Favorite Deodorants
Switching to a natural deodorant was one of the first things I did when I decided to make the switch to safer personal care products. There is a bit of a process to the change over and I would say give yourself about month for your body to adjust.
Why did I decide to make the switch? For me, it was to remove potential carcinogens and chemicals from my daily routine, specifically Aluminum, Phthalates, Propylene Glycol, Formaldehyde, Parabens and Antibacterial Substances. With deodorant being applied so close to my breast tissue, it seemed like a natural first place to start.
Aluminum– some evidence links aluminum to cancer and Alzheimer’s Disease
Phthalates– Endocrine disruptors often also found in plastic that can cause hormone imbalance and even infertility
Propylene glycol– common name: antifreeze. It is a hotly debated additive in personal care products but the Environmental Working Group reports that it carries a moderate risk of immunotoxicity and allergies.
Formaldehyde- a known carcinogen… guess it kills the germs though.
Parabens- Another hormone disruptor and parabens have been found in biopsied tissue with breast cancer
Antibacterial Substances- endocrine disruptors and can negatively affect the immune system. There have even been studies that have suggested antiperspirants may be absurd and can cause estrone-like normal effects contributing to the development of breast cancer. No thanks.
I’ve tried a couple of different brands and below I’ll let you know what I think:
Native: Pros - lots of great scents to choose from or no scent, which isn’t healthiest option since the word fragrance can mask scary chemicals. I like the company, lots of support if you have questions. Cons - it didn’t work for me. Even after 6 weeks, my pits were stinky after a couple of hours. I found that I needed to carry it with me and reapply throughout the day. While I'm open to the idea, I was really hoping not to have to go there.
Crystal: Pros - after some time with this deodorant, it does work. It’s a dry crystal “stick”. Cons - it’s a dry crystal stick. Which can make it a bit difficult to apply, unless you are just getting out of the shower and your skin is still damp.
Schmidt’s: Pros - This one really works well and I can get a good 24 hours wear out of one application on a normal day (not too hot and after a workout). There are a lot of scents to choose from; my favorite is the Rose & Vanilla. Cons - It does list fragrance as an ingredient so something to keep an eye.
A few others to keep in mind: Primal Pit Paste and PiperWai
Now, switching to a “natural” deodorant is going to take some adjusting from your body. Experts suggest it takes about a month to make the switch over and you may experience some additional perspiration and ahem, stink during this time. Here’s a handy diagram to get a visual on the process.
I encourage you to make the switch over, I did and haven’t looked back. Totally worth it and I can feel great about not having all of those yucky toxics on my body everyday. #nobrainer
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