The Best Aluminum Free Deodorants

Happy Hump Day Everyone! Let me first start out by saying that I'm pretty sure almost everything we breathe, eat and live in will have some part in causing our inevitable death at some point which is why I'm pretty laid back about most things, because seriously it's out of our control. HOWEVER I have decided to make one change which has led to taxi-driver status underarms (no offense!) and put everyone around me through stinky hell for the past two weeks ...<br /> <br /> <div> SO I remember in high school my science teacher (Mrs. Clark, thank you) told us that antiperspirant was bad for us and that we should use plain old deodorant instead. She was clearly crazy back when I was in 11th grade, I needed the most protection against sweat <i>as possible</i> <u>at all times</u>. Flash forward to my early thirties when I'm really starting to care about my health and longevity, and I'm staying as far away from antiperspirant as possible. </div> <div> <br /></div> <div> There have been claims linking the active ingredient in antiperspirant, aluminum, to alzheimer's disease and breast cancer as the aluminum holds back the toxins are bodies are trying to release in the form of sweat. To quote WebMD, "most <a href="http://www.webmd.com/women/picture-of-the-breasts">breast</a> cancers develop in the upper outer part of the <a href="http://www.webmd.com/women/rm-quiz-breasts-normal">breast</a> -- the area closest to the <a href="http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/picture-of-the-armpit">armpit</a>, which is where antiperspirants are applied. The studies suggest that chemicals in antiperspirants, including aluminum, are absorbed into the <a href="http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/picture-of-the-skin">skin</a>, particularly when the skin is nicked during shaving. These studies claim that those chemicals may then interact with DNA and lead to cancerous changes in cells, or interfere with the action of the female hormone <a href="http://www.webmd.com/women/guide/normal-testosterone-and-estrogen-levels-in-women">estrogen</a>, which is known to influence the growth of <a href="http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/ss/slideshow-breast-cancer-overview">breast cancer</a> cells." NOW, this is important...these claims have NOT been proven to be 100% accurate after research has been done, BUT when you think about it, it kind of makes sense. Actually, my armpits sometimes hurt after wearing antiperspirant and it is so hard to clean off in the shower. They even sell armpit sponges to help get it all off. </div> <div> <br /></div> <div> So I recently switched to an aluminum free deodorant and after two weeks of smelling unpleasant while all the toxins were clearing out from my underarms, my body has sort of balanced out and my new aluminum-free stick is working just fine. Sure, I'll probably smell a lot worse than the person next to me at the gym but I honestly don't care. </div> <div> <br /></div> <div> I've rounded up my favorites below for you to try and note, these are a little on the pricey side but I found that the TOMS natural brand and other less expensive versions at the drug-store didn't do the job.  </div> <div> <br /></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNhhOsticf8-aeMhTbG8TacjrN2OCDrwb5BBlJKfM4-69PtOiaa9tL4Jy0zdvqvaWDJJ_wVlQbavWp5fFaQlMUv6k9f4c5x9mc8t7coKqfD6GOcT9U7tEdEwJPKwzT3sbMO7LH2eVhIVE/s1600/img.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNhhOsticf8-aeMhTbG8TacjrN2OCDrwb5BBlJKfM4-69PtOiaa9tL4Jy0zdvqvaWDJJ_wVlQbavWp5fFaQlMUv6k9f4c5x9mc8t7coKqfD6GOcT9U7tEdEwJPKwzT3sbMO7LH2eVhIVE/s320/img.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://bit.ly/1RlCA4N">Honest Company</a></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3egNsq1sc3LogUbOeU_5au_vWtTgSkCFVLc5iPwxCzkCapxMsYlYjP7H8zTr57zxOiz6lCy9yo5YM91MJlVDao5dmj_n3wlCHxrl6ukRqJxsMhcQ3gaGoRf_Ip3G1QKRpweFVGnZaz-T/s1600/s1425453-main-hero-300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3egNsq1sc3LogUbOeU_5au_vWtTgSkCFVLc5iPwxCzkCapxMsYlYjP7H8zTr57zxOiz6lCy9yo5YM91MJlVDao5dmj_n3wlCHxrl6ukRqJxsMhcQ3gaGoRf_Ip3G1QKRpweFVGnZaz-T/s1600/s1425453-main-hero-300.jpg" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://bit.ly/1PXdUMD">For special occasions, I like this one by Chloe</a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPl9CwnCUDamLTAVB7JkcEnlIpWbIdYCQ3U8NBw8wF6_zQgDWBsCLyTj49Hk2QCyCebYKVw9TLGft6YnssoneC4DbgAs7Ili6i7hGr72ZRoo0BKWMpNJiPe7VyBej1jbYMphdHWadQWNQc/s1600/2285519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPl9CwnCUDamLTAVB7JkcEnlIpWbIdYCQ3U8NBw8wF6_zQgDWBsCLyTj49Hk2QCyCebYKVw9TLGft6YnssoneC4DbgAs7Ili6i7hGr72ZRoo0BKWMpNJiPe7VyBej1jbYMphdHWadQWNQc/s320/2285519.jpg" width="168" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> These are the best!! If you need a little refresher just wipe the stench away with these <a href="http://bit.ly/1Oi3bvQ">disposable wipes</a></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYbkX59V0FAlUKVMvg9fGpvCxvpmSRPJSgNcn-Fng_-2z4QdUGgzcTlvWZ52D4WuuSm-K_3MoIan19Jm3kqiKYCpWEcUS-2UiRjVB46Y1oLwNliT4BuVQq0iEwBI0PiX2kKP_VveslJns/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-01-13+at+9.56.30+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYbkX59V0FAlUKVMvg9fGpvCxvpmSRPJSgNcn-Fng_-2z4QdUGgzcTlvWZ52D4WuuSm-K_3MoIan19Jm3kqiKYCpWEcUS-2UiRjVB46Y1oLwNliT4BuVQq0iEwBI0PiX2kKP_VveslJns/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-01-13+at+9.56.30+AM.png" width="259" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://bit.ly/1Q5c0vi">My everyday stick</a></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN4ME5V03WkBzlEYOhTfvNhn9kNWsdcGz5XpAbGnYm3LSSh1rXXLPF_jFkC4BspctcipJsW0HZSfesQiMsGdY9Tib3-M8pwsFhXNSjwhxPWTRllESjryflxyP0e2UbtRoATay05CzCgxlQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-01-13+at+9.56.45+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN4ME5V03WkBzlEYOhTfvNhn9kNWsdcGz5XpAbGnYm3LSSh1rXXLPF_jFkC4BspctcipJsW0HZSfesQiMsGdY9Tib3-M8pwsFhXNSjwhxPWTRllESjryflxyP0e2UbtRoATay05CzCgxlQ/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-01-13+at+9.56.45+AM.png" width="262" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://bit.ly/1PXe8mR">L'OCCITANE</a> (everything that make is good)</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Have you tried any that you like?? Please leave in the comments so we can all see :) </div> <div> <br /></div>

BEAUTY, WELLNESS

The Best Aluminum Free Deodorants

Happy Hump Day Everyone! Let me first start out by saying that I'm pretty sure almost everything we breathe, eat and live in will have s...

How I Keep Up My Blonde Highlights

<div> I get a lot of questions about how I color my hair so I'm here to tell you about my process which happens to include using a <a href="http://bit.ly/1UJxQEp">drug-store box dye</a>!<br /> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5DJA3J-icya4aBv2UUURuDeMQSjYeFaxDG-KbQu_ZQ1jDyzdhpH9M4yIavKhxPoqrnIgZnmaBFF5T7XRlD4HPEhnAW58u8PbMUmT_lCia41OhD_NkkIEbZCXhDrBYZe5e6E2K-Bn5RY-/s1600/Joy-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5DJA3J-icya4aBv2UUURuDeMQSjYeFaxDG-KbQu_ZQ1jDyzdhpH9M4yIavKhxPoqrnIgZnmaBFF5T7XRlD4HPEhnAW58u8PbMUmT_lCia41OhD_NkkIEbZCXhDrBYZe5e6E2K-Bn5RY-/s640/Joy-17.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was taken about 5 weeks after a professional highlighting job and 1 week after using a box on my roots</td></tr> </tbody></table> </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWwDin7ZGcHq96-R-N7fT5idMJO7m9wv-Ur_zhV67RHCELqOtAY2CwSgIgI4aqu5AkQC1FwTT58UV0vIgvrWNQPx1OUDyH4uTRgVWfW5UzxAc9BPGEQQB-iXxxCkkev_iWcML8noiGDS1Q/s1600/Joy-62.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWwDin7ZGcHq96-R-N7fT5idMJO7m9wv-Ur_zhV67RHCELqOtAY2CwSgIgI4aqu5AkQC1FwTT58UV0vIgvrWNQPx1OUDyH4uTRgVWfW5UzxAc9BPGEQQB-iXxxCkkev_iWcML8noiGDS1Q/s640/Joy-62.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">no, I don't color Brian's hair -- what's funny is I'm totally after what he has naturally :)</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div> OK so I feel like I finally conquered the constant maintenance of keeping up highlights. For those of you who color you hair, you know, it's an issue. I talk about this with a lot of my friends and the number seems to be increasing the older we get. If I had the time and money, I would be at the salon every 4-5 weeks for touch-ups but honestly that's something I do not have the time or money for. I am a natural brunette but I swear I'm like 50% gray at this point. The gray is the tricky part because when my roots come in, I can't really pull off the ombre look anymore without looking like I'm 75.</div> <div> <br /> <div> >>Enter Clairol and my nifty self-colored forever blonde mom<< She has always had the prettiest hair and she has <i>never</i> had it professionally colored. She is a natural blonde but in that mousy dull way so she colors it herself to keep it pretty and fresh looking. Once when she was getting her hair cut at a nice salon in our town, the veteran stylist asked where she had it colored and when she told him she did it herself he told her to keep quiet and keep that to herself. </div> <div> <br /></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8MGjxRczmN3MjZTesU_2RgwrCTIPqU4cKXIH1d4s3WIMUe1JX5nSBlyzUc-aRgnTqy7FHxIYzBSGjOPHe22qyt18qgFyO1u__w3wjtV_nT6-Pj467IVcbTsntklJ082iQtvw8oTplmAv/s1600/IMG_1823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8MGjxRczmN3MjZTesU_2RgwrCTIPqU4cKXIH1d4s3WIMUe1JX5nSBlyzUc-aRgnTqy7FHxIYzBSGjOPHe22qyt18qgFyO1u__w3wjtV_nT6-Pj467IVcbTsntklJ082iQtvw8oTplmAv/s400/IMG_1823.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption">Isn't she pretty, love her.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;">SO we decided to give it a go on my hair and it worked :) With the box now in my life, I try and push my professional highlight appointments to 14 weeks or so apart and I get by with 9A Nice & Easy Natural Light Ash Blonde. I'm sharing this with you because my friends are shocked with I tell them I use a box die as part of my process and maybe you can benefit from giving it a whirl.</span></td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwKEL-JG8E2AVVRflwSyqpwYV5pT_CuVna2qmvWkh5mdoR1pZCGg76FjjHKxadI3dlPlnQ2iUTUcDbPbaQo5BwWJIZiXefkw5pLNCtSlPRBw2iiCyokKBZGHF88R_f86hsXTlVP1wjRQk/s1600/IMG_8089.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwKEL-JG8E2AVVRflwSyqpwYV5pT_CuVna2qmvWkh5mdoR1pZCGg76FjjHKxadI3dlPlnQ2iUTUcDbPbaQo5BwWJIZiXefkw5pLNCtSlPRBw2iiCyokKBZGHF88R_f86hsXTlVP1wjRQk/s320/IMG_8089.jpg" width="238" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbQkkOrP_xRTyUqkBOcK4fTsC7HmG2LvBTKCa53zr3gf4o_MCjwRBgmv2jg3djZL8Nh06t2qJnCIjSyJfTT-J1OR3AtrYtrhaml3D6zUVqmg8dMsxdR0_m1oz3ljvNLrN-_04mrBNzPdW/s1600/hair.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbQkkOrP_xRTyUqkBOcK4fTsC7HmG2LvBTKCa53zr3gf4o_MCjwRBgmv2jg3djZL8Nh06t2qJnCIjSyJfTT-J1OR3AtrYtrhaml3D6zUVqmg8dMsxdR0_m1oz3ljvNLrN-_04mrBNzPdW/s640/hair.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> I urge you to brave the box isle at CVS and experiment with a color underneath your hair to find one that might help out with stretching your salon appointments. My mom is a pro which is why I have her do it, but you could probably do it yourself or ask a friend, neighbor, whoever. It takes an hour max in the comfort of your own home, no babysitters required and costs about $7 :) </div> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> Here is a link to my color from Target : <a href="http://bit.ly/1UJxQEp">http://bit.ly/1UJxQEp</a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> Happy Coloring, Princesses :)</div>

BEAUTY

How I Keep Up My Blonde Highlights

I get a lot of questions about how I color my hair so I'm here to tell you about my process which happens to include using a drug-store...

MY NEW WONDER PRODUCT

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> Let me preface this post by saying that I'm a true minimalist when it comes to beauty products. I use dove soap,  I shampoo and condition with Tresemme because it makes my hair feel super clean and soft , and use Clinique for my face wash, lotion, and make up. All my life I have preferred to stick to these simple basics and they've served me well.<br /> <br /> After having Brian, however, I my skin has taken a turn for the worse. My freckles look more like brown spots, I have crazy dark circles under my eyes, and I can't believe I am even typing this, but I'm starting to notice some wrinkles on the outsides of my eyes!! Ugh!! I had a little time this weekend and took a trip to Lord & Taylor, a trip that I think may have changed my life. CC CREAM. Holy Sh** have you guys tried this? It is not at all like foundation (which I despise), it's practically invisible except for where you need it and because of that, I'm obsessed. Like, officially obsessed. It makes me look SO much better!! All the problems with my tired and sun abused skin disappear for the time I have this cream on and they say if you wear it long enough, it actually repairs your skin. Amazing.<br /> <br /> I also bought their dark circles cream that I love <i>almost</i> just as much. It goes on with a metal applicator so there is that instant cool feeling which is totally refreshing for the mornings, and it smooths and lightens the skin.<br /> <br /> Here is a before and after shot I took yesterday. Really baring it all here, I apologize in advance for the before, I had a long night with Mister the night before, eek.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhalS4IzO59VFvWkNyWFJckdTN6-0DNP41zy6-FhmQAV-rN7MmFAyjdeN9jBa65jyVpn0-MZ9awl1uHXyKaGKtn0MZbksRuU0p67PZQ7g9LXmbU6cw4J7hCAOiFaJyQKZz0F7d5clmTRdwM/s1600/CC+Cream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="1045.75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhalS4IzO59VFvWkNyWFJckdTN6-0DNP41zy6-FhmQAV-rN7MmFAyjdeN9jBa65jyVpn0-MZ9awl1uHXyKaGKtn0MZbksRuU0p67PZQ7g9LXmbU6cw4J7hCAOiFaJyQKZz0F7d5clmTRdwM/s1600/CC+Cream.jpg" width="500" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> So I recommend not walking but RUNNING to your nearest Clinique counter for this miracle cream OR you can buy here with free shipping (click on any image):</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div style="background: white; height: 195px; margin: 0px auto; width: 600px;"> <iframe frameborder="0" height="195px" scrolling="no" src="http://currentlyobsessed.me/api/v1/get_widget?wid=29&blog=Pure%2BJoy%2BHome&product_ids=882387a3e5768f2909cf6302d0f60cf7,b108d47f0d653fdd0566006fda1ac126&rows=1&cols=5&brand=1&price=1&hover=0" width="600px"></iframe></div> </div>

BEAUTY

MY NEW WONDER PRODUCT

Let me preface this post by saying that I'm a true minimalist when it comes to beauty products. I use dove soap,  I shampoo and conditi...