Even though you probably read the title of this and thought to yourself, "Why would I waste even five minutes of my precious time reading about freakin' armpits?", the fact that you clicked on this at all means that you must be, at least, a little bit intrigued. The thing about our armpits is they are more than merely the underbelly of our shoulders. Within each of them, there is two clumps of 20 lymph nodes; this is important to know because lymph nodes are what help our bodies to flush out toxins so that our immune system can stay healthy and strong. If you've ever wondered why you sweat more under there or even why the sweat smells different than the kind that comes from the rest of your body, it's basically because 1) armpits contain apocrine glands which are prevalent wherever hair grows and 2) armpits are loaded with bacteria (some good, some not-so-good); when the bacteria meets up with our sweat, it creates something known as thioalcohols. Believe it or not, it's the thioalcohols that can make some of our armpits smell like onions (or in men, old cheese).
Since our armpits house nodes that remove poisons from our system, that's already enough of a reason to want to detox your pits every now and then. But if you'd still like a few more deets on what you are removing from your armpits, along with how to go about getting rid of all of the gunk, sit tight for just a few more minutes. Something tells me that you'll be hyped to do a little detoxing as soon as you get home tonight.
What Should You Detox Your Armpits From?
You've probably heard or read somewhere that, while deodorant can keep the "onion stank" at bay, it's still not really a good look because it can block the very sweat (sweat that has bacteria in it) from coming out of your armpits; that leads to a build-up of toxins over time. Not only that, but some studies cite that the kind of deodorant that contains aluminum can increase your chances of getting breast cancer and Alzheimer's disease (Teen Vogue recently did an article on this. You can read it here.) Some health experts also believe that using deodorant can actually increase the amount of bacteria that your armpits tend to produce too. But, even if you know all of this and choose to glide deodorant on every day, the residue that it can leave behind is enough of a reason to strongly consider doing a little detoxing. There are a few reasons why.
The plastic that deodorant comes in typically contains phthalates; those can create hormonal imbalances in both men and women. Some other chemicals that deodorant often has in it includes propylene glycol (which is basically antifreeze), formaldehyde (it kills germs, but it also is a known carcinogen) and parabens (which is a hormone disruptor). A pile of these things can ultimately lead to health issues, if not straight-up health problems, if you're not careful.
What Are the Benefits of Detoxing Them?
As far as the specific benefits that come with detoxing your armpits, getting rid of all of those toxins and chemicals are already a pretty big incentive. Still, there are some other perks that come from doing it. Thanks to the ingredients that are in an armpit detox mask (which we'll get to in just a sec), detoxing your armpits can reduce odor (even when you don't have any deodorant on), help to prevent rashes from occurring (especially if you plan on transitioning over to a more natural kind of deodorant), and it can make natural deodorant more effective. All of these are good enough reasons to at least give armpit detoxing a try, don't you think?
What’s a Healthy, Cheap and Effective Way to Detox Your Armpits?
So, here's the really cool thing about armpit detoxing—it's cheap and easy to do. All you need is some bentonite clay (that you can easily find at a health store or on Amazon) and some apple cider vinegar (make sure that the "mother" is in it; Bragg is a great brand).
Basically, combine a tablespoon of bentonite clay with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and 1 ½ teaspoon of distilled water. Mix all of the ingredients together in a glass bowl with the help of a non-metal spoon (metal makes the clay less potent). After getting out of the shower and drying off, apply the mask directly to your armpits and allow the mask to sit for 15-20 minutes. Then rinse thoroughly with warm water and apply a little coconut oil or sweet almond oil to your armpits in order to soothe them. If you do this once a week, you should notice significantly less odor after the second or third application.
Natural Ways to Care for Your Armpits
When it comes to actually detoxing your armpits, that's pretty much it in a nutshell. But if you'd like a few upkeep recommendations in order to keep your pits nice and healthy, they are as follows:
- Dry brush them at least once a week. This will help to keep itching and irritation down while also keeping the blood flowing smoothly to your armpit region.
- Use fresh razors. If you've got a razor in your tub that's been there since, Lord knows when, that is far too long. It's important to always remember that shaving creates microtears which means that dirty or dull razors can cause infection. And just how often should you toss your old razor and use a new one? Word on the street is if you've used a razor on your pits more than five times, it's time to get rid of that one and start anew.
- Stay hydrated. The more water that's flowing through your system, the less toxins your body—and armpits—will have.
- Let your armpits "breathe". The same way any other part of our body doesn't need to feel constantly "trapped" in our clothing, armpits are no exception. Breathable fabrics like organic cotton, bamboo and linen are always beneficial. So is coming home and walking around in nothing but a tank and some boy shorts or leggings.
- Make your own deodorant. You might be surprised by how effective DIY deodorant is. Plus, it's better for your body (you can get a few recipes here, here and here). So, how about doing a little armpit pampering now?
Want more stories like this? Sign up for our newsletter here and check out the related reads below:
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While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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Fortunately, five simple words have simplified my dating process and ushered in clarity faster: “Would my husband do this?”
A couple of years ago, I met an entertainment lawyer who was tonguing down a twenty-something-year-old woman for breakfast while I slurped my green smoothie and chomped on a flatbread sandwich. Okay, Black love, I grinned and thought as I sauntered out of the Joe & The Juice. As soon as I stepped down from the front door, a torrential downpour of Miami summer rain cascaded and throttled me back inside to wait out the storm.
I grabbed a hot green tea and vacillated between peering out the wet door and anxiously checking my watch. My lengthy agenda started with attending the Tabitha Brown and Chance Brown’s “Black Love” panel, and I was already late. That’s when the lawyer introduced himself to me, after he made a joke about neither one of us wanting to get soaked by the rain. His female companion had braved the storm, leaving us to find our commonalities.
We both lived in L.A. and had traveled to the American Black Film Festival to expand our network. He represented various artists, including entertainment writers, while I was working as a writer/creative producer in Hollywood.
While there is no shortage of internet advice on how to strategically meet a prominent man at conferences, if I spend my hard-earned funds on career growth, I have tunnel vision, and that doesn’t include finding Mr. Right. So, I stowed his contact details away as strictly professional.
Keep It Cute Love And Hip Hop GIFGiphyAs the humidity and mosquitoes were rising around L.A., two months later, another suitor-turned-terrible match cooled off after three unimpressive dates and a bevy of red flags. I posted what some of my friends called a thirst trap, but it was really me wearing a black freakum jumpsuit with a plunging neckline to my friend’s 35th birthday soiree despite feeling oh, so unsexy and bloated on my cycle.
I’d been waiting to post a sassy caption and finally had the perfect picture to match: “You not asking for too much, you just asking the wrong MF.”
That’s when the entertainment lawyer swooped into my DMs and asked me to dinner. I was quite confused. Is he asking me on a date? Or is this professional? Common sense would’ve picked the former. Once it clicked that this would in fact be a date, I told my mentor, who’s been happily married for over twenty years and has often been a guiding light and has steered me away from the wrong men.
Upon telling him about how we met, he emphatically stated, “He ain’t it.” He followed up with a simple question, "You have to ask yourself: Would my husband do this? Would you tell others that you met your husband, tonguing down another woman, and later married him?"
Aint It No Way GIF by UFCGiphyOuch. The thought-provoking question cleared any haze. Prior to going out with the lawyer, the first thing I inquired about was the woman.
“You saw that?” He said, taken aback that I’d witnessed his steamy PDA. Surely, anyone with two open eyes peeped him caressing her backside as he kissed her in the middle of the coffee shop.
He brushed her off as a casual someone he’d gone on a couple of dates with but had since stopped talking to. He said he hadn’t been in a serious relationship in over three years. Though I was still doubtful, dating in L.A. is treacherous and ephemeral. Making it past three months is considered a rarity.
With my antennae alert, I dined with him at a cozy beachside steakhouse restaurant where we were serenaded by a live jazz band. I’d emphasized forming a platonic friendship first.
Break Up Friendship GIF by TLCGiphy“I’ll come to you,” he obliged. I liked that he had made me a priority by driving over 50 miles to see me. I also liked the effort he made to check in with me daily. But I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that he initiated on a professional pretense and then alley hooped through the back door on a romantic venture, which bombarded me with confusion.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my dating life, God is not the author of confusion; any man who brings confusion, rather than clarity, is simply not The One. It doesn’t matter how many boxes he checks–eventually, that confusion will manifest itself into bigger problems, in time.
After diving into deeper conversations on the phone, post our first dinner date, I quickly realized this man was indeed not The One for me. But I’m grateful for the valuable lesson I learned.
I don’t expect some unattainable fairytale of a husband; we all have our own flaws and conflict is inevitable, but after dating for two decades, through failure and success, I’ve realized that the person I ultimately marry must mirror the values I exert into the world. He must reciprocate kindness, patience, and respect. He must be quick to listen and slow to respond. He needs to be forgiving and trustworthy, practice healthy communication, and be a man of his word at the bare minimum.
If I’d had “Would my husband do this?” in my toolbox when I was dating and floundering in stagnant relationships, in my twenties, it would’ve saved me a lot of precious time. But now that I’m equipped with the reminder, it’s allowed me to ground myself in my non-negotiables and set/maintain the standard for the special person, I’ll one day say, “I do,” to.
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