Eczema is the pits. And this is the story of how I got eczema IN my pits. (The irony!) But it’s also the story about how I healed it with some natural remedies and how it gave me a clear picture about how what I put in my body directly affects my skin.

Due to an unexpected and unpleasant eczema outbreak last year I was forced to go sans deodorant for 2 weeks. Now you might be thinking “the horrah! 😱” but I have to report that it went much better than expected.

I, like most folk, have always HAD to wear deodorant. Like, to me deodorant has always been the make no exceptions, turn the car back around if I forgot it, the world is going to end if my pits aren’t protected kind of thing. I was paranoid that I would otherwise have offensive BO that would lead to no a desolate lonely, stinky life. #dramaskillz

So imagine my despair when I go on a magical vacation to France, gluttonously eat all the pastries (might have single-handedly caused the butter shortage they were having #sidenote) and in turn flare up my eczema that had been temporarily on the manageable side. My body was pissed at me (how could you? We love croissants! Remember??) and retaliated with gluten-induced itch fest at the normal eczema sites of my hands and feet but added a fun, and new to me locale, my armpits. Naively, I continued to wear deodorant because I didn’t think I’d live if I went without. It should also be noted, like most females that our society has insisted are only female if they shave their underarms otherwise they are gross or maybe French, continued to participate in this daily habit too. So between the two, they exacerbated my condition and refused to let it get better. I was scratching my pits like a damn monkey.

Now before you say, “why didn’t you go to the doctor you fool??” Well, it’s because I know it’s eczema and I know they’ll just give me some prescription that I don’t want to use.

It finally got to the point where the rest of my eczema was healing up (thanks to the mounds of fruit and green juice I’d replaced the baguettes with) yet my pits were still under siege. So I took a deep breath, raided my skincare stash for healers and went deod-free. To be fair, the first day was a Saturday so there was less risk making it a touch easier. Anyway, I felt I must report to all of you that it went well and continued to go well after day 1. I was most paranoid about going to work like a free-bird but my combo of products made it manageable. I noticed sweating a bit more but I think that’s just because I’m hyper conscious of it. I of course notice a bit of unpleasant odor by the end of the day but it wasn’t enough to emanate further than nose-in-pit distance. Things were about back to normal at around 2 weeks but I continued for a few more days because A: I didn’t want to have to start back over if it wasn’t completely healed and B: I found a new sense of freedom in not giving a hoot about what people think about me. It was an added bonus that I’m still not quite done learning through. #workinprogess

Since I figure there might be people out there either with the same eczema problem, different eczema problems or just people that want to test going deod-free I thought I’d share my routine for what worked for me. This routine was just intended to heal up my eczema but I’ve discovered it could replace deodorant too.

1. Obviously step one in my process is nix the deodorant (even natural deods which was what I was using) and cut out shaving. I always thought that having bare pits helped me sweat less but after this experiment I’m not convinced my theory was right. It’s unclear to me what the benefit of armpit hair really is however. There are lots of ideas on why we even still have it after all the iterations of evolution have occurred. According to Wikipedia: “The evolutionary significance of human underarm hair is still debated. It may naturally wick sweat or other moisture away from the skin, aiding ventilation. Colonization by odor-producing bacteria is thereby transferred away from the skin (see skin flora).” Based on my experience, I agree with this excerpt. Let me know if you do too.

2. Prep pits with witch hazel. I used this one from Thayer’s, it’s the alcohol-free lavender version. Which hazel gently cleanses the skin and removes impurities. The tannins in witch hazel lend it to being a natural astringent that helps lessen bacterial growth on skin leading to faster healing of infections. It has anti-inflammatory properties from the natural antioxidants, which soothe irritation and reduce itching. It also helps balance pH levels, which in turn balances oil production yet still moisturizes. I love Thayer’s not only for the affordable price point but mostly because of its simple, clean ingredients.

3. Apply lavender essential oil. I used this one  but you can use any pure form oil, preferably organic. Here’s another one. Lavender not only smells nice and helps mask odors but also has antiseptic, anti-fungal and antimicrobial properties. This keeps the bacteria at bay that causes odor in the first place. Also, like witch hazel, it soothes skin, reduces itching and promotes the healing process. As a bonus, the aroma of lavender is calming, therefore possibly reducing the anxiety about not wearing deodorant. Maybe?

4. Apply a moisturizer. I recommend only this one, but didn’t experiment with any others. The star ingredient in this Royal Jelly Body Butter from Savanna Bee Co. is as the name suggests, royal jelly. This magical ingredient is produced by worker bees, as a baby food-like substance for baby bees and the queen bee (who gets to eat it for her whole life) and is packed with a mega dose of nutrients like protein and B vitamins. So much so that because of this substance the queen bee lives around 5 years while regular worker bees only survive about 8 months. It’s like the fountain of youth people! Anywho, it also contains the additional hive treats of beeswax (protects the skin and prevents water loss), propolis (antibiotic and antiseptic) and honey (natural cleanser and skin softener) along with soothing aloe vera and cocoa butter to heal and moisturize skin. This specific version for sensitive skin contains calming chamomile and myrrh that also give it a calming scent. It’s thick and ultra hydrating yet absorbs into skin quickly, which is imperative in the pit region.

5. Based on my experiment this needs to be done a minimum of twice a day. I did it right out of the shower and then again right before bed.

6. Another key is to wear lose fitting and natural fiber clothing, specifically cotton. Cotton is a breathable fabric allowing body heat to escape rather that being trapped with nowhere to go in turn causing bacteria build up.

7. A bonus step would be to maximize the fruits, vegetables and other whole foods in your diet to help clear out any build up of toxins. Since eczema is a condition related to toxin buildup after all.

8. Lastly, don’t stop this process until you see no signs of the eczema rash left. I found that if it’s not totally healed adding deodorant back can re agitate it and you don’t want to have to start back over at square one, believe me!

Side note: if you do excessive physical activity the sweat and odor will likely not be able to be as controlled with this method. I tried my best to avoid any that I could to minimize the sweating.

There you have it! My eczema “cure” and possible deodorant replacement! This drastically reduced my itching and redness within 3-4 days. The rash patches then reduced to faint marks but I continued my treatment like I said to ensure it was gone for about 2 weeks total. I still haven’t decided if I would continue it use it as my deodorant replacement but at least I know I have the option.

P.S. By no means am I remotely close to being a doctor so try these suggestions at your own risk. And for the love of god if your eczema is unbearable seek medical advice.