DON’T SWEAT IT!
It’s the final frontier for natural products: deodorant. Americans, in particular, are very conscious of possible body odors, and so going all-natural has been an uphill battle in the United States, but we finally have some great options. While there are quite a few natural deodorants that just don’t work all that well, there are plenty that do the trick. Don’t confuse deodorants with antiperspirants, which none of these are; that is a separate chemical function and as far as I know, one cannot block underarm sweat glands with any natural substances. Check out this information below as why you need to change to a Natural Deodorant.
Why You Should Use Natural Deodorant
Learn more about the dangers associated with conventional deodorants and antiperspirants, and discover safer, natural deodorants.Not all deodorants are good for you. Learn which ingredients to look out for and where you can find safe and effective deodorants.Embracing natural beauty goes beyond creams, moisturizers, lotions and makeup—it encompasses anything we put in and on our bodies, including deodorants and antiperspirants. Although we may be proud to toss body-care products made with harsh ingredients, (understandably) few of us are willing to compromise on the topic of body odor.
Lack of knowledge and a fear of sweaty armpits—a subject no one wants to talk about—may make you shy away from natural deodorants. But you shouldn’t disregard the concerns surrounding some of the ingredients in conventional deodorants and antiperspirants. Every day we slather these products under our arms, an area where many lymph nodes lie close to the surface of the skin. And even though these products effectively block sweat, many of the popular drugstore brands are loaded with questionable ingredients that are worth examining, if not also replacing with safe alternatives.
Analyzing Aluminum
Aluminum is the active ingredient antiperspirants rely on to keep our underarms fresh. This is how it works: Aluminum salts—in the form of aluminum chloride, aluminum zirconium, aluminum chlorohydrate and aluminum hydroxybromide—prevent us from sweating when aluminum ions are drawn into the cells that line the sweat ducts, causing the cells to swell and squeezing the ducts closed so sweat cannot get out.
Unfortunately, aluminum is also a known neurotoxin that has been linked to breast cancer and neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Let’s briefly break down these risks. Most breast cancers develop in the upper outer part of the breast—the area closest to the armpit—and some research has suggested that aluminum compounds absorbed by the skin may cause changes in the estrogen receptors of breast cells. In addition, high levels of aluminum have been found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease, and a recent study from Saint Louis University found that aluminum may cause liver toxicity, a contributing factor to degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Aluminum-Free Deodorants
The most concerning risk factor for many of these ingredients—especially aluminum—is long-term exposure. Although studies about such health risks are not yet definitive, it makes sense to investigate safe alternatives. Fortunately, as more information comes to light on these chemical ingredients, more companies are developing safer alternatives—and with more products come more options. It’s becoming easier than ever to turn to safe, effective alternatives. Here are a few types you will find on the market.
Crystal deodorant stones contain a naturally occurring form of aluminum made up of molecules too large to be absorbed by the skin. This helps make these products effective at preventing bacteria-causing odor found in sweat from developing, rather than artificially clogging pores as antiperspirants do.
Learn more about the dangers associated with conventional deodorants and antiperspirants, and discover safer, natural deodorants by visiting source below and be sure to look at the slide show for natural products for you to try.
