Apple Cider Vinegar for Deodorant

If a friend had information that could benefit you, and they didn’t tell you, wouldn’t you be a bit miffed. Well, here’s my information, tested daily by Mac and myself, for several years, in all conditions. Apple Cider Vinegar for Deodorant is the only thing I use. As I became conscious of the many chemicals bombarding us in our skin care products, I started paying attention to deodorants and antiperspirants. Boy, did I learn a lot. For those who don’t want to read more, the information is that Bragg Brand Raw Organic Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) makes the best deodorant. As a reader suggested (in the comment section below) as a reminder; it must be an ACV that is Organic Raw and Unfiltered to work properly.

In the photo, you will see I keep mine in a Fido jar. You may use it directly from the bottle if you like. Here’s the method: Use the ACV straight, without diluting. Dip a flat cosmetic pad (cotton balls soak up too much) in the jar, saturate the pad, wring it out a bit, and swipe it under your arms. You will smell like pickles, or a dinner salad, for maybe five minutes, but once it dries, the smell is gone, and since this, in my opinion, is the number one healthiest option, isn’t temporarily smelling like a dinner salad a better option than the pain and illness that those unnecessary chemicals can possibly bring into your life? On days when I am going to be super busy or going to yoga, I carry an extra pre-soaked pad in a baggie, and re-swipe the underarms after a workout. The enzymes in the ACV will digest any odor causing bacteria resulting from a hot workout.

According to an article on the website of Dr. Joe Mercola, less than 10% of all breast cancer cases are thought to be related to genetic risk factors. The remainder, 90%, appear to be triggered by environmental factors. Using ACV creates one option to help avoid toxins. A study measured the aluminum content of breast tissue from 17 breast cancer patients and found that the aluminum levels were higher in the upper, outer regions of the breast, in close proximity to where antiperspirant would be applied. The research link is at the bottom of this page.

Two other things to do with the ACV soaked cotton pad after swiping the under the arms; 1) Wipe down the toilet flush handle. 2) I keep baking soda in a pizza seasoning shaker…I shake a bit in the lavatory, then wipe it down with the pad. A simple way to get multiple uses from one pad. Now for those of you that want to read more, and see the research links…carry on…I have posted them at the end of this post

Read On…My Path to ACV

I follow the work of the late Dr. Max Gerson. His 93-year-old daughter, Charlotte, now runs the Gerson Institute, a non-profit organization located in San Diego, California, dedicated to providing education and training in the Gerson Therapy, an alternative, non-toxic treatment for cancer and other chronic degenerative diseases. I learned they recommended their cancer patients use Bragg Brand ACV as deodorant, so Mac and I tried it. We have used it daily, for several years; through Texas summers, daily barre classes, bike rides, and many hot yoga classes later, I am here with the news report that it works. For my girlfriends out there, if you swipe a pad around your chest, your bra, and yoga bra won’t get wonky in the summer heat.

I never gave deodorants a thought. Anything within grabbing range was my choice. I had always heard about aluminum and breast tissue and alzheimer’s, but that couldn’t possibly concern me…besides, there wouldn’t be aisles of this stuff if it were really bad for you, right?!? Well, not true. As I began to wake up and wise up, I switched to salt crystals. About two years ago, I noticed a change in the wording of ingredients. It changed from Alum Salts to Mineral Salts…hummmm. Not to be in the dark, I started a search, and called companies to ask questions…even a chemistry professor. My journalism degree taught me how to dig for bones, and I love it. Keep in mind, a lot of information on this topic is controversial, and a large portion masked by lobby groups and special interests. Mainly this is about you, information and what you choose to do with the information. While your deodorant choice is not the complete answer to health, it is a piece of the puzzle.

What’s in a Name

Chemical names, alum salts and mineral salts are a tricky bunch. Aluminum is present most often in antiperspirants in the form of aluminum chlorohydrate, aluminum zirconium, aluminum hydroxybromide and aluminum chloride. Aluminum chlorohydrate is not the same as the compound aluminum chloride, which has been established as a neurotoxin. At high doses, aluminum itself adversely affects the blood-brain barrier, is capable of causing DNA damage, and has adverse epigenetic effects. High doses of aluminum have detrimental effects to a number of species such as non-human primates, mice, rabbits and dogs.

Listed on the label of most natural deodorants is alum salt, a name for potassium alum (this is a common additive to baking powder to provide a second leavening phase at high temps) and ammonium alum. I buy baking powder that does not contain aluminum. It is believed that alum salt is made up of molecules that are too large to be absorbed by your skin, and these molecules form a protective layer on your skin to inhibit odor causing bacteria growth. At this time, research has been unable to provide solid evidence that alum salt is not leaching into skin tissue, and it is often linked with dermatitis. (Fact Link).

Health conscious consumers are beginning to question alum salt, so mineral salt has become the new marketing word to mask alum salt…don’t be fooled, it’s a cover word.

Did You Know

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration classifies and regulates most deodorants as cosmetics, but classifies antiperspirants as over-the-counter drugs, and deodorants combined with antiperspirant agents are classified as drugs. (Fact Link). An average over-the-counter antiperspirant might have an active-ingredient concentration of anywhere from 10 to 25 percent. The FDA requires that over-the-counter antiperspirants contain no more than 15 to 25 percent of the active ingredient. The FDA also requires that all antiperspirants must decrease the average person’s sweat by at least 20 percent.

Why Bragg Brand Specifically, and What is Organic Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar

Founded by Paul C. Bragg, N.D., Ph.D., Bragg brand ACV is the oldest, most popular brand on the market. Organic Raw Unfiltered ACV is different from refined and distilled vinegars. When the organically grown apples are crushed and allowed to mature in tanks, the natural fermentation process begins. This creates what is known as the “mother”. This “mother” is a visible, rich, brownish web formed from molecules of protein connected in strand-like chains. Visible in the bottom of the bottle, this is the healthiest part, and what gives Bragg ACV its powerful qualities. The raw, unfiltered organic, un-pasteurization process creates a naturally occurring antibiotic and antiseptic that digests the bacteria created under your arm, leaving you odor-free! (Raw is defined as processed under 118 degrees)

• No-aluminum based compounds
• No chemical compounds to react with estrogen
• No deceptive wording
• No parabens
• Inexpensive
• Consistent product integrity
• Simple
• Many other uses: For years, Mac and I have added it daily in our filtered water. Using a ratio of 1 tsp ACV to 8 oz filtered water, we each drink about a quart a day = 4 tsp / qt.

The Research

1. A study measured the aluminum content of breast tissue from 17 breast cancer patients and found that the aluminum levels were higher in the upper, outer regions of the breast, in close proximity to where antiperspirant would be applied. (Story Link)

2. PubMed: Aluminum, antiperspirants and breast cancer. (Story Link)

3. The People’s Pharmacy: Are Natural Alum Crystal Deodorants Safe? (Story Link)

4. Bragg Website: (Link)

5. The book by The Bragg Family titled: Apple Cider Vinegar is loaded with health tips and ideas for many ways to incorporate Raw Organic Unfiltered ACV into your life. (Amazon Link)

Phebe does not work for, nor represent, Bragg Brands or any of the links mentioned in this post. This information is passed to you in a “friend telling a friend” format, and not intended as medical advice. ACV is a product she has used daily for many, many years. She blogs here at: www.phebephillipsblog.com. You may learn more about her on her personal website: www.phebephillips.com.

Originally published at Phebe Phillips Blog.