Bodacious & Curvaceous

Deodorants, deodorants, deodorants! We want our underarms to smell great and stay free from body odors all day. Many chemicals in deodorants have been linked with breast cancer. Other health problems, environmental concerns, and animal welling being too my be factors in your decision to go natural. Whatever the case may be going natural may pose as a challenge. Many products are labeled “natural” or “organic” and fail to live up. Still some are natural and they’re not as effective as needed. Below are a few reviews of some of the deodorants I’ve been using. My advise is to read up on a few articles before you make your purchases and checkout the cosmetics database to see how your product rates overall. Some of the deodorants I bought weren’t as natural as they claimed to be. Also, if you want to know more about why you should switch to a natural deodorant check out Kimberly Snyder’s post about letting the underarms detoxify. Cheers to sweet smelling pitts!

Tom’s of Maine Natural Long-Lasting Deodorant Stick (Apricot)
Score: MEDIUM 4 out 10 Hazards
Works: Average
Scent: Smells great, lasts for a few hours
I enjoyed this one except that it would cause me to have rash and it often BURNT! I could not finish using this product. Having fragrance, skin irritants, propylene glycol, and glyceryl laureate, I wouldn’t recommend it.

JASON Lavender Deodorant Stick
Score: Moderate 3 out 10 Hazards
Works: Low
Scent: Refreshing scent, I enjoyed it.
This product also gave me a rash and when I did use it it didn’t really last long at all. It has methylparaben, tocopheryl acetate, and propylene gylcol all of which are irritants and allergens.

Desert Essence Dry By Nature Deodorant with Chamomile and Calendula
Score: Moderate 3 out of 10 Hazards
Works: Low
Scent: Still can’t smell it…
I couldn’t feel this one glide on the skin nor could I smell it. It didn’t last long either. I wouldn’t buy this one again.

Kiss My Face Liquid Rock Deodorant Roll-On, Lavender
Score: LOW 2 out of 10 hazards
Works: REALLY WELL!
Scent: Doesn’t smell great, doesn’t have a long lasting scent
I was really enjoying this product until I realised it wasn’t so “natural” as it should be. Potassium Alum is the primary ingredient. It’s an antiperspirant (no where on the bottle does it even say antiperspirant) that’s been linked to breast cancer. So much for “obsessively natural”. I’m still using this product at the moment.

What’s interesting to note is that LADY MITCHUM CLEAR GEL ANTIPERSPIRANT & DEODORANT UNSCENTED the antiperspirant I used to use, has a low hazard rating of 1 out of 10, better then all the “natural” ones I’ve been trying. As a comparison consider, DOVE SOLID ANTIPERSPIRANT & DEODORANT POWDER which has a hazard rating of 6 out of 10. Oh and they conduct animal testing unlike the other products I’ve mentioned. Speedstick, Teen Spirit, Tussy, and Suave deoderants didn’t rank well either.
Check out the full list of deodorants at the Cosmetic Database to know more.

Once a month I usually head out to salon to get my face threaded and/or waxed. Facial threading is great because it’s a chemical-free way to remove unwanted hair. The downside is that it does hurt and takes a bit of time. Waxing in the salon tends to be costly 20-25$ a month or more depending on where you live and also there’s a slight issue around hygiene in salons. Needless to say, I wanted to try a do-it-yourself approach. In the past, I tried Nair and Veet facial creams but ended up with burning skin and a rash. DUH! My skin is super sensitive! Anyway, I picked up a box of Surgi WAX Hair Remover for Face for 5$ at Shoppers Drug Mart.

I was scared at first. I had to heat up the wax longer than the suggested time for 30+15 seconds. I ended up heating it for a minute. I tested on my arm first to make sure I wouldn’t burn my skin. I did my upper lip and followed that with the side burns. I’m very very pleased! I wish I had someone else with me to help me make sure I got all the hairs on the side. It’s hard to see that in the mirror. I did my eyebrows last. I was too scared to get close enough to the baby hairs on my eyebrows. I didn’t want to risk over-waxing and end up with pencil thin brows. So, I’m going to stick to tweezing my eyebrows or at least the most important areas.

Although, it only came with 2 application sticks, I can easily see using this product for 4 or 5 applications. This product is going to save me around 100$.

The Kegelmaster 2000 is a specially designed device that rapidly improves the strength of your vaginal wall by using progressive resistance. I have been using the Kegelmaster 2000 for the past year(saw improvement in two months) and have had tremendous results, especially in the bedroom. Before KM, I had to run to the ladies room more often than a women my age should and cross my legs tightly when I had to sneeze. Here is what a few other women has to say about the Kegelmaster:

“My boyfriend and I we were in bed after making love and he told me he never wanted our relationship to end.” New York, NY

“I have had my Kegelmaster for approx 1 month now. I use it for 10 minutes most days, and I could feel a difference within 1 week. After 2 weeks my husband said he could feel quite a difference. I no longer experience stress incontinence, and the whole area feels neater and tidier somehow!! A brilliant invention, so glad I bought one.” Karen

“After having three children I thought I would have to have bladder surgery. I could no longer go on my daily run without leaking, not to mention all the embarrassing leaks when I laughed or sneezed. I’ve been using the Kegelmaster for three months and my leaks are a thing of the past!” Nanette, TX