If you’re wondering where Puberty, Part 1 is . . . I was 13. I didn’t have a blog. I didn’t even have the internets.

So I really don’t sweat. It helps that I’m permanently cold, but even when I’m hot, I don’t sweat all that much. In fact, the only time I remember my clothes smelling like B.O. was when I was a camp counselor and was living without A/C in 100°+ weather for 2 months straight. Deodorant has always been optional for me in day-to-day life - something I wore simply b.c I just love things that smell good.

Here’s proof- until last week, I used Tom’s of Maine’s deodorant. Most people say all-natural deodorant is just decoration. Invisible decoration.

But then recently, at the end of the day, my shirts would smell like B.O.

!!!

So I thought that maybe the deodorant had stopped working. So I switched to a stick of Dove I have in the cabinet. But that makes my armpits PEEL since I sweat so little. So I went to Whole Foods and bought some other Earth-Friendly Happy deodorant. Same result as the Tom’s of Maine. Wonderful scent- useless by the end of the day.

And I was like, WHAT is going on? I know that in puberty I was supposed to get my period, get hips and breasts and start needing daily showers and using deodorant. So I got the period part, and now 14 years later I suddenly need deodorant? In 13-14 more years will I also suddenly grow breasts? Except I’ll be so old they’ll just grow down instead of out?

Anyway, I did find a deodorant. I talked to a Whole Foods girl (the peeling armpits scared me- I wasn’t taking my chances with a drugstore deodorant) and she recommended one. I love it. It’s a salt-based roll-on and it’s actually organized my mornings. I can’t put it on right after a shower, so I have to wait until I cool down. THEN it takes forever to dry. So in the mornings, I get up, shower, moisturize, get half-dressed, put on my deodorant, then make my bed or hang up laundry or feed my parakeet or put on makeup to kill time.

I’m not saying it gets me to work on time, but it does slow me down. Zen and the Art of Deodorant Application.

UPDATE: (12.3.07) That brand was Lafe’s and I’m still using it, almost 2 years later.  I love it.