What are the benefits of Natural Deodorant?

My experience with natural deodorant

Natural deodorants were never something that previously peaked my interest, I didn’t see the point, and quite frankly believed the negative stereotypes that they just didn’t work and would leave you self conscious and stinky.

It wasn’t until I began to learn more about the negative side effects of key ingredients in antiperspirant deodorants like aluminium & phthalates, and the antiperspirant aspect itself that I began to see the appeal. At the time they were gaining popularity, and it felt like the perfect time to venture further into the natural world.

For context, I’ve always been someone that swayed towards natural products as I enjoy feeling like I’m doing good to my body and the planet, using more natural products on my hair and within my skincare and cleaning products. But, it was the negative associations with natural deodorant that acted as a strong barrier to me considering them.

When I did first try natural deodorants through a free sample pack of one (can you tell I was obviously still quite hesitant) I was pleasantly surprised! So much so, I had only been using one less than a couple of weeks when I took the plunge and went to Glastonbury with only my tiny natural deodorant, with a heatwave scheduled, and it was a success!

I found that it was actually really effective at keeping odour at bay, especially when considering the sweaty environment we were in.

This was a year and a half ago, and I've been using it ever since; eventually this has led me to develop my own natural deodorant balm.

Reasons to switch to natural deodorant:

1. Contains no harmful chemicals

 The skin is our largest organ, and absorbs everything we put on it. It’s also said that the average US woman uses 168 chemicals on her body daily. Thankfully, your deodorant doesn’t have to contribute to the daily number your skin absorbs. Some of the chemicals found in antiperspirant deodorants like Aluminium, Talc, Parabens and Phthalates are said to contribute to increased risk of certain cancers, organ damage and hormone disruption.

2. Doesn’t block your pores

Sweating is a vital bodily function, allowing us to regulate our bodies’ temperatures to a consistently safe level to avoid heatstroke. Traditional antiperspirant deodorants stop odour by blocking pores to prevent the sweat itself, thus preventing our bodies from carrying out this natural regulation tool.

3. Stops odour naturally 

Body odour comes from bacteria already existing on your skin, reacting with your sweat to create that smell we all know and hate. Natural deodorant works with your body to counteract the bacteria and therefore the reaction, neutralising the odour.

4. Better for the environment

Natural deodorants are typically focused around sustainability, and are often refillable, or made with recyclable packaging. Whilst the ingredients in antiperspirant deodorants can have a negative impact on humans, the same can go for the environment too. Ingredients like fragrances, parabens and Triclosan have shown to be harmful to aquatic life. 

5. Peace of mind

With all of the above in mind, you can use natural deodorant knowing you’re nourishing your body and protecting our planet. High five!