Deodorant is a product we can safely say is something we can’t live without!
How would we get through heat, physical activity and all the stress life brings, without preventing or masking our body odour? Unfortunately, there’s been some controversy over conventional deodorants and antiperspirants we use, from possible health risks, skin irritation and making our body do things that just isn't natural.
But don’t sweat it, luckily there’s a growing trend of natural deodorants to meet our health conscious needs, and in this article we’ll explain why you should make the switch to a natural deodorant.
Sweating is Entirely Natural
Knowing no-one likes to sweat, especially when it’s obvious and embarrassing, it’s just easier to get a deodorant to stop it entirely. The problem is that sweating happens for two very crucial reasons, it helps us to cool down and releases toxins that have made their way into our body. Many deodorants are combined with an antiperspirant which means our pores are clogged up and never produce any sweat.
Sweat isn’t actually what causes bad odours. That is done by bacteria on our skin mixing with our sweat . Luckily you can prevent this reaction by using a natural deodorant, while still allowing your body to sweat like it’s meant to.
Regular deodorants are becoming more controversial by the day
A big reason why natural deodorants have become so popular is the emergence of studies about the negative effects of the long term use of conventional deodorants. These contain ingredients like aluminium compounds, which have been linked to breast cancer and alzeihmers. There hasn't been conclusive evidence if these reports are correct, but it is definitely worth considering when switching to a natural deodorant.
Health Benefits Natural Deodorants Can Bring
Conventional deodorants mostly contain ingredients such as aluminium or alcohol which can cause different skin issues. A benefit if natural deodorants is the lack of pore blocking ingredients, which allows good bacteria to survive on your skin and even help prevent bad odour when you aren’t wearing any deodorant at all. Lack of skin irritation means shaving is far more effective and uncomfortable underarm shaving can soon be a thing of the past.
You’ll stop supporting animal testing
Unfortunately, animal testing in the beauty industry is still very common. Paid human volunteers is something only a minority of companies use. Luckily, naturally derived deodorants are nearly never tested on animals. I can’t say for certain but at the very least the vast majority of natural deodorants are animal friendly and even vegan.
The only downside to this is that testing on animals is cheaper than human testing, and for that reason it’s made up in the price you’ll be paying. We recommend double check any product you purchase, just to make sure it’s animal friendly .
Tips for Switching to Natural Deodorants
You might smell when you first make the switch…..
When you remove the aluminium that’s been plugging up your skin's pores for so long, your body will start releasing everything that's been clogged up. You will begin compensating and releasing waste, sweat and unfortunately begin to really stink things up. There’s not a whole lot you can do to avoid this excess perspiration and odour, it’s simply the natural way of your body. While we haven’t tried this, some people have used clay masks on their underarms, which supposedly makes the transition far easier by stopping the bad odours being produced.
With natural deodorant you’ll still sweat but you won’t smell
Switching to a natural deodorant definitely has some trade offs you’ll have to consider, they’re a little more expensive but more importantly, you will be sweating more than with a regular deodorant. Simply because sweating is natural and to stop sweating entirely isn’t healthy. Natural ingredients such as cornstarch or arrowroot help to reduce perspiration but it won’t stop it entirely. Although you’ll be sweating more, you won’t smell which is the most important part.
There might be some irritation in the beginning
A core ingredient of natural deodorants is baking soda, there are no consequences to applying it directly on your skin, all though depending on the PH level of your skin, it can cause skin irritation in the very beginning as your body just isn’t accustomed to this new substance. Usually after one week the skin irritations will have subsided and you should be good.
Summing it up
There are pros and cons for anything, and that’s the same when making the switch to a natural deodorant. At the end of the day it simply comes down to what you value most and what's most important for you, when using skin care products. Some people are default organic junkies while others aren’t bothered with the controversial ingredients that they apply to their skin. Either way, I’ve always recommended natural deodorants as they feel far better to use and still do a good job of keeping us odour free.
Sarah is big on sustainability and skincare, she runs her own blog where she shares her skin care ideas and passion.