Product Review: Lavanilia Natural Deordorant

 

Before you turn your nose up at this post...keep reading! Honestly, I was not in pursuit of a natural deodorant. I saw the commercial for the new Oil of Olay Even Tone antiperspirant and thought

I'd give it a try (to even my tone of course)...well the local CVS did not have it in stock so

I started looking at the natural deodorants again, thinking they should also help to

combat discoloration and irritation. Tom's was a no-go because it was way too

watery and did nothing for me when I tried it before.

I stumbled across a FB post that had reviews for the best natural deodorants and I read the

reviews for Lavanilia which were really good. So I ordered the grapefruit vanilla scent, and even though that combination didn't sound too appealing, it actually ended up having a really nice smell.

So the most important test of all is whether it can withstand the test of......B.O.! Well it's definitely not an antiperspirant (which deactivates or blocks sweat) so you will experience sweating and some body odor - point blank. The good thing is it does work very well in comparison to the other natural deodorants I have tried and if you do start to smell "oniony" halfway through the day, just keep it nearby and re-apply. For me this is essential. I never had to apply antiperspirant more than once a day, so this was a bit of an adjustment for me. However, its worth it to be able to eliminate the extra toxins that antiperspirants contain, on a daily basis. The aluminum zinc in antiperspirants builds up in our bodies and can become detrimental to our health since it's so close to our lymph nodes and breast tissue. Medical experts suspect there is a link between breast cancer and the increase in the use of aluminum zinc-based antiperspirants over the years. Additionally, it has also been linked to Alzheimer's disease. Whether these issues concern you or not, by trying a natural deodorant, you are definitely giving your body a better chance to detox and heal itself.

Testimony Sunday: DeAngela's Baby Journey

 

It's very refreshing and encouraging to encounter other women who have journeyed down similar paths on the way to motherhood. We never really know, although sometimes we assume we do, what someone else has gone through. I am so glad that I decided to attend a women's bible study this summer where a fellow church member, DeAngela, shared a brief testimony about how she had undergone a myomectomy and despite one doctor's negative report, went on to conceive and have a baby. It is certainly true what they say - you can not have a testimony without a test! Here is DeAngela's story, which she so graciously shared:

 

In 2011, I became pregnant but at my 8 week appointment seemed to be further along, based on my size. At that time the doctor diagnosed me with fibroids. At 20 weeks I went to see a specialist for testing - at that point I was told that my cervix was thinning out and dilating. Shortly after, I miscarried and delivered via C-Section. Afterwards the doctor stated that my fibroids were so big that she believed I would never be able to have a baby. She even went so far as to suggest a surrogate. Thankfully, I came across Dr. Parnell, a fellow church member, who is an OB/GYN that specializes in treating women with fibroids. Before he performed my myomectomy he put me on Lupron for 3-4 months to shrink the fibroids. During the myomectomy, he not only had to remove the fibroids, he had to remove scar tissue from the first C-section, which had been performed with a vertical cut. So instead of the planned robotic myomectomy, Dr. Parnell had to perform the myomectomy with a full incision to effectively remove the fibroids as well as the scar tissue. The surgery went well but the recovery became challenging as I was hospitalized for 19 days due to a bowel obstruction - one of the risks of myomectomies.

After I was released, the doctor wanted us to wait a month to attempt to get pregnant. We started trying to conceive in October but for the next few months, nothing happened. So we stopped actively trying in December, but in January I ended up pregnant!

Towards the end of my pregnancy, I was put on bed rest due to placenta previa. My C-Section was schedule for 37 weeks and in late September, my healthy baby girl, Hannah, was born.

 

So there you have it...my first testimony post.

I pray I have the opportunity to write many, many more!

 

Revelations 11:12

They overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony!