Natural Deodorants: Save and Go Green
There seems to always be a constant struggle with people to always be sweat free and smell like you just walked out of the shower. Whether it’s advertisers or just self-conscious people, people buy tons of deodorants every year just so that they can stay fresh under their arms. What most people don’t realize is that most deodorants contain ingredients with unknown side effects to your body. To top it off, most deodorants can be fairly pricey and not really be as effective as they claim.
Why are Deodorants used?
Deodorants were first created to eliminate the nasty odor that often builds up under your armpits. Sweat itself does not stink nor does it stain. Bacteria are the main reason that our under arms stink after sweat. They thrive in hot, humid places with high ph levels. The warmest part on our bodies in under our arms along with sweat accumulation to try cooling the area down. Both are breeding grounds for bacteria colonization. You underarm hair serves its purpose by wicking the moisture away from the skin and making it difficult for bacteria to live. Deodorants come into play by helping balance ph under your arms and trying to reduce moisture.
Deodorant Market
The current deodorant industry is a multi-million dollar industry every year. They sell tons of products based off of the fears by many that they might have horrible body odor or have sweaty armpits. All of the top companies do a great job in marketing their product to make it seem like you have to their deodorant or you will stink or constantly be sweating under your arms. They use terms like Antiperspirant, Fresh Scent and Long Lasting. All of these terms are great ways to cover up the fact that they are using ingredients that could be harmful for you health. Let’s go into some of the top ingredients that major deodorants brands have in them and how they could be affecting your health.
Aluminum
Aluminum is one of the top ingredients on many of the popular types of deodorants. Whenever you heard the term Antiperspirant, the product will most definitely contain an ingredient with aluminum in the name. Some deodorants contain as much as 35% of some form of aluminum in them. That’s a pretty scary figure, especially when you heard just how dangerous it can be when applied to your skin. The main purpose to adding aluminum to deodorants is to stop sweat. It does so by acting as a duct on your sweat glands to block any sweat from leaving your body. There are repercussions to use to many antiperspirants as it can cause problems related to your sweat glands. Do you really want to be using a product that is blocking our body’s natural function of sweating?
Besides just blocking your sweat glands, aluminum can be absorbed into the body and be extremely dangerous. Being a toxin that affects our nerve cells, it is shown to have adverse affects on DNA and has even been linked to one of the most infamous diseases in our country, Alzheimer’s. Anytime you see Aluminium chloride, aluminium chlorohydrate, and aluminium-zirconium compounds on a deodorant ingredient list, be sure to avoid buying the product.
Parabens
Another major ingredient that you will often find on deodorants are parabens. These chemicals add little to the actual function of deodorant, only as a preservative. On top of causing skin irritations and rashes to some, it even has a possible link to causing Breast Cancer. Even with the FDA believing that parabens are linked to cancer, they continue to allow it to be used in many major cosmetic products. Check the ingredient list of deodorant for any of the ingredients I listed in the Paraben article and be sure to check if it says paraben-free on the label.
Propylene Glycol
Propylene Glycol is another product that adds little function to how the deodorant works except to keep the product moist. There is no conclusive evidence of propylene glycol causing health issues to humans, but I would try to avoid using it at all costs. It is used in products like anti-freezes and deicers. Check the ingredient list of deodorant for any of the ingredients I listed in the Propylene Glycol article.
Natural Deodorants
There are alternative deodorants available on the market that work similarly to those with many of the harmful ingredients listed above, but contain all natural ingredients. It will be hard to find an antiperspirant with these types of products mostly because it should not be the job of a deodorant to prevent you from sweating. Sweat itself is not the reason we stink and in no way should we be preventing our bodies from functioning naturally.
Crystal Deodorant
Crystal sticks are becoming a more and more popular option for use as a deodorant. Ammonium Alum is the ingredient making up these crystal sticks. Don’t be fooled by the fact that these do in fact have aluminum sulfate in the chemical compound. The major difference between the aluminum found in these sticks and the ones I mentioned above is that it is a natural ingredient that purifies water. It’s composition is different in that it cannot be absorbed through our skin like the aluminum chemicals I mentioned above. Why so many people also switch to using a crystal rock still like these is that they can save you money over in the long term. Unlike traditional deodorants, you only have to buy one of these at most once every year. They also do a great job in reducing odor, while not containing any fragrances or ingredients I listed above.
Crystal is probably the most popular brand of these sticks, but just about any natural store, drug store and even some grocery stores carry them. They range anywhere from $5 – $10 and as I said above last at least a year. Just as with any deodorant, make sure to not use it too often. Regardless of how safe a product may be, it’s not good to use any of them too often.
Gel Natural Deodorants
There are many natural deodorants that still look and feel similar to traditional deodorant. Many of them substitute the harmful ingredients in a deodorant stick with more natural options. Things like natural herbs and plants as well as fruit and vegetables oils eliminate the odor causing bacteria just as well. My only reservation with many of these natural deodorants is that they claim to have all natural ingredients, but still contain substances like propylene glycol. Just check the ingredient list on a major natural deodorant manufacturer like Toms of Maine. I know there is no scientific evidence proving that this product is dangerous, but I am still skeptical until further research is done on it. A good thing is that they don’t use they normally don’t use the really harmful ingredients like aluminum and parabens.
As with the crystal sticks, you can find most natural deodorants stick at just about any store including online retailers. Make sure to read the ingredient list carefully to make sure that it is in fact natural and you are not putting something on your body that could be dangerous.
Homemade
I am a big advocate of making homemade products whenever possible and deodorants are no exception. This doesn’t mean that you have to make a stick of deodorant, but natural products can be used in place of a deodorant stick or roll that work just as well. Some of these products include:
- Corn Starch: Works to reduce moisture and does not have a smell.
- Vinegar and Baking Soda: Not just good cleaners. They also can balance the ph under your arm and eliminate odor.
- Aloe Vera
- Natural Oils
I found a really great recipe at Care2.com that combines baking soda and cornstarch:
Basic Deodorant Powder
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup cornstarch
(optional)A few drops essential oils such as lavender or cinnamon
No Deodorant At All!
The last way to really go natural with deodorants is to not use one at all 
You may end up smelling a little more at the end of the day, but you know that you are not putting anything unnatural into your body. You are allowing your body to function as it normally does.
How can you save?
There are many advantages to not using deodorant or homemade deodorants. One main reason is that I actually noticed I sweat less and don’t smell as bad. I use either a crystal stick, baking soda or nothing at all and I have noticed that I produce much less odor then when I was using a deodorant stick. I may not smell like the “fresh scents” they put in deodorants but I also don’t end up having bad body odor by the end of the day.
As always, I like to go into how it can save you money by going green. By not using a deodorant stick or using more natural methods, you can really save money on those expensive deodorant sticks. Say that a deodorant stick costs $4 and you buy one ever month. Over a year, you will be spending $48 just on deodorant sticks and over a 5 year period, it adds up to $240. That’s not a significant amount, but another thing to add to the list of ways to save money. A hidden cost you may not think about is you will not ruin your clothes as much. One thing that I have noticed is that when I sweat, my armpits are not stained like when using deodorants sticks. The aluminum and various harmful ingredients are not only bad for your body, but also product nasty stains on your clothes. This can really help save you clothes and spend less on under shirts.
Comments
Excellent article … and thank you for the information about the aluminum in Chrystal rocks … I wondered about that. I also found your comment about not sweating (or smelling) as much after discontinuing deodorants very interesting … I’ve found that as well. I’ve also found that since becoming a vegan, my body has less odors … perhaps a vegan diet changes one’s Ph balance.
Small Footprints
http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com
Yep, I fall into the catetory of wanting to smell good and don’t realize the side effects. Thanks for the heads up, that is why I love your blog. Keeps on my toes!
Great article. My partner uses a crystal stick and I keep meaning to switch over to one as well. I think it is about time that I did.
Great article, actually and honestly i am not using any kinds of deodorant
i am taking a bath at least 2 times. one in the morning and one after sleep at night
I use Tom’s all natural deodorant and really like it. Honestly, since I stopped using antiperspirants (which contain most of the harmful chemicals) I have noticed that I sweat less than I used to. A friend of mine who is really into the green movement uses rubbing alcohol and has seen good results. I have been reluctant to get rid of deodorant all together, but I think that is mostly just a state of mind issue; perhaps I will get to that point one day…