Armpit-love is self-love.

As I dive deeper into prioritizing self-care and pondering preventative medicine, I re-educated myself on the harmful effects of deodorant. In lieu with this personal quest for healthier pits, taking place on a puny island overrun with entitled expats and unsustainable tourism, a magical little story was born.

 

 

As we know, the travel community tends to be down to earth and ecologically aware. As I was using my cute, cucumber-scented travel-sized deodorant, friends warned me that I was giving myself cancer. I would be better off using nothing.

I knew they were right.

Aluminum, parabens, and other chemicals found in most deodorants have estrogenic activity, and therefore put us at higher risks for breast cancer and hormonal imbalances. Other potential hazards caused by commercial deodorants include allergies, neurological disorders, and kidney damage.

A few months later I was scrolling through reviews and blogs for the optimal product. I read up on half a dozen cruelty-free, no-trace-of-aluminum-or-parabens products before I deducted that Bali Secrets was The One. While not the cheapest option, the online community was saying that

1. it’s good stuff

2. it works

and 3. it’s small enough to fly carry-on with.

 

 

Bali Secrets called themselves a Californian brand, yet I wondered if they were producing on the island it was named for. At that time I was just days from heading to Bali, Indonesia myself. Perhaps I wouldn’t have to dish out $14 for 75mL.

An Instagram message led to an email which led to a WhatsApp contact and in a flurry of exchanges, I found that yes, I could in fact get them in person, for $10 each (I also wanted to get a bottle for my lovely cousin Julia, who would be joining me in Indonesia). The young company hadn’t begun to source their products the Indonesian market yet, but they’d make an exception for me. Normally all bottles were shipped abroad and sold online because let’s face it, we foreigners are privileged as hell.

Rob asked if we could meet Wednesday as a fresh batch would finish on Tuesday. Baffled at how well things worked out, I told him of course we could.

 

 

Day 393

6 March 2019

Canggu, Bali, Indonesia

Today was that Wednesday. I reached out to Rob, and promptly lost wifi for the next hours, busy stuffing my face with two German boys at the Crate lounge.

After our glorious, avo-licious brunch, I connected to wifi to see that Martin, one of the company owners, had instructed Rob to just give me one of each scent at no cost. Original Essence, Unscented, Sandalwood, and Delicate Rose, on the house.

But! Rob was getting off work. The next day was Nyepi, a Balinese day of silence where going out onto the streets is forbidden and everyone stays home. Motorbike taxis weren’t responding. Renting and driving a motorbike with my own hands on the streets of Indonesia doesn’t align with my values.

I asked Phillip, one of the Germans, to kindly scoot me over. It wasn’t the shortest ride, but I promised him I’d give him a bottle which would surely make his girlfriend back home very happy.

When we got to the trashcan that Rob had left the products on top of, we found not four, but six bottles. $84 of vegan, all-natural, all-good for you, all-Bali vibes deodorants. Freshly whipped up and packaged and sealed with love.

Karma is fucking real. Sometimes I get a little high off that shit.

I wasn’t possibly about to drag 15 ounces of armpit perfume around the world. I sent a bottle to Phillip’s girlfriend, and gave out two more to other hostel guests. One to a Finnish girl, and one to a Chilean guy because yeah, these products are totally unisex. I figured that since I don’t smell that bad and I had received this gift in such a nice way, I may as well take that good good karma and keep spreading it all over.

 

 

I saved the remaining bottles for two of my best friends (I forgot that my cousin doesn’t use deodorant) that I would be meeting in Japan. They are delighted with the results.

No one asked me to write this post either. But hey, where karma goes, karma flows.

I kept the rose scent for myself. I look forward each day to the moment I reach for my daily dose of seaweed extract, natural salts, and essential oils. Yes, as I am typing this my armpits have fucking rose oil in them. And they’ve never been happier.

Three months, four flights with no checked baggage, one road-trip, one farm-stay, and one Mount Fuji summit later, it still works flawlessly.

Bali Secrets, terima kasih for keeping my armpits rosy through all climates and outdoor adventures, and more importantly, for understanding the power of random acts of love and kindness.