If you are considering switching to a natural deodorant there are a few things you should know in order to make an informed decision.
Firstly you need to understand that a deodorant is fundamentally different to an anti-perspirant. Deodorants neutralise and mask the smell that comes from bacteria living on your skin. These bacteria react with your sweat and that reaction causes body odour, sweat by itself is actually odour free. In contrast an anti-perspirant stops your body from sweating using the active ingredient aluminium salt. These salts melt into the moisture of your skin and forms a gel which stops you from sweating.
Depending on your personal view an anti-perspirant could be seen as a negative and unnatural product. Personally I see it as such. Sweat happens to help you cool down, and blocking this natural function is not something I want for my body. On top of this, aluminium is absorbed into your body and accumulates in the tissue surrounding your armpits. There have been claims that this presence of aluminium in your tissue is linked to breast cancer but many studies have found no link. For me, I would much rather err on the side of caution and not use any products that do contain aluminium.
So, let’s say you do decide to go for a deodorant over an anti-perspirant, you still have the option to choose either a natural deodorant or a synthetic one. Mass produced synthetically based deodorants will most likely contain these chemical compounds: parabens, talc, triclosan, phtalates and propylene glycol.
Parabens are used to prevent mould and bacteria from forming on products which sounds good, BUT they have frequently been associated with hormonal imbalances and skin irritations.
Talc is used to give deodorants their silky feel but during the mining of talc loads of dust containing asbestos is released making this a NOT nice compound to be mining for the health of everyone involved.
Triclosan is an anti bacterial compound found in toothpastes, body lotions, and shower gels. Studies have found that this compound is an endocrine disruptor that puts your immune system at risk of infections by promoting drug resistant bacteria from forming.
Phthalates is a compound used as a fixative in body care products. It has been reported to contribute to causing damage to the liver, kidneys and lungs with long term use.
Propylene Glycol is essentially a defroster that ensures aerosol deodorant containers remain round. Putting that on your underarms just screams NO to me!
This brings me to natural deodorants. Skin friendly, environmentally friendly, sustainable and completely natural deodorants. There are many on the market. You can choose your scents, your price range and a variety of recipes that either do or do not contain bicarbonate of soda. However as far as I am aware Red Buffalo Skincare Freshen up Natural deodorant is one of the very few that come in a biodegradable tube. I may be biased but to me making a choice that is genuinely good for your body as well as your planet is a no brainer.
If you want to read more about what is in Freshen up natural deodorants, follow this link and see how Red Buffalo Skincare is protecting you from B.O. as well as plastic waste and bad chemicals.
My Freshen Up deodorant stick has about 50% less bicarb than the commonly used recipe for natural deodorants. This is to protect your very sensitive underarm skin from irritation. I have also formulated a deodorising bar that is bicarbonate of soda free, as I myself at times get red and irritated armpits due to the high pH of the bicarb powder. I usually stop using Freshen Up for a week, instead using the restorative deodorising underarm bar day and night before going back to Freshen Up.
Your body may go through a period of detoxification once you have made the switch to a natural deodorant and you may actually smell more! Hang in there, after a week or two of continued use you will have nothing but clean, natural sweat coming out of your pores, and botanically inactivated bacteria living in your underarms. Sounds like a GREAT choice to me.
