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I’ll be honest, I’ve only found one natural deodorant brand that I LOVE. I’ve tried 5-6 different brands, and I’ve narrowed it down to one that I personally consider the best not only because it actually works, but also because its actually clean! So many “natural” brands claim to be clean, yet are not. One simple way to know a brand is hiding ingredients is if they use “fragrance” in their products. That’s an immediate red flag because there is zero requirement for them to release any of the ingredients that are in their fragrance – these ingredients could be toxic or non-toxic or both – they aren’t required to share it! I had originally loved the brand “Native” because they worked for me, but I discovered they put fragrance in their products so I stopped buying them after that.
Why you should switch to natural deodorant
Regular deodorant (like the brand Secret) is filled with tons of chemicals and unnecessary ingredients. The most damaging ones include:
- Aluminum – This metal causes gene instability in breast tissue, which may promote the growth of tumors and cancer cells. Over 50% of breast cancer starts in the upper outer quadrant of the breast local to the underarm region, which is where we put deodorant. Breast cancer incidence tends to align with use of products that contain aluminum. If you shave under your arms, applying chemicals to that broken skin is especially bad.
- Parabens – Used as preservatives in deodorant and other personal care products. Parabens are known to interfere with the way your body produces and regulates estrogen and other hormones. There’s estrogen-sensitive tissue in the breast, so it’s not good if you put parabens close to this tissue every day. This applies to both women and men (men have estrogen too), but it is particularly concerning for the development of breast cancer in women.
- Phthalates – A family of industrial chemicals used as solvents in cosmetics to make fragrances stick. They damage the liver, kidneys, lungs, and reproductive system.
- Triclosan – A classified pesticide by the FDA. It is an endocrine disruptor and is toxic for our liver, microbiome, thyroid, and more. Triclosan is so common that 75% of Americans have detectable levels in their urine. It is even detected in our blood; which it is common to find chemicals in our blood because our body does absorb what is on the skin (hence why our lotion disappears rather than just sitting on the surface of our skin). Some animal studies have linked triclosan to unusual hormone activity. More research suggests triclosan could mess with our microbiome and the day-to-day operations of our genes.
- “Fragrance” – This term is used to conceal what ingredients companies use in their fragrance because scents are protected under trade law. Unfortunately, it could be dozens of different chemicals and I think it’s concerning that we don’t get to know what is used in varying fragrances. It makes us wonder what negative effects these unknown ingredients (synthetic, most likely chemicals and phthalates) are having on our bodies. It’s my belief that a pure, non-toxic brand would proudly state every ingredient rather than use this umbrella term.
- And the list goes on…
These ingredients are used to clog pores, prevent sweating, allow fragrances to stick, and more. They’ve also been shown to be hormone disruptors and may contribute to an increased risk of cancers such as breast cancer (read more here). Your armpits are very porous (hence why we’ll get B.O. there), so they absorb everything that’s put on the skin there, which means that whatever is in your deodorant can easily get into the other systems in your body. You have tons of lymph nodes in your armpits, which are easily susceptible to the chemicals in deodorant. A lot of health issues could be stemming from your deodorant and you don’t even know it.
What’s in natural deodorant?
While natural deodorants may still have a lengthy list of ingredients, they leave out the chemicals listed above and swap them for natural ones — even ones I use in recipes! Common ingredients found in natural deodorants are:
- Arrowroot
- Coconut oil
- Beeswax
- Vitamin E
The bottom line: With anything, be sure to read the labels for yourself so that you know exactly what you’re putting on your body. I like to use the app “Think Dirty” on my phone to scan the barcodes on beauty/skincare items I use. The app rates the toxicity of the product and helps me narrow down what to buy.
The big question: Does natural deodorant actually work?
It absolutely does!! These deodorants keep me fresh all day long. There are occasional days where I will reapply deodorant, but most days I only apply it once in the morning! I always carry an extra deodorant in my gym bag and/or purse in case I want to reapply after working out.
Keep in mind, part of the reason these deodorants are natural is because they do not contain antiperspirants. Antiperspirants are what prevent sweating, but they are extremely toxic. They prevent sweating by literally clogging your pores so nothing can escape. That’s not good! Sweating is a form of our body releasing toxins and staying cool, so to trap those toxins in by applying toxins is bad on top of bad. So yes, you may sweat more when using natural deodorant. But it is 100% worth it! I don’t care if I have some sweat when I’m at the gym or outside on a hot day, I just don’t want it to have an odor – which is why I love these deodorants. They naturally neutralize the bacteria and add a wonderful scent so you’ll smell fresh.
Tips for switching to natural deodorant
I know it can be intimidating to switch to a totally different skincare product, so here are my tips for going natural with your deodorant:
- Start slow: You don’t need to stop your regular deodorant cold turkey. Try using natural deodorant a few times per week to start so that your body gets used to it. There will be a lot of built up toxins that your body will have to release. When you first start out using natural deodorant, you may need to apply it several times per day. As your body detoxes, you won’t need to reapply as much because your body will balance out. Eventually, you’ll be able to use only natural deodorant!
- Wait after shaving: This goes for regular deodorant too. Hold off on the deodorant right after you shave because shaving causes tiny breaks in your skin and it opens your pores – which makes you absorb everything even more (not a good thing in this case).
- Stick with it: Stick with the natural deodorant for at least a few weeks! That’s when you’ll really be able to tell if you like it or should try a different scent, brand, etc.
My favorite natural deodorant brand
Now we’re onto the good stuff! Here is my favorite natural deodorant brand:
Primally Pure
Primally Pure is definitely the most non-toxic brand I’ve found that truly works, smells amazing, and rolls on smooth. All of their products are completely natural with none of the toxic ingredients I listed above AND no broad term “fragrance” used. I love to use their Vanilla & Citrus deodorant and their Unscented deodorant and my husband uses their Activated Charcoal deodorant.. I love that they use all natural ingredients and scents that are clearly listed. They’re actually the very first natural deodorant brand that worked for me and I fell in love. Before trying theirs, I had lost hope that natural deodorant even worked… but then I came across them and decided to give them a try, and I’m SO glad I did!
Let’s live healthy together!
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