|
|
|
Menu |
Merry Meet and Welcome to The Paganus Website |
|
�Home |
As a teen myself I realise that the use of a deodorant spray to stop sweating or to smell nice is an essential product. However, a lot of us use these sprays without thinking about the knock-on effects that are happening because of the use of the deodorant spray. These sprays used to contain a synthetic compound called chlorofluorocarbon (CFC). These CFC gases react with the Ozone layer and the chlorine in the CFC destroys the ozone layer. Nowadays most sprays are CFC Free, however, quite a few deodorants sprays still contain Cholrine or a form of chlorine (eg. chlorohydrate) and are still destroying the ozone layer. The ozone layer is a part of our stratosphere (high atmosphere) and is a protective shield against harmful radiation from the sun known as Ultraviolet (UV). This type of radiation is lethal to living things as it actually damages DNA in living organisms, it also damages the Earth. Over the past 100 years the use of CFC gases has created a hole in the ozone layer allowing an undiluted amount of UV radiation to reach the earths surface. For humans an increase in UV radiation increases skin cancers, cataracts and possibly an adverse impact on human immunity. Also for Gaia (This is the theory that the earth is a living organism, it is worth reading James Lovelocks' Gaia for an understanding on the subject) it has created an increase in the greenhouse effect, an increase in acid rain and may reduce crop yields. Gaia has over 3.5 aeons (3,500 million years) created and worked at producing the right conditions to keep her and the animals that live with her alive. She has kept the Ozone at just the right thickness. Too much ozone and no heat would get through and the temperature would fall drastically and life could not exist. Also humans and other animals actually get some vitamins from the suns radiation through their skin, and if they didn't then they would suffer vitamin deficientcy. Too little ozone and the things mentioned above would happen. So it has taken only 100 years for humans to destroy something that has taken Gaia over 3.5 aeons to perfect. We need to stop using Chlorine based gases, for the sake of Gaia and for the sake of life on earth. This may sound a little far fetched but the scientific data collected so far seems to suggest that if we carry on using chlorine gases then we are just planting the seeds for the worlds/Gaias destruction. You may be thinking 'what can I do about something so large?'. Well deodorant sprays are not the only things that produces Cholrine gases or CFC sprays, but they are a large contributor. The average human uses around 15 deodorant cans a year. If you take the population of the UK (60 million) that equals 900 million spray cans a year, and that's just in the UK. So ever person counts, that includes you. A large part of being a Pagan is to honour and help nature, so lets come together as Pagans and help to try and stop this destruction of our Mother Earth/Gaia. Now, I understand that as a teenager that you can not go around smelling like old boots. So I have done some hard research and found herbal alternatives to using deodorants. So you can fight on the side of Gaia and not reek of body odour. Why not try using one or more of these; Ingredients: 1/3 cup grain alcohol (everclear, vodka) 2/3 cup distilled water 15 drops lavender essential oil 5 drops tea tree essential oil 5 drops rosemary essential oil Directions: Dissolve the oils in the alcohol, then add water gradually. Shake vigorously, pour into a dark glass container. Herbal Deodorant Powder Ingredients: 2 parts powdered sandalwood (for fragrance and anti-microbal properties) 1 part powdered white oak bark (an astringent) 1 part powdered lovage root (for fragrance) Directions: Pulverize herbs in a blender or food processor until they become a very fine powder. Transfer powder into a clean, dry iron skillet and very lightly pan-roast to set resins and scents. Fill muslin draw-string bags with the powdered herbs, or use handkerchiefs tied with a string or ribbon. Pat bags under your arms or on feet. Cream Deodorant Ingredients: 1/2 ounce cocoa butter 1/2 ounce beeswax 1 Tbsp glycerine 1 Tbsp rosewater Directions: Melt cocoa butter and beeswax slowly in the top of a double boiler. Remove from heat, add glycerine and rosewater. Add several drops of one or more of the following deodorizing essential oils: calendula, coriander, eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, rosemary, sage, or thyme. Stir before use if cream separates. Turnip Juice Ingredients: 1 Turnip Directions: Take a turnip and pulverize it in a blender or food processor. Squeeze out the juice and save that. Rub 1 tsp of the juice under each arm. This will not stop sweating but your sweat will not smell. Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda Ingredients: Cider vinegar Baking soda Cornstarch Herbs (eg. eucalyptus, sage, coriander) Directions: Infuse the herbs in the vinegar and then apply under the arms. After the vinegar dries, a dusting of cornstarch and baking soda can be used on the underarms. Zinc Also taking more zinc in your diet will help to stop your sweat from smelling. You can buy zinc tablets from lots of chemists and shops that sell vitamins. CFC Free Deodorants Most Deodorants are CFC free nowadays. However, some still contain Cholrine or a form of chlorine (eg. Chlorohydrate). These still damage the Ozone layer, so just make sure you have a check of the can before you buy Roll-ons Also you can use roll-on deodorants too, but its more fun if you use the herbal alternatives above as you know exactly what is going into then, and they are really fun to make. As Pagans we should all fight on the side of Gaia. Socharis Websites for furthur reading: What is the Ozone Layer Environmental impact of conventional energy systems The Gaia Hypothesis Hole in the Ozone layer |