HEALTH - SWEAT & THE GREAT AMERICAN NOSE

Ever want to get away from the deeper issues of life and ponder something a bit lighter? Me too! So… let’s talk about the stench of sweat!

Winter isn’t the season when we worry so much about sweating. However, most of us typically slather on the antiperspirant anyway; just in case! It is interesting to me that God created us with the ability to sweat for some very important reasons; yet most of us are embarrassed by it. In fact, I know people who say, “I’m not sweating. I’m glistening!” Have you ever considered that the US is one of few countries that worries about body odor? Many other countries simply do not consider natural body aroma as being offensive.

The following is an excerpt from the essay, The Great American Nose:

One of the strangest phenomena you will encounter in the US is that of the Great American Nose. The American Nose may look like yours and mine, but in reality it's not. Whereas most of humanity is capable of smelling a wide range of odors, the American Nose can smell only two - good odors and bad odors, right odors and wrong odors. Of course, the American Nose prefers good and right odors. It is quite virtuous, therefore. It must have inherited all its genes directly from its Puritan ancestors.

After a careful study of the matter, I have come to the conclusion that there are only three good odors, and that all the rest are bad. The three good odors - artificial flowers, artificial lemons, and artificial spices - are used to mask all of the bad odors. Bad odors emanate from bathrooms, garbage cans, moldy things, and most of all, from human bodies. All natural odors are bad odors, as you can see, and there are hundreds of American products in the three good odors designed to mask all the bad ones. Wherever you find the Great American Nose, a hand holding a can to spray, a deodorant to roll on, an air freshener to stick up, or a cleaning solution to wipe on will not be far behind. Does the kitchen smell like cooking? Spray it with great amounts of artificial spice. Does a person smell sweaty? (Sin! Sin!) Roll on quantities of deodorant with scent of jasmine. Does the bathroom smell like a bathroom? ….

(Excerpted from 25 Strategies: Reading Skills for Intermediate-Advanced Students of English as a Second Language by Jacqueline Neufeld and Marion Webb.)

I assume you are getting the point!

Because of our obsession about smelling “good,” most mindlessly utilize products that contain known harmful chemicals
to camouflage the “stench”!


Nearly every antiperspirant on the market contains:

• Propylene Glycol -commonly used as an ingredient in antifreeze! The Environmental Protection Agency has warned factory workers to avoid skin contact with this substance in order to prevent brain, liver, and kidney abnormalities!
• Parabens – Mimicking the hormone estrogen, studies have shown that the long term, low doses of Parabens in deodorants accumulate in the body and can lead to cancerous breast tumors.
• Aluminum - is linked to Anemia, Osteomalacia (softening of the bone), glucose intolerance, memory deficits, and Alzheimer's, Lou Gehrig's, and Parkinson's diseases. A 2001 study showed that the aluminum absorbed after just one application of antiperspirant remained in the blood system 15 days! In fact, antiperspirants are considered an Over the Counter (OTC) drug because they contain Aluminum Zirconium!

Are we truly more concerned about BO than our health or are we simply ignorant of these dangers? Don’t get me wrong; I’m not much different than the majority when it comes to not wanting to smell like a locker room. However, I’m not willing to risk my health for the sake of smelling like a rose!

I like to play around with different body care recipes and this one is so simple and effective that I thought I’d share it!

Pour into a jar:
• 2 oz. vanilla extract
• 4 oz. water
• ½ tsp. glycerin
• 2 drops sage oil
• 20 drops tea tree oil
• 40 drops lavender oil
• 16 drops cedarwood oil
Cap the jar & shake. Apply to underarms with a cotton ball or use a spray bottle.
For those who don’t like the idea of smelling like a vanilla bean, use a floral or woodsy oil instead.

It isn’t necessary to smell like an old tennis shoe in order to be healthy. There are sweet-smelling and effective alternatives!

Whole-Heartedly,
Bonnie