Don't Lose Heart

olfactory |älˈfakt(ə)rē; ōl-|
adjective
of or relating to the sense of smell : the olfactory organs.

I’ve always had a keen olfactory sense. A smell can take me back in time as quickly and powerfully as a song. Food, perfume, even Endust can trigger a sniff fest. But sometimes people taking certain medications can develop “Chronic Rhinitis”, which can include a sensitivity to smells, in which case even the faintest “wrong” scent can make them very uncomfortable, if not downright sick. If you’re running up and down stairs all day, or nervously waiting for test results, naturally you’re going to sweat, so you’re either going to smell like deodorant or, well, like sweat.

I’ve tried many deodorants and antiperspirants, from Tom’s to Mitchum. The natural ones just don’t work for me, and Mitchum works great when I’m going to be gone all day or in a stressful situation and don’t want to sweat. But the rest of the time I don’t want to be putting chemicals under my arm next to all those lymph nodes. A few years ago my friend Susie turned me on to a crystal stick deodorant….I know, right? Don’t roll your eyes, I thought that too! But then I tried it and it works great. You just spread a little water on the top of it and rub it around your clean underarm, extending a few inches beyond the hair follicles. If you’ve already been sweating, put a little soap on a wet washcloth and wash under your arms. After you do a final swipe to get the soap off, leave your underarm a little damp and rub the stick over it. It works all day for me. And there’s no scent at all so if you’re sensitive to smells, or the person you’re caring for has Rhinitis, no problem.

Anyway, this is the one that works for me, and it lasts for years. You can get it at Amazon.com for about $9.00.