A Guide to Natural Deodorant: the good, the stinky and smelly.
The switch to natural deodorant can be a daunting one. However, I think it may be one of the best clean swaps you decide to make. I’ve tried about a dozen natural deodorants over the last several years. And it has been, well, a process. I would like to share some of the ones that I’ve tried, what has worked for me and what has not. There are several issues related to traditional or conventional deodorants including Aluminum, fragrance and endocrine disrupting chemicals.
First let’s talk about why natural deodorant is an important swap to make.
What is the deal with Aluminum? Most deodorants are made to be an antiperspirant (help you not sweat) and a deodorizer (help you smell better). Aluminum works as an antiperspirant by clogging your pores so you actually can’t sweat. There is some concern over this stopping the body’s natural ability to release toxins through your sweat. So for example, if you are using a deodorant with harmful chemicals and then you are blocking your natural ability to rid these chemicals, then you are accumulating those chemicals. Secondarily, there have been some studies suggesting aluminum has an estrogenic effect. Meaning, aluminum may mimic estrogen which may be related to the production of breast cancer cells. The studies have not been conclusive on aluminum in breast cancer. However, it is a tough piece to prove given so many variables. With the significant increase in breast cancer over the years, I feel it’s easy enough to find a safer deodorant so you should consider finding one that is aluminum free.
Next, let’s discuss the issue with fragrance.
Fragrance is a huge loophole in the personal care industry. Since fragrance is considered proprietary to a brand, the ingredients in a brand’s fragrance does not have to be disclosed. Many brands often use this as a way to hide harmful ingredients. When independently tested, fragrances can contain up to hundreds of other chemicals. Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, studied fragrances and found that at least a quarter of fragrances had ingredients linked to cancer, birth defects, neurotoxicity, respiratory issues or endocrine disruption.
Taken from Breast Cancer Prevention Partners article on fragrance (referenced below)
Lastly, deodorants commonly include endocrine disrupting chemicals including parabens and phthalates.
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC’s) mimic and interfere with your natural hormone levels. Especially with regard to deodorant, which is close to your breast, endocrine disruptors can have estrogenic effects changing the cells and increasing the risk for breast cancer. EDC’s have also been found to be associated with infertility, decreased egg quality and other reproductive issues. In addition, EDC’s have been shown to be linked to metabolic disorders like obesity, diabetes, early puberty and ADHD in children.
Those are some of the important reasons to consider switching to a safer deodorant. But, man it can be hard! I’ve tried so many and I totally think it can be very individual to each person.
Below I share my experience with some of the brands I’ve tried. I rank them from the most effective to least effective. I’ll also describe some of the ingredient issues with any of them.
Primally Pure
The Primally Pure Charcoal deodorant has by far been the one that has worked the best for me. It keeps me mostly dry and not stinky after long days of work or working out. The ingredients are very clean and some of the safest I’ve found. It’s the one I recommend first and foremost.
Schmidt’s Sensitive
Schmidt’s is a great safer alternative. I think overall Schmidt’s works well and is non’- aluminum. It keeps me dry and not stinky. The biggest downside is that they do include Fragrance in their formulas, so unclear if they are hiding any ingredients behind the fragrance.
Kopari
This deodorant worked fairly well. I feel I still had some more sweating than I would like and would get a little stinky by the end of the day. However, their formula performs overall well. They are aluminum free, but do include fragrance. So from an ingredient standpoint not ideal.
Ursa Major
I tried the non-baking soda formula. This did not work well for me. I found I still had a good amount of sweating and smelled by the end of the day. Their ingredient profile is great and certainly a great, safer option. Some people may have more success than I did with this one.
Kosas
I had high hopes for the Kosas deodorants. It uses a blend of Alpha Hydroxy Acids to decrease the pH of the armpit. I liked the science behind it but I used it for over a week and didn’t feel it was super effective for me. I will say this is a much safer option and has a great ingredient profile. It may work well for some other pits, but just not mine!
Jason
The Jason brand has been noted to be effective and have a good reputation. It is also readily available at whole foods and other big marketers. However, I tried both the stick and the spray and neither were very effective for me. They also contain fragrance in their formula which is a big question mark.
Native
Native is certainly a favorite of many but I have a few issues with Native. It initially worked well for me for a few weeks and then I majorly broke out with it. Like my pits were so raw and uncomfortable for days. It was more than just a regular detox, it was a significant reaction to the product. So theres that. Secondly, they now include fragrance in many of their formulas and do not disclose those ingredients. So for those two reasons I am not a big fan of native.
PiperWai
PiperWai is a great local brand to Philadelphia and surely has safer ingredients. However, it was terribly ineffective for me. I smelled terrible and had a LOT of sweating with this one, like more than baseline. I know some people love it but did not work for me.
References:
- NIH: Antiperspirants/Deodorants and Breast Cancer. Retrieved from: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/myths/antiperspirants-fact-sheet
- Breast Cancer Prevention Partners: What are Fragrances Made Of?. Retrieved from: https://www.bcpp.org/what-are-fragrances-made-of/
- NIH: Endocrine Disruptors. Retrieved from: https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/endocrine/index.cfm
