Body odor and sweat. Two unpleasant parts of puberty. Fortunately there are many products out there to help us with both (if that is your decision). Aluminum has been a hot topic for a while but it's not in deodorants. It's in antiperspirants. Let's break this down a little further.

Deodorants are there to help eliminate or mask that natural aroma. (Note: it can be difficult to smell yourself so you might consider asking a parent or trusted friend if you could benefit from a little aroma therapy.) It's totally your choice, but if you want to control the smell there are many deodorants out there. In fact, picking your deodorant might be difficult because there are so many to choose from. Here are a couple of things to think about:

• Do you want a scent (like sandalwood or flowers)?

• Do you want to control sweating?

To control armpit sweat, look for deodorants with antiperspirant (sweating is also know as "perspiring"). There has been some worry in the past about aluminum in antiperspirants causing cancer, but the evidence is not totally clear (another way to think about it is that if aluminum in antiperspirants was linked to cancer it would no longer be sold). If you still want to avoid aluminum, look for antiperspirants without it (you can ask a salesperson for help if you need). And one more natural way to help with body odor -- shower or clean your armpits once a day. Noses will love you!