I went to the local pharmacy to buy new deodorant recently and discovered the price had tripled since just last year. One stick now costs nearly $10. If you choose the combination deodorant+antiperspirant version, you can save a few dollars, but then you're left with additional problems, like clothing stains and health risks that come from the added aluminum. Most of use are already swimming in aluminum from all the vaccines we've received over the years. No one needs any more of that in their body.

Turns out you can make your own deodorant, at a fraction of the cost and with none of the health risk, from common and inexpensive ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter, and baking soda. It may sound crazy, but not too long ago, many Americans made their body products at home. My grandmother made her own soap. Now, with skyrocketing inflation and a growing awareness of the toxicity of many ingredients in commercially-manufactured versions, it's time to return to a cheaper and healthier way to keep our bodies clean.

Preservatives, chemicals, and toxins are added to most of the food we eat, but they're also ubiquitous in the creams, oils, soaps, and lotions we apply to our bodies. Aluminum, for example, is part of every commercially-made anti-perspirant. In addition to staining clothing, it increases the risk of breast cancer. Parabens are found in deodorant and soaps, and they mimic estrogen in the body. Exogenous estrogen pollutes our food and our water supply, increases cancer risk, and feminizes male physiology. The artificial scents in all body products lead to hypersensitivity of the skin, provoking allergic reactions like rashes and dermatitis. The effects are cumulative. Most people have been using multiple products daily for years, if not decades.

Just about any body product can be made at home: soap, lotion, deodorant, lip balm, eye cream, shampoo. Recipes can be found online. The Epoch Times frequently publishes articles (including a few series) on how to make your own body products and cleaning products, cheaply and safely.

If the idea of making body or cleaning products at home seems daunting, or you simply don't have the time, you can also buy them from businesses owned by people who share the values of simple, healthy, and natural. One company I use and recommend is Dande Natural, a local family-owned Orange County based company that sells deodorant, lip balm, skin cream, and other natural body products made from pure ingredients and no chemicals. Dande Natural sponsors our podcast, Informed Dissent, and offers a 10% discount to customers who use the discount code "IDM."

Whether you choose to make it yourself or buy from someone who does, replacing your body (and cleaning) products with simple, natural, healthy ingredients will protect you from the cumulative damage of toxins and allergens that has become all but unavoidable in store-bought products. Do it for your body!