Making the Switch to Natural Deodorant

by Jill J April 21, 2022

Natural deodorants are gaining incredibly in popularity, and rightfully so! One of the greatest benefits of a more natural deodorant is that while it helps to get rid of unwanted odour, it still allows your body to sweat and cool you; the purpose of sweating! The lack of pore-blocking ingredients such as those found in antiperspirants means that the good bacteria coming from your armpits can function more efficiently and may help to prevent odour when you're not wearing any deodorant at all.

Applying natural deodorant to underarm

1. Antiperspirant versus Deodorant

From Cleopatra's blend of myrrh, cardamom, and cinnamon to the intricate scents created by perfumers today, people have been masking body odours for centuries. Over time, scientists discovered that undesirable body odours could be managed by using aluminium and zirconium salts to reduce the amount of sweat the body produced, thus limiting the creation of odour by limiting the possible activity of bacteria on the body.

Today's antiperspirants block the pores and stop sweat glands from causing wetness. In doing so, not only do they remove or mask odours, but they also change the function of your physical body.

Deodorant typically combines the function of antiperspirant and adds ingredients to help you smell great for long periods of time.

Many of the ingredients in antiperspirant and deodorant contain chemicals that cause skin irritation or could pose health risks. They also clog pores which prevents your body from releasing toxins naturally.

2. Why use Natural Deodorant?

Instead of using aluminium and zirconium salts that block your pores, natural deodorants incorporate oils and butters, starches, and other recognizable components to absorb excess wetness and neutralize bad-smelling bacteria. One of the greatest benefits of natural deodorant is that while it helps to get rid of bad odours, it still allows your body to sweat and cool you, the purpose of sweating!

The lack of pore-blocking ingredients such as those found in antiperspirants means that the good bacteria coming from your armpits can function more efficiently and may help to prevent odour when you're not wearing any deodorant at all.

3. What are the Ingredients in Natural deodorant?

Hardeners

Natural deodorant bar hardeners will typically include some type of wax, such as candelilla, beeswax, carnauba, or even a fruit wax.
You might also find an alcohol, such as cetyl or cetearyl alcohol listed in the ingredients. (These are fatty alcohols found in animals and plants, like coconut and palm oil.) They are not drying to your skin, like the alcohol you might find in a hand sanitizer, but they rather act as hardeners with emollient properties, helping to provide a smooth deodorant bar.

Oils and Butters

A hard butter like cocoa butter or kokum butter will both help to harden the bar and provide a protective barrier on the skin.
Coconut oil and/or fractionated coconut oil have natural antibacterial, antifungal, and moisturizing properties.
Jojoba feels less oily and gives deodorant a more smooth and less sticky feel.
Mango butter gprovides a nice spreadable consistency and includes vitamins and fatty acids for your skin

Emulsifier

An emulsifier creates products that self-emulsify on contact with water and may even help to prevent stains on clothing.

Wetness Absorption

Starches, such as tapioca starch or arrowroot powder helps to absorb wetness and to minimize the wetness feel without stopping your natural sweating process. We prefer tapioca starch as its pH is closest to our skin’s natural pH.
Avoid natural deodorants with baking soda listed as an ingredient as it has a high pH and is a skin-irritant to many when applied directly onto the skin.

Natural Odour Blockers

Diatomaceous earth is an odour blocker and eliminator and is gentle enough even for very sensitive skin.
Magnesium stearate is a naturally occurring fatty acid which helps the deodorant glide easily onto underarms to absorb odour.
Zinc ricinoleate is the zinc salt of ricinoleic acid, a major fatty acid found in castor oil. Zinc ricinoleate and zinc oxide are odour-absorbing agents.

4. Making the Switch

When you first make the switch from aluminium-laden antiperspirant to natural deodorant, your body will go through a detox. It can take up to 30 days for your body to fully detox from aluminium! To speed up this process:

Use a gentle scrub on your armpits twice per week to help unplug the pores;
Consider using an antibacterial soap for a few weeks to help eliminate odour; and
Re-apply your natural deodorant during the day, if necessary.

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