My Favorite Bra Hacks for Comfort

This is a post I did 5 years ago, running through all of my favorite bra hacks to troubleshoot all kinds of issues and increase your comfort. 

Enjoy.

How To Get Comfy 

Review: Lume Deodorant

I've tried a lot of new natural deodorants during the pandemic because I've been working from home, which makes it the perfect time. Because there's only myself to offend if they fail.

Recap: I started on my epic quest to find non-aluminum deodorants when I suddenly developed an angry allergic reaction to the Dove solid I'd used for the last decade or so. Which left me pretty dismayed since I'm kinda crunchy, but in a very pragmatic way. Deodorant is one thing that simply needs to work, and chemicals are a lesser consideration for me.

 

I had high hopes for Lume, since I like cream formulas and you can use this anywhere on the body. Not a feature I was looking for, but cool nonetheless. I tried a sample pack so I could try five scents.

The first thing I noticed was that this is not a cream like Type:A is, but rather a watery, slow-drying lotion, like Drunk Elephant. The second thing I discovered is that all of the scents share the same underlying scent, a kind of cloying, cling to the back of. your throat, chemical undertone. I noticed the same thing beneath the pleasant almond scent of Drunk Elephant. I assume this is due to the ingredient of mandelic acid that both share. And unfortunately, the third thing I learned is that this ingredient simply doesn't work on me. I mean, at all.

Rating: 2/10.  Thats right. On a scale of 10 hours, Lume worked for 2 hours. And that's time spent typing on my sofa - not mowing the lawn or going to the gym. Just sitting here, respirating and typing. 

The upside is that once you know a main ingredient does not work for you, you can strike all other products based on that from your list. So anything with mandelic acid is a complete fail for me: Drunk Elephant, Lume, Kopari, etc. These are all very spendy as well, so that saves me time and money. Since I'm not about to risk baking soda on my sensitive skin, that really just leaves the magnesium-based options, which have been effective to varying degrees. 

Review: Drunk Elephant Deodorant

In my quest to find deodorants that do not cause allergic reactions, or annoy my sensitive skin, I gave Drunk Elephant Deodorant a try.



Container:  narrow and square. An odd design choice, as the edges are sharpish, making it not especially comfy to rub around your armpit.

Scent: a pleasant almond that is far too faint and doesn't last.

Texture:  a milky liquid that, unfortunately, does not every really dry completely. Even worse, if you like to apply body powder, as I do, expect some strange caking and creamy little blobs dropping from your armpits. (Ask me how I know.)

Effectivness: 2 out of 10. That's right. You can expect two measly hours of protection - max. And that is assuming you are doing nothing more strenuous that sitting on the sofa. Incredibly disappointing, especially at this price point, around $15.

Review: Magsol deodorant

As part of my quest to find an effective deodorant that would not cause an allergic reaction, I tried Magsol Magnesium in Rose.



Texture.  One of my favorites: a smooth, dry cream. Soft, non-sticky, and non-grainy. It is less cakey than other options.

The applicator is an unusual round shape. It is also oddly heavy.



Scent. A gorgeous, fresh true rose. Not candied or sickly sweet as some rose scents can be. Unfortunately, it is a bit too faint and not long-lasting enough.

Effectiveness.  6 out 10.

For me, that means I get around 6 hours of protection, maximum.

Price point: around $13. Not cheap; on the more spendy end for this class of products, but it does last for months.

When Do I Wear It?

As with the majority of natural deodorants, it doesn't last a full day, making it a weekend or bedtime option.

Sensitive Skin Review: Type:A deodorant

I've spent the last few years trying lots...& lots of sensitive skin products. Deodorants have been the toughest to crack. Finding the right texture and scent is not easy. But most of all: they vary wildly in effectiveness.

I'm a relatively crunchy vegetarian, but I don't particularly think that regular chemical deodorant is evil. I used Dove for over a decade. It is fairly sensitive skin friendly, & has about 30% less of the aluminum ingredient that's in most brands & I'd be happily using it still, if I hadn't inexplicably developed an allergic reaction to Aluminum Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex GLY which, I soon learned, is in virtually every anti-perspirant. By reaction, I mean sudden, 4" long, tender red patches that actually scabbed over. I know. Ugh. The beginning of my quest is in this post: Deodorant Quest

Type:A in The Dreamer scent (white floral linen)

Scent.  Really lovely. A non-cloying, sheer white floral. Unfortunately, it's a little too subtle. There's a crucial difference between 'understated' and 'evaporating'.

Texture.  Perfect. A light, fluffy cream that sinks into skin and leaves zero residue of any kind. Very similar to the Tussy in my original post.

Application. Genius. Squeeze the tube like toothpaste, then rub in with the soft, domed applicator.



Effectiveness.  On a scale of 1-10, Type:A is a 5. i.e. it lasts about 5 hours. And when that time is up, you are basically Cinderella and you need to leave the ball.

Price point. Around $10. Not cheap, but by no means the most expensive option in its category.

When Do I Use It?

On weekends, when I will not be breaking a sweat. Before bed on rare warm, muggy nights. I would not rely on this for a full day at the office - back when going to the office was a thing.

Sensitive Skin review: type:A deodorant

I detailed my unexpected odyssey of being forced to find alternatives to my old standby, Dove, here. Over the last two years, I've found a couple other products that do not irritate my admittedly cranky skin.

One of them is type:A. The scent I tried was The Dreamer, White Floral Linen.

Scent. The white flower scent is not actually white roses; I just thought it looked pretty next to them. It's actually a subtle blend of jasmine, ylang ylang, and fresh laundry. And by 'subtle', I mean: I wish the scent was a little stronger. Though on the upside, it will certainly not clash with any perfume or body lotion you are wearing.

Texture & Application. Absolutely perfect. A light fluffy cream that absorbs into the skin quickly, leaving a silky finish behind. It is the most pleasant texture I've found.

The dispenser is ingenious. You squeeze the toothpaste-style tube until you see exactly the amount of deodorant you want, then use the rounded top to massage it into your skin. No muss, no fuss. And the applicator never clogs.

Ingredients. It does contain baking soda, but in an amount low enough not to cause me any irritation. The arrowroot and corn starch are doing the heavy lifting.

Effectiveness. Ah. Here, we come to the bottom line. That 'sweat-activated technology' claim on the first pic? Yeah, I'm gonna have to go ahead and call 'slight exaggeration' on that. For me, this is a part-time deodorant, i.e. 6 hours and it's off the clock.

If the weather is cool and I'm not doing anything physically active, like, say a brisk walk during lunch, then the protection can last all day. So, for sitting at my desk, or on weekends, this is a great choice. It also will not create any residue or rub off on fabric, which is a big plus. But if it's summer or I'm going to be active, then at that 6 hour point, I'll need to reapply. With this one, I also take the step of dotting fragrance along my inner arms just above and below my armpits. Besides being a great spot to radiate gentle scent with body heat, this is a pretty effective way to boost the power of a deodorant you're just not sure about.

Price point. Around $13. Which is not especially spendy for the generous amount of product included, which lasts several months, especially if you are alternating it with another product.

Note: Post contains an affiliate link to where I purchased the product myself.