Within the Primal Blueprint system there are 10 primal laws for optimal health. Primal Blueprint Law #2 is ‘Avoid Poisonous Things’. Now this is usually followed with advice regarding what we put in our mouths, avoiding the obviously poisonous, but also the detrimental. Avoiding highly processed foods, food detrimental to our personal digestive system, and anything containing unwanted levels of chemicals and pesticides all sounds pretty wise.
But, there are other ways we are exposed to ‘poisonous’ things. Aside from ingestion (eating and drinking), we can also absorb substances through inhalation, injection, and dermal absorption.
Dermal absorption is the process by which a substance enters our body via the skin, either ending up within the skin itself and/or into our circulatory system, our blood and lymphatic systems.
Now before you start panicking and wrapping yourself in clingfilm (a possible source of toxins) there are various factors at play that dictate the rate of absorption:
- Concentration
- Duration of contact
- Physical condition of the skin
- Solubility of substance
- Molecular weight of substance
- Location of skin in contact with substance
With regards to the last one, location, the rate of absorption of chemicals through skin, in general, follows the following scheme from fastest to slowest: Scrotal > Forehead > Armpit > Scalp > Back / Abdomen > Palm/under surface of the foot.
That’s right lads, the nut sack is the most absorbent patch of skin so what you put on it counts.
WARNING: TOO MUCH INFORMATION ALERT!
As someone of a chunkier stature, running can cause a problem with chafing, predominantly on the inner thigh, ‘nether-region’ region. There are many anti-chafe lubricants on the market, specially designed for this problem. My concern is what the hell is in them? I like my scrotum and all that lies therein, and I don’t really relish coating that area with unknown chemicals. This led me to develop one of the most powerful rules that I live my life by:
“If you’re not happy to put it in your mouth, don’t put it on your balls!”
Glenn White
Now that I’ve got that off my, er, chest, we can see that our skin really does deserve the attention that we give our guts. Coating our skin with random substances, however nice they smell or smooth our skin feels, may be potentially problematic.
“Why should we listen to you, Glenn? You have a face like the love child of Gordon Ramsey and a walnut.” Bit rude, but fair point. I’m absolutely not saying you need a face like an aged handbag. Moisturising is great. Just be more mindful about what you use.
I don’t really need deodorant. I am one of those annoying folks that can get away without it. It could also be the reason why I don’t have many friends. But I do on occasion use it and I am keen for my family to use something that has potentially less issues.
I’ve tried loads of natural deodorants in my time, but 2 have really stood out. The first is a homemade one we have dubbed ‘Primal Pit Putty’, which we will share on a later blog post. The other is Nuud, anti-odorant.
Kelley started ordering this, and we get it as a subscription. I’ll admit when it first came I was skeptical. The tube is fairly small and it seemed a bit pricey to my thrifty (cheap) mind. I now think it’s great. It is super concentrated so lasts for ages. On top of that you don’t need to use it every day. One application is effective for 3-7 days. Based on this, a 20ml tube could last for up to 10 weeks.
I am a sucker for well designed packaging, and Nuud managed to catch me hook, line and sinker. It comes in a groovy little biodegradable box held closed by a silicon band (great for tying up the kids lunches), and inside is a tube of 100% recyclable bioplastic made from sugar cane. So the whole shebang is plastic free.
It is suitable for vegans, cruelty free, zero aluminium, no alcohol, and fragrance free. It doesn’t clog your pores, doesn’t stain your clothes (just be sure to rub it in properly), and is sustainably produced and distributed.
There is no endless list of alien sounding ingredients either. There are 10 things in your Nuud:
- Micro silver – This is used to inhibit bacteria to avoid a pong. They use ‘micro’ particles rather than smaller ‘nano’ ones so that it is less likely to be absorbed by the skin.
- Coconut oil
- Castor oil
- Zinc oxide
- Almond oil
- Mineral clay
- Vegetable emulsifier
- Castor oil extract
- Vegetable mix enhancer
- Carnauba wax
You literally need just a pea sized blob per armpit, and for me it really does last for several days regardless of activity or showering.
The rest of the clan have also got on well with it in general. There is often a little push back at the fact that it’s not a simple spray or roll on – you need to use your fingers. One potential issue is that some of the ladies in our household initially found it to be less effective at certain points in their cycle, however, this seems to have balanced out after using Nuud exclusively for a few months.
The starter pack starts at £12.95 which is enough for 6-7 weeks. You can also get it in a blue tube if you don’t like pink (get a grips lads). They also do a ‘smarter pack’ for £24.95 containing two 20ml tubes, lasting 19-20 weeks, and a family pack of four 20ml tubes at £34.95. On top of this they also do a subscription service starting at £4.99 per month, depending on your usage. See https://nuudcare.co.uk/
All in all, I really like it. Super simple and really effective for me. I really like the fact that it’s fragrance free too, as I’m an absolute nightmare when it comes to making decisions on things like that.
One thing to note, depending on what sort of underarm strategy you’ve been using in the past, you may find that Nuud takes a little while to start working as you’d like. This is essentially your pits detoxing and getting their true function back. Here is a little video from Nuud.
And just to say, I am not paid in any way or form by Nuud to endorse this product. I have simply found that my pits love it and I thought that maybe yours will too.
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