**Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.**
When I started my detoxing journey, deodorant was one of the first things I changed. If you want to check out the areas of my life I am working on detoxifying, click here! I have learned a lot about deodorant in the last year or so. So many people were saying how much better natural deodorants are or how you should be making a homemade deodorant due to the nasty chemicals in it.
Once again I was shocked to learn how many chemicals are in a personal care product that is used daily by pretty much everyone. Here are just 5 scary reasons you should consider switching your deodorant:
1. Aluminum
The active ingredient in most deodorants is aluminum. The aluminum gets into pores in the armpits and essentially blocks them so sweat can not pass through. Many people might think this is a good thing but it’s actually not. Our skin was made to sweat. Yes it’s not the most attractive thing, but sweating is the way our body detoxifies the skin and regulates body temperature.
Aluminum has been tied to breast cancer. When it gets absorbed into our pores, it can get trapped in our body tissue. It has been found to effect estrogen receptors which has been linked with breast cancer. While there is no black and white evidence that states you will get breast cancer if you use it, there is enough concern about aluminum effects on the body that more research is being done. I say, why take the chance!
2. Triclosan
Triclosan is a chemical that is used to kill odor causing germs. It sounds like a perfect thing to put in a deodorant, but in fact it has also been linked to cause breast cancer just like aluminum. When triclosan gets into the body, it can mimic hormones and disrupt their normal function. So, not only has research linked this to breast cancer, but also abnormal hormone function. Amazingly, the FDA has banned triclosan from hand soaps because of the dangers they present, but they do not ban them from deodorant. Doesn’t make much sense!
3. Parabens
There is a lot of talk about parabens in health care products! A lot of products now will be labeled paraben free, which is so nice! So why are they so bad? They are artificial preservatives that are used to prevent bacterial growth. They are primarily used to improve the shelf life of products. Unfortunately, parabens affect hormone function. The FDA has ruled that parabens are not safe for people to consume in food and have therefore been prohibited, but they have not been prohibited from health care products. But if health care products, such as deodorant, are absorbed into our pores, how is that any safer?
4. Propylene Glycol
Propylene glycol is a petroleum based chemical that is used to soften beauty products, especially deodorant. In toxic amounts, propylene glycol is known to effect the heart, liver, and kidneys. While the FDA has ruled that food and beauty products do not use enough propylene glycol to reach this toxicity amount, it is still an unnecessary chemical to add to a beauty product. Also, with the rise in the use of propylene glycol, there is no telling when the toxicity amount will be reached.
5. Fragrances
I know what you are thinking, “How is fragrance in deodorant bad?” Well, there is no telling what is in “fragrances” when it is an ingredient in deodorant. A company can use the ingredient of fragrance on their labels as a way to conceal their unique formulas from other companies. So they could have added chemicals, synthetic fragrances, or other additives that they think makes their deodorant special. While I understand why companies do not want to disclose their formulas, it is frightening to know that I don’t know exactly what is in the product I am using.
So What Now?
Now that I have told you about the terrifying things that are in deodorants, you might be wondering what you should do? There are many natural deodorants out there now and so many tutorials on how to make your own. I am far too busy (and lazy) to make my own deodorant so I opted for one that I can just buy. Most natural deodorants come in either a paste form or in a traditional deodorant stick. I use a stick deodorant because a paste deodorant sounds like something I do not have time for in the mornings!
I use the Schmidt’s Lavender + Sage Natural Deodorant. I absolutely love the scent of it!! I haven’t tried Schmidt’s other scents, but I am going to try them next! I know a lot of people complain that their natural deodorant wears off or doesn’t have much of a scent to it, but I have not had this problem! I would like to say though, I work in an office so I’m not really working up a sweat all day so that could be a reason why it stays on so well. I do have to reapply it after I work out (remember a natural deodorant does not prevent you from sweating), but that’s not really an issue for me because I would do that anyways.
The one thing I have had to get use to with a natural deodorant is the fact that it does not just slide on like butter. The instructions on the back say to hold the deodorant stick to your body to warm it before applying, and they really mean it! The first time I put it on it did not feel good! Now, I usually just stick it under my armpit while I brush my teeth, let it warm up, and then apply it with no issues!
I honestly feel like switching to a natural deodorant has been great! I love the scent so much and I feel so much better knowing that there are no nasty chemical in it. I can actually look at the ingredient list and I know what they all are!
Have you switched yet?
**Update as of November 7, 2019**
I was using Schmidt’s Lavender + Sage Natural Deodorant and I was loving it! I mean absolutely loving it! I loved the smell so much and I felt like it really worked! After using it for close to a month and a half, I started to have a reaction to the baking soda.
I want to be clear that people are known to have reactions when they first start a natural deodorant. This is due to the chemicals detoxing from the pores in your skin. This is normal and you can actually find recipes to detox your armpits before starting a natural deodorant.
At first, I thought that’s what was happening to me. My arm pits got really red and started to burn. I thought maybe I just needed to tough it out and that I could get use to it but that was not the case. I knew some people were sensitive to baking soda but I thought I was in the clear since I didn’t have a reaction for a month and a half.
Now when I say my arm pits started to burn, I mean literally. It’s like the top layer of my skin was burnt away. If anything touched it, it hurt so bad! Even if my shirt hit into my armpit, I felt like I wanted to cry. I knew after about a week I was going to have to try a new deodorant.
I was really sad because I really loved the smell of the Lavender + Sage combo. Plus I liked the brand so I decided to try to find another from Schmidt’s. I ended up finding out they had a line for sensitive skin that does not have baking soda in it. I purchased the Schmidt’s Rose + Black Pepper Sensitive Skin Formula. I like the sensitive formula much better because for one, it does not burn my skin, and two, it goes on much smoother than the other one. I had mentioned above that I had to warm the Lavender + Sage deodorant up before applying and I do not have to do this with the Rose + Black Pepper deodorant.
So, my words or advice: If one natural deodorant does not work for you, try a different one with a sensitive formula! Natural deodorants really are just as good as typical deodorants, you just have to find one that fits your skin type!