What's That Smell? Schmidt vs. Tom's

Schmidt

The title of this post poses a question that I'm often asked after someone has hugged me or  come in close contact. On the occasions when I've been asked this question, people want to know what product I'm wearing as well as all of the necessary purchasing details. I purchased some hair perfumes which I hauled in a recent video, so suffice it to say that I like to smell good. Unfortunately, "what's that smell" is a question I asked myself twice this week when a less than pleasant scent assaulted my olfactory senses.

So the woman who likes to smell good offended herself, twice in one week, how does that happen? 

The Beginning 

The negative effects of aluminum in antiperspirants have always lingered in my mind during deodorant purchases, but I've continued to buy them for years. I've tried my share of natural deodorants and one after the other, they have failed me. Well four weeks ago I was determined to give natural deodorants another shot when I found the $10 jar of the Schmidt brand deodorant, sitting atop a shelf in a Ricky's NYC store.

I purchased the Bergamot and Lime scent which has a deliciously light citrus scent. I didn't even care that it wasn't packaged like traditional deodorant roll up sticks. Instead it was tightly packed into a glass jar, complete with a stick provided to assist in scooping out the product.

After scooping you're  supposed to rub the product  between your fingers to transform the crumbly substance  into a creamy paste.

I began using the product the day after I bought it, and I did so for approximately the next three weeks. It helped to keep armpit odors at bay, but another problem soon presented itself. As shown in the picture below, my armpits became discolored after three weeks and I experienced intermittent itching. Both problems were enough to cause me to put down the stick and discontinue using this natural deodorant. 

Notice my discolored pit in the picture below. Please excuse any stray hairs..lol

I've had discolored armpits in the past when I used the Oyin Handmade's deodorant, so I'm confident that in a few weeks my armpits will be back to normal.  Schmidt didn't work out for me, but I wasn't jumping off of the natural deodorant train that quickly. After all aside from the discoloration, the the odor protection  provided by Schmidt was definitely acceptable.  


Tom's

Next, I  turned my attention to the Tom's brand of natural deodorant in the apricot scent, which I scored on sale for $3 from CVS.

It smells just like a bushel of freshly cut apricots, and that my friend is where the good times end. I used it all of this week, the fourth and smelliest  week of my  natural deodorant trial. Twice this week my own armpits  caused me to question which frowzy person entered my personal space, but alas I was the armpit offender. The natural ingredients can be found below.

Although Toms boasts 24 hour protection, it couldn't even get me through an 8 hour work day. My armpits didn't become further discolored and I didn't experience any itching, but the absence of odor protection forced me to throw in the towel.
You win aluminum I'll be back in your  clutches shortly, unless someone out there has a great natural deodorant recommendation.... I'm all ears.

Thanks for reading

PJD