the price of caring

If you've spent any significant time shopping or talking shopping with me recently, then you've probably been bothered with one of my "please take means to reduce your plastic consumption if and when it's at all possible" speeches.   

(Which, for the record, I won't promise to stop making; however, I will apologize for how annoying I am for making them.  I know. I can't help it. It's just that, well, it's my planet too, buddy!)

Consequently, I've recently switched to an all-natural, no packaging whatsoever deodorant.  Of course, it's chemical and aluminum-free, so it essentially functions solely as a deodorant.  It contains talc, making it somewhat absorbent, but if you want to be truly sweat and odor-free you apparently need to play Russian roulette with whether or not aluminum causes breast cancer and/or Alzheimer's disease.  Certainly, I pondered these things before officially making the switch; however, the way I see it - precious few people seem concerned with my olfactory comfort, so I can afford to relax a bit about theirs.

Anyway, it's only been a few weeks riding the natural armpit train, and from what I can tell, the price of caring about both my long-term health and the environment is this:

• $9
• The stink of patchouli
• Hence, being associated with a neo-hippie movement that stopped being fashionable at least ten years ago
• Increased dampness
• Heightened social paranoia
• Slight burning
• A matching set of scratched-up, very owie and occasionally even bloody armpits

Nonetheless, I'm stubbornly sticking with it.  In fact, I'm pushing forward and trying a solid, all-natural, no packaging whatsoever shampoo this very evening.  

What I'm saying is, I should be a bit easier to locate in a crowd now, what with my special, all-natural, burning and blood-spotted ... essence.  

So, in a weird sort of way, everyone wins!

I think.

(Ow.)