MOOK - deodorant

[akafred]

When did you start with your kids? DD is starting to get the funk smell when she exercises. She's 8.5 and tiny so not likely anywhere near puberty. Did you start with a "natural" deodorant or an antiperspirant? I kinda want to keep her from aluminum, but is that a myth that it can cause dementia? I know she isn't biologically related to me but my dad and grandmother have/had Altzheimers so I just don't want to take the risk. But do "natural" deodorants even work?

[covergirl82]

Aluminum is bad - it's a neurotoxin. (I'm a "crunchy" mom, FWIW.) I use Schmidt's sensitive skin deodorant, and will have my kids use natural deodorant when they start to need it in a year or two or so.

ETA:  I'll be honest, I don't feel that natural deodorant works as well as regular aluminum-based deodorant from a wetness perspective, but smell-wise, it works just as well.  I buy the Jasmine Tea scent from Schmidt's.

[2chatter]

Both DDs use Degree and both need it big time!

[justcheckingin73]

I can’t remember when DD started using deodorant- maybe 9 or 10? She has sensitive skin and many of the deodorants made her itch. We cycled through so many different brands - cheap, expensive, organic. We finally landed on Dove spray which doesn’t bother her.

[xctsclrx]

My boys started to smell around that age. We got them deodorant I think they use degree for men, but we started out for kids. Now I take them to the aisle and let them pick. If you can smell it she needs it. Plus it is good to get in the habit now, when if she misses a day it is no big deal, because when those hormones hit the smell is bad. so so bad.

As for what kind: eh I have no idea. I didn't realize that deodorant was one the list anywhere. Although a google search tells me that all studies have failed to prove any correlations in humans and that the studies began 40 years ago, and the only studies on animals that show an issue is if the aluminum has been injected into the blood stream.

However if she just smells then deodorant should be fine. If she is sweaty too then she might need the antiperspirants which contain the aluminum. I think that is a decision that parents have to make for themselves.

[akafred]

I'm sure the day will come that antiperspirant is needed but I think we'll start with just the deodorant.

[mommyatty]

I would just get her what she likes the smell of. She’s more likely to use it if she picks it and it smells good.

I’m an environmental attorney and environmental professional. One of the things that makes me nuts is how easy it is to scare people by going “oh god! That’s a chemical! It must be dangerous!” Aluminum is the single most prevalent metal on earth. You get more aluminum exposure from vegetables grown in soil than you do from deodorant. A lot more. A kid won a prize for getting 86% of his classmates to vote for banning the chemical dihydrogen monoxide in its liquid form because it caused excessive sweating and urination, which could have a deleterious effect on kids’ learning. Dihydrogen monoxide is 2 hydrogen molecules connected to one oxygen molecule. In other words, water. They voted to ban water because it sounded scary.

[covergirl82]

Feb 28, 2018 11:37:53 GMT -5 mommyatty said:

I would like to respectfully add that there is a difference as to where/how aluminum enters the body.  Aluminum entering the body through the digestive tract is pretty much always expelled through poop, because the digestive tract is better equipped to deal with toxins, so it isn't as much of a concern if you eat food containing small amounts of naturally-occurring aluminum.  It is a concern when aluminum enters the body through broken skin (like what could happen with deodorant), or injected intramuscularly (like in a vaccine), because the body has a more difficult time expelling the toxin (if it is able to at all).  akafred , because you are concerned about Alzheimers, I would encourage you to check into it more.  (And I didn't get my info from FB or the internet, I've heard multiple people who have MDs or advanced degrees in science say what I shared.)

ETA:  not sure what happened to the quote.

[akafred]

Sorry, guys. I didn't mean to turn it into an argument. I mostly don't love the idea of stopping her from sweating when it's a natural process and she's so young.

[waverly]

I haven't yet. I know Toms is a fairly environmentally friendly brand. I had tried the crystal type in the past, but it's a bit of a pain for young kids, so I would probably skip it.