Story by Diana Aldea.

Gonna be totally honest, I couldn't do 4-weeks of detoxing my pits. I really love the idea of getting rid of toxins - and I'm even O.K. with smelling bad for the cause - but when things get really bad in your personal life, it's just not the right time to sweat it all out.

I started using the Takesumi Detox from Kaia Naturals in late January and the results were exactly as I expected. It seemed to be working wonderfully during week 1 (minimal sweating and no odor) and during week 2, I smelled pretty horrific. This is common since your underarms are beginning to detox from built-up toxins, bacteria and other chemicals - they call this the "purge phase". During week 3, my life began to unravel at the seams. My dad had been diagnosed with lung cancer a few months prior and his health was on the decline. My mom and I were in-and-out of emergency rooms with him, we weren't sleeping much, and eating was sparse and generally pretty unhealthy. During the third week of your pit detox, you're supposed to be less smelly but sweating more. Considering I was a complete wreck, my pits were constantly damp and I smelled absolutely horrific. I caught a whiff of myself and felt like I was going to vomit, so I caved and started wearing my "normal" drugstore deodorant. I felt pretty terrible considering I'd made it so far, but honestly it just wasn't a good time for me. After using my old deodorant, I was hyper aware of how thick it felt, as if it was clogging my pit pores. I began to alternate between regular deodorant and the Takesumi Detox, which isn't ideal, but that's what I could manage. Week 4 is when you're supposed to see real results, but I'd messed up and would need to do it all again. 

My dad passed away in mid-February and I started using my old deodorant exclusively. I did it out of habit and didn't want to run the risk of smelling terrible as I planned my dad's funeral and had to interact with family and friends. It's been a month and while I'm still pretty bummed out, I think I'm almost ready to start focusing on me again. This includes taking care of myself and trying to detox my pits (again). I think you've got to be in a good place mentally and physically to complete any detox successfully, and I'd highly recommend the Takesumi Detox under the right circumstances. My dad placed a huge focus on good health. He was always looking for ways to improve himself and Kaia's products are similar to those that he would use and approve of. I'm gonna try the Takesumi Detox again pretty soon, I'm sure my dad would be proud of me for smelling awful. 

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Photography by Nathalie Martin
This post is in collaboration with Kaia. All photos original and opinions are honest and true. 
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