There is so much compelling evidence to support switching to a natural deodorant that I think most people would, IF they knew which ones actually work. I tried switching to a natural deodorant as far back as junior high school when my sister brought home this cool looking giant crystal that purported to keep odor away as well as any of the antiperspirants and deodorants that you could find at the local drugstore. Admittedly at the time I was less interested in its health benefits and more interested in the fact that it looked badass when I whipped it out of my toiletries bag at sleepovers. Suffice it to say it did not work nearly as well as Secret did, but it did work for days when I didn’t do a lot of sweating. The novelty eventually wore off and I went back to the tried and true chemical filled antiperspirants. It wasn’t worth risking being crammed in the back of a VW Jetta next to my biggest crush and potentially smelling like Chipotle because the flop sweat was a flowin. I forgot all about natural deodorants until my crusade for better health began in my mid twenties. It was then that I learned the potential dangers of antiperspirants, and deodorants filled with synthetic fragrances. It has been years of (stinky) trial and error, but I have finally found a few natural deodorants that actually work. I would even trust them on a fourteen year old girl in the back of a Jetta next to her biggest crush. Before we get to which ones they are, here are the reasons why natural deodorants are so important to our overall health, particularly as women.
The Breast Cancer Link
Many people have heard about the link between deodorant and breast cancer. This has been a hotly debated subject. There have been a few studies that proposed that aluminum based antiperspirants increase the risk for breast cancer because the aluminum compounds create a plug in the sweat glands preventing sweating, and in the process some of it gets absorbed into the breast tissue. These studies also point out that most breast cancers develop in the upper outer area closest to the armpit. These studies theorize that chemicals absorbed through the armpit interact with DNA causing cancerous changes in the cell. On the other side of the argument, there are studies rebutting this theory. There is one study that compares hundreds of breast cancer survivors to healthy women, and they did not find a link between breast cancer and antiperspirants. So the debate rages on. But another group of chemicals that can sometimes be found in deodorants and antiperspirants (and are often found in things like body lotion) are called parabens. A study in 2004 found parabens in breast cancer tumors. It did not determine that the parabens CAUSED the cancer, but it did show that much more research is warranted in this area. My gut feeling is that there is a connection even if it isn’t a direct one. The chemicals we use on our skin do get absorbed into our body creating a greater toxic load for our bodies to deal with. My advice, albeit unprofessional, is to stay away from antiperspirants if you have ANY history of breast cancer in your family, or you are pregnant or breastfeeding. The common aluminum ingredient in antiperspirants is a pregnancy risk Category C.
The Dementia link
There is a similar debate about aluminum contributing to dementia and Alzheimer’s. In the 1960’s a few studies found high levels of aluminum in the brain tissue of people with Alzheimer’s. Subsequent studies have not been able to prove a link. But what is interesting is that the FDA requires antiperspirants labels to carry a warning about “asking your doctor before use if you have kidney disease”. This is because when dialysis patients with kidney disease were given aluminum hydroxide to control high phosphorus levels in the blood, their bodies couldn’t remove the aluminum from their bodies fast enough and it accumulated. The patients with high aluminum levels were more likely to develop dementia. That is evidence enough for me to prove there is a definite link. A medical spokesperson from the National Kidney Foundation said that you would have to spray your deodorant into your mouth, or eat it in order to absorb enough aluminum to cause neurological damage. Hmmm. Somehow I’m not reassured. If it could seriously harm you if you ingested it, I don’t think putting it on your skin where small amounts can be absorbed day after day, year after year, is a good idea.
Sweating is how we detoxify
Our skin is our largest organ, and one of the most important ways the body detoxifies along with the liver, kidney’s and lymphatic system. The way the body transports toxins out of the skin is through sweating. It seems counterintuitive to me to block the sweat glands in the armpits, especially since there are a large concentration of lymph nodes in the armpit region. So my opinion (non-medical of course), is that the cons of antiperspirants way outweigh the pros. On that note, let’s get to the good stuff. Natural deodorants that will actually prevent the funk!
Natural deodorants that I find work best are:
1.Primal Pit Paste– It contains Non-Aluminum Baking Soda, Organic Shea Butter, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Beeswax, Organic Arrowroot Powder, Lavender Essential Oil, Non-GMO Vitamin E derived from 100% Sunflowers. This one really works. Baking soda is the star ingredient, and changes the PH in your armpits making it harder for bad bacteria to multiply there. This will keep you fresh all day without having to reapply. It also helps keep you drier. It is super effective.
2. Meow meow tweet– The baking soda free formula in Grapefruit. For some (myself included) baking soda can be irritating. The PH is so alkaline that it can cause rashes on the skin while your body adjusts. Primal Pit Paste is gentler than some others I’ve tried, but I did get some irritation at first, so I would use Meow meow tweet until the irritation subsided. It is also very effective, but it does require a second application at the end of the day especially if I am going out. Also, I did detect the slightest oder after several hours, but you would really have to get up in there to notice it. Overall, it is a very effective baking soda free choice.
3. Agent Nateur (Hoil)stick– It contains coconut oil*, sodium bicarbonate, beeswax, sunflower butter, avocado butter, castor oil, raw organic honey, lavender essential oil, hydrogen peroxide, eucalyptus oil, love. *Certified Organic. It has a really beautiful unisex scent so my husband has been using this one as well, and it works completely for him. Even after playing a sweaty gig all night. This one works all day and night so no need to reapply at the end of the day, and while it has a good concentration of baking soda (you can feel the graininess), it contains so many wonderful soothing skin ingredients to combat any dryness or irritation the baking soda may cause at first. I highly recommend it.
4 You can. make your own. All you really need is some baking soda, coconut oil, arrowroot powder and essential oil of your choice. I have made my own but it was very heavy on the baking soda so it caused too much irritation. But man did it work. I didn’t have to reapply for 48 hours at least. It was the bomb, but I got a terrible rash. My mistake was that I omitted the arrowroot. I am going to play around with another version, but until then here is a great recipe from WELLNESS MAMA.
5.The most natural deodorant, that I kid you not, works? A lemon slice! When I read about this I was completely skeptical. I thought “How could something that simple work?” I was shocked when it actually did! And SO WELL it has become my go to deodorant most of the time. I know you don’t believe me, I felt the same way. Just try it, you will be blown away by the results. Of course it may have to do with body chemistry, and I can’t speak to that as everyone’s is different, but if it works with your chemistry not only will you be amazed at how well, but you will never be without deodorant ever again! You can find a slice of lemon pretty much anywhere. The only downside, is the same downside that can come with baking soda based products, which is for some (myself included) if you use it regularly it can become irritating at first. I seem to have built up a tolerance to the lemon and it doesn’t irritate my skin, but for some reason if it does (having just waxed etc…) I will back off for a few days and use the baking soda free Meow meow tweet. The lemon will last all day but not 24 hours, so if your going out that night reapply!
So there you have it. What the antiperspirant companies don’t want you to know. There are natural deodorants that actually work including something as simple as a slice of lemon. Now that’s the REAL Secret.
xo
