Today, self-care is synonymous with wellness, the shift toward toxin-free living is gaining momentum. This post delves into the growing popularity of natural deodorants as a crucial aspect of a mindful self-care routine. As you may or may not already know, the problem with traditional deodorants and antiperspirants is that they contain harmful chemicals like aluminum, parabens, and phthalates.

The Problem with Conventional Deodorants

Let’s explore the potential risks associated with such ingredients, beginning with aluminum: A 2017 study showed that “women with breast cancer in the upper outer quadrant who used aluminum products had higher levels of aluminum in their breast tissue than women without cancer” (The Lancet). Another study in 2018 suggested that “too much aluminum may change how the body makes or responds to estrogen. Changes in the endocrine (hormone) system can be harmful to your body over time” (PubMed Central).

Next, we have parabens: Parabens are chemicals commonly used as preservatives in both cosmetics and pharmaceutical products. Many products on the market today advertise the fact that they are paraben free, due to the fact that parabens have been linked to disrupting the normal function of the hormone system. Both male and female reproductive systems, their development, fertility, and birth outcomes are known to be impacted negatively. They can also interfere with the production of hormones (EWG.org, 2019).

Lastly, we’ll look at phthalates: Phthalates are a group of synthetic chemical compounds used in the manufacturing of plastics, solvents, and personal care products. They are a class of endocrine-disrupting chemicals. A common type of exposure to these chemical compounds is skin absorption. According to ewg.org, exposure to phthalate have been linked to a higher risk of breast cancer and infertility outcomes in women. These chemicals are associated with health harms, including increased risk of cancer, asthma and allergies, and learning attention and behavioral difficulties in children. They are commonplace in many consumer products, including paint, plastics, fragrance, and personal care products, such as nail polish (ewg.org, 2023).

Ingredients Matter

Understanding the health effects of these chemicals, is why masses of people are switching to natural deodorants. These deodorants are composed of ingredients such as coconut oil, baking soda, arrowroot powder, essential oils, beeswax, and shea butter. When these ingredients are integrated, they work to reduce underarm odor caused by perspiration. They are not harmful to you or the environment. In fact, there can be health benefits from the use of these ingredients. Combined with essential oils, comes a diverse range of scents. This caters to different scent preferences for individuals, all while avoiding synthetic fragrances.  Also know, that for some people baking soda can be an irritant. So, if you have sensitive skin, you may want to try a natural deodorant that does not contain baking soda. https://blissfulbotanicalsaz.com/products/copy-of-all-natural-deodorant-without-baking-soda 

Effectiveness

There are some common misconceptions about natural deodorant. The first one is that natural deodorants do not work. This is false. There is a difference between deodorant and antiperspirant. Deodorants are designed to reduce odor, while antiperspirants are designed to reduce or stop sweat. Sweating is a natural occurrence for your body, and it needs to happen. We use organic arrowroot powder in our deodorant to help absorb the moisture from sweating. It also allows the skin a healthier way to regulate. The next misconception is that the transition is a negative experience. It can be challenging at times, as is anything new. You can always start off by alternating between the conventional and natural deodorant. I, personally, just made the switch, and for me the transition only took about a week. Another misconception is that natural deodorant irritates the skin. We covered this earlier, when discussing that baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) can be an irritant for some individuals. At one point, I used only baking soda as a deodorant and I would have sensitivity from time to time. Finally, the misconception of having to reapply more often than conventional deodorant. Some people apply deodorant, whether conventional or natural, several times per day because that is their preference. It is not necessary for all of us, including those of us who use natural deodorant.

I, personally, have been using natural deodorant for about 8 years. I made the switch because I was educating myself on the harmful ingredients in so many of the products that we use daily. This was also a time where I was going through a major hormonal change and was sweating more than what I considered to be normal and wanted to give my body the opportunity to detox from the chemicals and toxins. Lenny made the transition a few years ago. He expected it to be particularly challenging because he does physical work. He had similar concerns to the ones mentioned earlier. However, after about two weeks he was pleased with the transition.

Transitioning

So, using natural deodorant sounds great and maybe you are ready to make the transition. However, it is important to give you all the information. There is a transitioning period that your body goes through when switching from conventional deodorant to natural deodorant. It can range from a few days to several weeks for your body to adjust to natural deodorant. As your body detoxes, you may experience minor odors and an increase in sweating. This is how the body rids itself of chemicals and bacteria. Be patient. Here are a few tips for getting through the transition period:

• Apply the new deodorant to clean underarms.
• Wear natural fabrics.
• Drink water
• Buy a good product (here is a link for one https://blissfulbotanicalsaz.com/products/all-natural-deodorant-with-baking-soda)

I hope this post provided you with the information that you were looking for. Please feel free to leave a comment about your experiences with natural deodorant.

Here’s to a choice for better living.

Maureen

References:

https://www.thelancet.com/article/S2352-3964(17)30233-5/fulltext

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6108589/

https://www.ewg.org/what-are-parabens#:~:text=Parabens%20can%20act%20like%20the,with%20the%20production%20of%20hormones.

https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/2023/07/what-are-phthalates