Most of us use a deodorant or anti-perspirant as part of our everyday routine, but there are several pitfalls to using chemical-laden products. So what are the benefits of natural deodorant and how do we make the switch?
Everybody sweats. It’s a natural and necessary bodily function that regulates your body temperature, helps skin to filter out toxins and boosts the immune system.
Most of us use a deodorant or anti-perspirant as part of our everyday routine, much like brushing our teeth. It gets us through the working day, a gym session or hot yoga class and social events without the fear of body-odour and sweat rings. But there can be several pitfalls (see what I did there) to using chemical-laden deodorants and anti-perspirants – from skin irritation, to making us sweat more, to health and environmental risks.
What are the benefits of natural deodorants?
Firstly, natural deodorant is not an anti-perspirant.
Anti-perspirant contains aluminium salts which clog the pores to prevent sweat. Sweat itself is just a mixture of salt and water and doesn’t actually smell. Body odour is created when sweat comes in to contact and reacts with naturally occurring bacteria on our skin.
But preventing the body from sweating the way it was designed to can cause a build-up beneath the skin resulting in lumps, bumps and sometimes painful irritation. The aluminium and other chemical ingredients can also build-up and mix with naturally occurring bacteria on the skin, leading to those dreaded yellow stains on white clothes.
Natural deodorants allow the body to sweat as it should with the help of alternative ingredients, such as tapioca starch which absorbs moisture. The naturally derived botanicals, many of which also have antibacterial properties, help to neutralise unwanted odours.
Why Switch?
The chemical ingredients – look out for parabens, phthalates, triclosan and aluminium – often present in many deodorants and antiperspirants enter the body through our armpits and olfactory system and the more you use, the more chemicals and synthetic ingredients are entering your body. If you regularly shave your armpits, you could also be increasing the risk of absorption through small nicks and cuts.
Choosing a natural deodorant instead of an anti-perspirant allows the skin to breathe and activates sweat glands without blocking pores, meaning that the good, naturally produced bacteria can keep working even when you’re not wearing any deodorant.
The experts at Arran Sense of Scotland have kindly shared their tips for making the switch:
- It’s a good idea to go au-naturel for a few days to detox from previous anti-perspirant use.
- Your body will take time to adjust and you may experience more sweating and body odour initially – this is completely normal and is down to the change of bacteria under your arms
- Wash daily and exfoliate once a week to help remove any previous toxin build-up
- Stick to natural fabrics to help stay odour-free whilst making the switch
- Expect the adjustment to take between from 2-4 weeks, so don’t give up too early. .
The Saving The Planet Bit
Apart from the health and wellbeing benefits, replacing your aerosol deodorant with a greener product could also have a huge impact on the environment and your carbon footprint.
Most conventional deodorants use plastic packaging or aerosol sprays. Technically they can usually be recycled, but the plastics vary between products meaning it can be hard to be sure if they’re recyclable.
Aluminium spray cans often have plastic nozzles and lids that are harder to recycle, while aerosol sprays have their own environmental implications – many contain mineral oil, which emits carbon and other harmful pollutants into the atmosphere. Some conventional antiperspirants and deodorants also contain microplastics used as viscosity regulators, emulsifiers and liquid absorbents.
Both tin and plastic-based packaging cause pollution when they’re sent to landfill. Arrans’s natural deodorants are completely plastic free, meaning nothing will be left behind to pollute the environment once you’ve finished with it.
So, are you ready to switch?