/how-to-make-homemade-deodorant-i-love-it/ None that I saw specifically mentioned kids, however. ETA: I also googled "kid-safe deodorant" and got tons of hits, too.
It is definately not too early! Kids are maturing at faster rates these days. I have my almost 10 yr old ds wear deoderant. I've never really thought about kid-friendly brands, he just uses Axe. He says it's very "manly".
I make my deodorant and will never purchase it from the store or health stores again. I love it. It allows me to sweat when I work hard and keeps me from smelling when I really sweat. I also do not sweat as much as I did when I used store bought deodorant. Like shampoo, store bought deodorants cause our skin to become hyper-sensitive since it dries the skin and doesn't allow it to breath. Our skin compensates by overreacting and sweating even more. I used to be the type of person who needed to apply deodorant a few times a day. I also purchased expensive extra-strength brands and I still didn't smell clean after showering. Now that my skin has relaxed, I apply a little in the morning and am good to go. A couple times I forgot to put some on after a shower and was still fine. I think it is because my body is no longer holding in toxins or over reacting. I came up with the recipe to fit my family so make adjustments as needed. I tried for years to find a good recipe and I finally took what I knew and came up with this. I add less baking soda in Ems since baking soda can be irritating if too much is used. Everybody has different skin, so again, adjust as needed. ...and a little goes a long way! It is cost efficient and washes out of my clothes unlike store bought deodorant. 4 tablespoons Corn Starch 2 ½ tablespoons Baking Soda 10 pellets Beeswax (adjust if too hard when cooled) 1/8 tsp Castor Oil (adjust) 10-15 drops Lavender Essential Oil or Tea Tree Oil (adjust/optional) Coconut Oil Mix together starch and soda. Add castor oil. Slowly start adding coconut oil a little at a time until blended and a firm, but creamy ball is formed. Add essential oil. Blend. Add beeswax and heat on low mixing until pellets are melted. Poor or scoop into a recycled deodorant container while tapping the container on the counter to get rid of air bubbles. Different climates will change your results so play with the recipe. I like to make mine and let it sit a week. The consistancy completely changes to a more smooth consistancy. The great thing is that if it is too hard or too soft, you can adjust it by reheating it on low. I can't stress the low heating enough. You could even melt the bees wax in a small container and mix it in if you like so you do not overheat the starch. If you want more of a cream that you rub on with your hands, leave out the bees wax and keep the deodorant in a small jar instead. I personally prefer the deodorant container.
Patty - where would you buy the beeswax, castor oil, essence oil and coconut oil. And remember, you're talking to someone who thinks shopping at Harris Teeter is exotic -- and splurging.
I buy a 1 lb bag of food grade beeswax pallets at BJs health store for $16.99. You can buy them online or at any health food store. It seems like a lot of money but it will last a few years easy. I also use it in my face cream and lip balm. I also buy my castor oil at BJ's but you can get it at Walmart and sometimes Target carries it. It just depends on how "natural" you want it. I am not a natural sort of person but I also use the castor oil in my face wash so I prefer it natural. Again, castor oil is very powerful and a little goes a long way. I think I have had my same bottle for over a year and am only half way done with it. I think I paid $11 (?). Essential oil can be purchased at any health store or any craft store that sells soap supplies. You can also find some at Walgreens and Rite-Aid in the vitamin section. MAKE SURE IT IS TRUE ESSENTIAL OIL and that it comes in a dark bottle. A little goes a VERY long way and runs about $2.99 and up depending on the bottle size and brand and how "organic" you want it. Coconut oil can be purchased at most grocery markets. They are starting to sell a lot of natural oils since they are becoming popular. I buy cold pressed. I pay $6.99. It will make a lot of deodorant. I also use it in my balm and face cream since it is a natural emulsifier. Somebody recently shared that Costco sells a huge bottle for a great price and it is also cold pressed. Initially it might seem like a lot of money but it makes a lot and lasts a long time and is WAY cheaper than buying face cream, balm, and deodorant at the stores. Plus they work much better and are not toxic to the skin.
wow, Emmasfan, thank you so much for that recipe!!! I am going to go about assembling the ingredients. This is awesome. For the kids as well as for me! What I dont understand is, since these things are so easy to make, why dont the big brand companies make them? Why does it have to be chemical this and toxic that all the time? Is there more profit in chemicals and toxins? They have to be made in labs, right? And the companies have to deal with lawsuits when someone is allergic or gets some sort of bad reaction, so why not go with natural ingredients?
My youngest son LOVES to wear the Axe brand but I find it to be extremely potent as far as scent and it's a migraine trigger for me so we avoid it as much as possible. He chooses his deoderant (almost 14 and has needed it for a couple years) and picks out something that he likes.
I think in some cases, when anything is made in mass, chemicals are cheaper than natural products. Then they raise the selling price because it is an item that the public demands, basically supply and demand. Then you have government regulations and our current culture has bought the idea that if it isn't made in a factory with chemicals, it doesn't work. Once the products hit the shelf, it is cheaper for the consumer to make their own. lol With that said, anything can cause a reaction. Some people can't handle the baking soda and get a rash on their underarms. Some people can't use castor oil or essential oils. Look at tea tree oil and lavender. They are both great to use in a small amount, but when used straight out of the bottle directly to the skin, or too much is used, they can actually cause mild burns. Everybody has a different chemistry and some people can use one thing while other can't. While I hope this deodorant works for you, you might have to make changes if irritation occures. Like store bought products, all the ingredients can cause a reaction. The good thing is you have the ability to fix the problem at home and not have to buy a dozen different deodorants before you find something that works. An added bonus is that since you know what is going into the deodorant, it will be a lot easier to find the source of irritation. Most liky it will be the baking soda or cator oil. So I'd start will less and work my way up rather than start with too much. You can also probably use a different oil if castor oil doesn't agree with you or a child. Usually it doesn't cause a problem for most people. If you have any questions as you make it, let me know. I'll be happy to help.
We live in a sad sad world nowadays. I just washed my bathrooms today with baking soda and vinegar, and everything is nice and shiny. I didnt have time to google the appropriate home cleaning methods, so I just used this and it was fine. I'm using the OCM for cleaning my face, and my skin looks better than it did with all the products I was buying. I feel liberated. Knowing that I can make my own stuff that works just as well, or even better. Emmasfan, I already have all the ingredients at home, except for the beeswax pellets..didnt get a chance this weekend. What else do you use them for?
I use it in lip balm and a night face cream I make. The funny thing is I do not usually use the cream on a regular basis because I oil cleanse. But the cream is wonderful on my dogs nose since he suffers from a dry nose. lol I use a very small amount. I also make hand-milled soap and add beeswax. Since I add a lot of oils to the soap, it helps to firm it up a bit. I buy the 1 lb bag at BJ's but you can find smaller bags that are food grade at Michael's. Beeswax is one of those things that goes so far because if you use to much, it gets tricky to remove from the skin, but if you use a small amount, it helps firm things up without making them sticky or hard.
