What’s the Deal With Natural Deodorant?

By Bryan Kittman | April 17, 2019

Deodorant is just one of those essential things in our lives we go about using without giving much thought to what kind ingredients are found in them. It’s an apply-and-go kind of mentality we have, but studies show that conventional deodorants may be more harmful to us than we think.

A study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that the use of aluminum-based antiperspirants contributed to the increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s later on in life by as much as 60%. Another study by researchers at the University of Reading in the U.K. found a correlation of an increased risk of cancers in the upper chest with consistent chemical cosmetic products including conventional deodorants and antiperspirants.

Most conventional antiperspirants contain high levels of aluminum, which are used to plug up sweat glands so bacteria never has the chance to produce a bad odor. Aluminum alone is not harmful, as we regularly consume it in our daily diets. However, at high enough levels, there is a concern that it can become toxic to the body. As for these studies, they do not find definitive causation with deodorant and increased risk of these diseases, but the findings are enough to warrant some caution when it comes to products like these.

Due to this, natural deodorants that contain ingredients that are actually good for you have gained popularity. They claim to still get the job done in terms of keeping you smelling fresh and preventing you from heavily perspiring.

Natural deodorants typically contain three components, avoiding synthetic and artificial ingredients altogether. These three include:

• Ingredients with antibacterial properties
• Essential oils to provide a pleasant scent
• Absorbing ingredients to prevent heavy perspiration

One of the biggest benefits of using natural deodorants is that they don’t simply just plug your sweat glands with high levels of aluminum. Instead, they provide a natural solution to remove the negative qualities of sweating, mainly that of body odor.

One thing to keep in mind is that it won’t be as effective in stopping sweating as conventional antiperspirants. However, sweat alone is not what causes body odor, it’s when it mixes with the bacteria on your skin that causes unpleasant smells. Plus, sweat isn’t bad for you! It is actually an important process that helps your body rid itself of toxins while regulating your temperature.

In the end, the fact remains that our bodies will usually benefit from not blasting it with chemicals day in day out. Natural deodorant can be great to remain smelling fresh, and the peace of mind it provides for your health can make it worth the switch.