how i de-stink my armpits, pt. 2

back in 2010 i posted 'how i de-stink my armpits' and talked about a baking soda/cornstarch mix that worked quite well in lieu of aluminum-ridden commercial products and not-so-effective 'green' products that still came in too much packaging.

i haven't used that mix for quite a while. the main reasons are:

1. i don't have to work anywhere with such stringent cultural norms anymore, and
2. even baking soda and cornstarch are too 'manufactured' within my bottom-line ideals

this was my initial solar shower setup. the 'screen' was there already

i have worked as a waitress in a local cafe since ditching the powder, and there i would just make sure that i had 'showered' (using my solar shower or having gotten into a pond recently) or at least given myself a 'wipe down', which admittedly was common for many humans within our culture about a hundred years ago. a wipe down consists of using a small bowl/bucket of water, rag/cloth, and soap/cleanser of choice, and doing the soapy water scrub, rinsing out your cloth, and doing the rinse wipe afterward with clean water. it uses way less water, and can be focused on the most dirty/stinky areas, or the whole body.

swimming: it's how ducks stay clean, too

once i had done a 'wipe down' i'd also dash a bit of essential oil on - which, while i'm not producing it Yet, is a technology that is within my means and just involves building a press. i'd love to become more adept at making herbal spritzes or scented waters to use for this purpose as well.

and of course, the wipe down can be completely 'local' since i can make my own soap or buy/trade from neighbors. the rag/cloth still at most comes from an old piece of thrift store clothing. at best, i'll grow some luffa gourds like a neighbor and have excellent, home grown scrubbies well into the future.

go jump in a pond! this is my neighbors' - it is much nicer than mine

for what it's worth - the best part of this routine is that i don't have to do it that often. getting in ponds is fun (and 'scrubbing' for a few minutes with handfuls of sand is way easy), and even when it's not pond season, i Really appreciate living around people who are okay with humans who smell like humans. it becomes something you don't notice anymore after just a short while. now, walking down the detergent aisle in the store and smelling humans wearing cologne/perfume is almost unbearable, because of the chemical stink.

that's a pretty thorough update about the state of my stink (or lack thereof).