The ANTI-Sticky Stick

The agony of summer in Oklahoma spurred me to try to create SOMETHING... ANYTHING... to help relieve the issues caused by the extreme heat and humidity (did you all know it horribly humid in Oklahoma? I certainly missed that in the brochure).  To say summers here leave you feeling sticky in all the wrong places would be an understatement.  With heat, comes sweat, with sweat comes uncomfortable trapped moisture, chafing, fitted clothing rubbing, friction, irritation, and odor. With ongoing exposure to these stressors, skin can begin to breakdown and inconvenient sores can turn into something much more serious like infection, especially with the swampy, humid conditions. 

I wanted a product that addressed all of the swampy summer issues: excessive moisture, friction, chafing, irritation, and odor (the cause not just a cover-up). After several rounds of testing (on myself and my husband), I came up with (drumroll) The ANTI-Sticky Stick! This cream stick is designed for everyday use, but may actually last longer if not washed off at the end of the day. My goat milk and honey base joins forces with a variety of natural ingredients, all of which have very specific goals: 

Goat milk- Helps balance the skin's pH.

Honey- Softens and conditions skin so it doesn't rub raw. Also has antimicrobial properties.

Beeswax- Breathable, water-resistant shield against friction.

Kokum Butter- Melts instantly but leaves a bone-dry, velvety matte finish to reduce friction.

Cocoa Butter- Moisturizing and also the rich, natural chocolatey aroma helps shield against odors.

Fractionated Coconut Oil- Light and stable vehicle, also naturally fights yeast and fungi.

Tapioca Starch- Eliminates moisture and grease, producing a smooth glide. Tapioca has much smaller particles and higher amylose content allowing it to absorb massive amounts of oil and sweat while maintaining a smooth, silky, weightless glide without any gumminess (like you get with arrowroot, one of the most commonly used ingredients in natural deodorants and alternative powders).

Non-nano Zinc Oxide- Classic skin protectant commonly found in diaper rash creams that calms raw skin and blocks odor enzymes. 

Gluten-Free Colloidal Oatmeal- Skin protectant that stops the raw itchy feeling of chafing.

Sandalwood and Frankincense Essential Oil- Both have natural antifungal properties to control Candida yeast and are antibacterial to help control bacterial overgrowth which leads to unwanted smells. Their combined green, woody scent camouflages body odor without smelling artificial or overpowering.

Sweet Orange Essential Oil- This oil adds a bright top note scent and accelerates the shedding of old, stained surface skin cells to help reduce discoloration common in areas like the armpits, promote cell turnover for improving skin texture, and is naturally antimicrobial. Sweet Orange EO is also one of the few citrus oils that is NOT phototoxic, meaning that it will not cause sunburn, but the areas where this will be used rarely see the sun anyway.

Vanilla Oleoresin- This is a resin-like concentrate extracted from vanilla pods, not an essential oil or infused oil. This scent note is incredibly safe for sensitive skin (even the groin area) and has a very low risk of sensitization compared to any essential oil. Vanilla adds a rich, warm, long-lasting base note that doesn't clash with musky sweat odors and even menstrual blood the way bright floral scents do. 

All of these ingredients were very carefully chosen to be safe and soothing for areas such as the armpits, under/between breasts, between any skin folds, belly button, under apron belly, groin creases, inner thighs, around (NOT directly on) the genitals. under butt cheeks, and to feet... basically wherever you don't want to feel sticky and swampy. This is intended only for skin surfaces. Do NOT apply to mucous membranes or directly on the genitals due to risk of the essential oils causing a stinging sensation, which is what we are trying to stop in the first place. The Anti-Sticky Stick is safe to apply to the inner thigh areas AROUND the genitals that are often points of high friction, especially when sweaty.

The Anti-Sticky Stick can also help calm red, inflamed, already chafed areas anytime of year. Apply very lightly in a small area first to assure there is no burning sensation. Do NOT apply to open sores/wounds and PLEASE seek medical treatment for open wounds in these kind of sensitive areas due to high risk of infection and skin breakdown. 

Suggested method of use: Always test a small area first before applying a large amount to make sure you are not sensitive to the product. This is a cream stick, so apply with very light pressure directly to the desired areas like you would swipe on deodorant stick. Leave the cream application as is or you may massage the product in and/or use your hands to spread the cream to more precise areas. It will require soap and water to wash the product off. 

Ingredients: Fractionated coconut oil, Beeswax, Tapioca Starch, Kokum Butter, Cocoa Butter, Non-nano Zinc Oxide, Gluten-free Colloidal Oatmeal, Goat Milk Powder, Honey Powder, Sweet Orange Essential Oil, Sandalwood Essential Oil, Frankincense Essential Oil, Vanilla Oleoresin.

The Tea from D: This is a creamy product that uses several white colored powders to achieve the desired effect, so even if you massage the product into your skin, there will still be a white cast/residue on your skin... if I can figure out how to make it "invisible", I definitely will, but until then... use caution when applying before putting on dark colored clothing.  I use the Anti-Sticky Stick on my armpits and for whatever reason, I can't seem to put on a t-shirt without dragging it over my armpits which leaves a white trail on my dark clothing.  To prevent this, I put my t-shirt on first, and then reach up under my shirt with the stick to apply it to my armpits. Maybe that's how everyone else already applies deodorant LOL. 

Another long note (feel free to skip over if you're bored reading my rambling)--

I know I'm putting this out there mostly as a swamp-a** remedy, but there was actually a much deeper reason that I wanted to make this product:

Firstly, I decided to put this in a push-up stick because I have some reach limitations due to a shoulder injury and when using the lotion stick that come in the same push-up stick, it gives me just enough extra length to reach spots on my back. I wanted this product to be something helpful for people with physical limitations due to acute injury, chronic illness, weight issues, physical disabilities, etc. that can make daily washing/hygiene very difficult and would be safe to apply wherever desired (aside from directly on the genitals), especially if the physical limitations prohibit leaving a bed or chair, or require the use of mobility equipment such as wheelchairs, prosthetics, crutches, braces/casts, etc. 

I am also very sensitive to the fact that not everyone has access to a proper bathroom for daily hygiene for various reasons.  If you know someone in that kind of situation, please let me know and I will be happy to help provide products (not just this item) to that person. 

And last, but not least, I am acutely aware that mental health issues can affect a person's ability to do even basic care for themselves like bathing... sometimes things are just so overwhelming that the idea of adding one more task or stimulus to your load feels impossible. So for the times that taking a shower or a quick wash-up just isn't something you can manage, perhaps a quick swipe of this product can help keep you feeling and smelling clean with much less effort. 

All of these issues are on my mind constantly.  Regardless of your physical abilities/limitations, housing situation, socioeconomic status, mental health issues, etc., everyone deserves dignity and sometimes that starts by just being able to clean yourself and/or smell better. Unfortunately, people can be so quick to judge a person based on how they smell without knowing the full situation. The first part of the farm's motto is "be kinder to yourself", but also I would like to encourage everyone to be kinder to the people around you because you just never know the battles someone is fighting in private. 

Thanks for reading all of that!