Considering switching to a Safer Deodorant?

Here Are Five Important Things to Know About

Why you should consider switching to a Safer Deodorant?

Finding a clean/safe deodorant was not an easy feat. It was one of the last items that was switched over in my personal care products. However, it was not due to lack of effort. I tried many different types and spent a good chunk of money. But to be honest, they simply were not working. After a bit of trial and error, I was able to find one that worked for me.

When I learned about the health concerns surrounding deodorant, I was using an antiperspirant. Personally, I hate sweating and I loved how antiperspirants took away that struggle.  However, sweating is one of the body’s most important natural methods to remove toxins and waste. Wearing an antiperspirant intervenes with the natural process of the body, so yep, not great for your health.

Until recently, I simply did not know the dangers associated with deodorant. It was just a part of my everyday routine. I had been doing this for years, why stop? However, now I am aware that deodorant is a bigger deal to my health than I previously realized and my goal is to educate others on what I have learned!

Here are FIVE reasons why you should consider making the switch:

You!

Investing in your health is worth it, why not start now? Think big picture, friends. Hormone struggles are real and eliminating toxins from your daily life can help significantly with helping to balance and rejuvenate your hormones.

Aluminium

Many of us are probably aware of this one. Aluminum is the component in your deodorant that prevents you from sweating. It plugs up the sweat ducts under your arms therefore preventing the sweat from escaping. So unfortunately, these toxins and wastes that the body is working hard to get rid of are absorbed back into the body. Aluminium is also not great for our health. Studies have shown that Aluminium can cause heavy metal toxicity as well as Alzheimer’s.

Synthetic Fragrance

 Synthetic fragrance is one of the most toxic ingredients found in store bought deodorants. The lovely smelling scents that give us that nice clean feeling can contain up to 3,000 chemicals. Therefore, when you see fragrance on an ingredient label, you really do not know what you are getting yourself into. These chemicals hiding in synthetic fragrances have been linked to several things such as hormone disruption, allergies, skin irritation, and more. Fragrance is a trade secret and therefore the FDA allows for companies to continue to do this.

Parabens/phthalates

Parabens are a group of chemicals widely used as artificial preservatives. Since cosmetics and body products contain chemicals that biodegrade, these chemicals are added to prevent bacterial growth. However, studies that shown that parabans can disrupt hormones in the body as well as cause skin irritation.  Parabans mimic the role of estrogen in the body and therefore can cause issues such as hormone imbalance and reproductive issues. Phthalates are a group of chemicals used to make plastics more flexible and harder to break. Some phthalates are used as solvents for other materials. Phthalates are another type of endocrine disruptor that are commonly found in deodorant as well as cosmetics.

Greenwashing!

Greenwashing is essentially fancy marketing that makes you assume that what you are purchasing is good for you. Companies use words like organic and natural without disclosing the ingredients. In my experience, it is always best to stick with transparent companies who disclose ingredients to the consumer!

Tips to Support Your Skin When Switching to a Safer Deodorant

Three ways to help support your skin when switching to a safer deodorant

When switching to a safer deodorant, individuals will experience a detox phase. This phase can last between two weeks and two months. These tips below can help make the detox phase a bit more manageable!

1)     Activated Charcoal.

Yes, I am talking about this magic ingredient again. Activated charcoal does an amazing job at reducing odor, detoxifying the skin, and soothing irritations. I always have this charcoal bar in the shower! Also, for a weekly underarm detox, consider the charcoal mask.

2)     Shaving.

Keeping the skin clean shaven is important to prevent bacteria growth. However, do not apply deodorant to freshly shaved skin. The skin under the arms is very delicate and it more susceptible to rashes and irritation when deodorant is applied to skin right after shaving. It is best to shave at night and then apply deodorant in the morning.

3)     Consider The Everything Spray.

I have been loving this spray by Primally Pure. It is made with ingredients such as Tea Tree oil, witch hazel, lavender, and apple cider vinegar. It works great to prevent inflammation/irritation, detoxify skin, prevent in grown hairs, and decrease smell. I spray after showering daily.

4)     Dab deodorant instead of swipe.

As mentioned before, the skin under the arms is very delicate. Dabbing helps to reduce friction and therefore reduce skin irritation.

Have questions or curious to learn more? Please reach out here!

Resources:

https://www.ewg.org/californiacosmetics/parabens

https://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2007/12/ask-ewg-what-fragrance

https://blog.primallypure.com/how-to-detox-your-pits-when-using-organic-deodorant-tips-for-fresh-rash-free-skin/

https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/Phthalates_FactSheet.html