In this age of eco-friendly, I’m sure you all have seen an all natural deodorant out there when browsing the personal care product aisle. Maybe you haven’t, but either way…they’re out there. They being the natural deodorants. I’ve seen crystals, rocks, sprays, solids. All kinds of “all natural” deodorants. The crystals and rocks do not interest me in the least. I know my underarms, and I know a rock that you splash some water on just isn’t going to do it for me. I could be very wrong, I usually am. If you see a post pop up in a few weeks claiming how wonderful and miraculous crystal deodorants are, don’t be surprised. Then there’s Tom’s of Maine deodorants. I bought the gel solid with a lavender scent to it. There’s all sorts including peach too! Didn’t work. In fact, it made the moisture under my arms worse and the lavender didn’t mask a thing. So now I’m back to my good old Soft & Dri with conditioning silk, and even that gives out mid-day. I have not tried spray deodorants. These I am curious about. Weleda makes a sage spray deodorant, and my girlfriend uses this. Never heard a complaint from her, but then again she looks like the kind of gal that doesn’t get very sweaty. I like the idea of a spray though. It looks refreshing. Sephora seems to be up on the natural and organic trend and it was on their website that I found this…

Lavanila Laboratories The Heathy Deodorant in Vanilla Lavender $18

Apparently this stick is 100% natural, but uses a beta-glucan technology. Don’t ask me what this is. The good news is it does not contain aluminum or mineral oils. These ingredients can clog the sweat glands. It’s also paraben, sulfate free and all that other good stuff–Sephora is slapping their natural seal on it. Lavanila comes in a few different scents that sound better than the tired old baby powder scent I’ve been using for years: Vanilla, Vanilla Coconut, Vanilla Lavender, and Vanilla Grapefruit. It’s no mystery why the company is called Lavanila. But $18 bucks? Really? I’m sure it will last long and there will be no irritation under the arms, so it’s probably worth it. Besides I would rather smell like yummy vanilla and know that my underarms are safe from harmful chemicals, trying this would be a fun experiment.

Shop though a variety of deodorant at Smarter.com.

natural deodorant

It’s not exactly a fashion statement–it’s something much more commendable than that.

 Miss Virginia of 2008 shaved her head yesterday as part of a fundraiser for pediatric cancer. 

She said in a press release, “As Miss Virginia 2008, I want to use my title to do the most good possible and prove that beauty is as beauty does.”

She’s an ambassador for the Children’s Miracle Network.

It’s been three months since she retired as the beauty queen of the 2008 and it’s good to see her really care enough to make a bold statement like that even after her reign is over. In fact, pageant officials did not let her shave her head while she was still Miss Virginia, which is why she had to wait until her reign is over.

According to the official website of St. Baldrick’s Foundation, she danced in a marathon and went 48 hours without sitting or sleeping to help raise over $4.1 million for this cause.

“As an ambassador for the Children’s Miracle Network in Virginia and I have befriended many children suffering from cancer who have forever touched my life; little girls who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment, and who are often made fun of at school for being bald. Imagine if those little girls got a visit in the hospital from Miss Virginia who was also bald…I am doing this for them.

I’m also doing this for a young woman who did not win her battle with cancer. I recently spoke at a middle school and, after giving a presentation, a 6th grade girl came up to me and gave me a bracelet that said “Kassidy Our Champion” on it. She told me that Kassidy was her sister who had died last year of cancer when she was 12-years-old. I wear it every day. And every day I work to be worthy of having it.”

The raised over $23,000 in just one month.

 Image source: shaunaleelange.wordpress.com

Beauty Queen, pediatric cancer, Tara Wheeler