There’s been lots of talk in the wellness world the past few years about the importance of making the switch to non-toxic personal care and household products. And one of the first things people tell you to do is ditch your conventional aluminum antiperspirant and switch to natural deodorant. But is natural deodorant really better for you? Well, to be short and concise, yes, it really is worth making the switch to natural deodorant. And today we’re talking all about why it’s a wise choice, why deodorant is necessary in the first place, and some of our favorite natural deodorants.

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So, what is in your regular deodorant that makes it so bad for you anyway?

Aluminum: this ingredient is especially difficult to avoid, as it is responsible for the anti-perspirant effects of our deodorants. This is the ingredient that keeps you from sweating! Unfortunately, our armpits are very porous, meaning much of that aluminum is being readily absorbed. Although aluminum is naturally derived, toxic accumulation of aluminum has been suggested in the development of breast cancer, osteoporosis, Alzhiemer’s, and reproductive issues.
Parabens are used in many personal care products as a preservative. The greatest concern regarding parabens is in their potential to disrupt hormone function by mimicking estrogen and binding to estrogen receptors. Their effects have been implicated in increased risk of breast cancer, estrogen-dominant conditions, and reproductive toxicity.
Triclosan is one of the most prevalent antibacterial compounds in consumer products, and has been linked to a number of adverse health effects, including skin irritation, hormone disruption, antibiotic resistance, atopy in children, and weakened immune system.
Pthalates are used in deodorants to help encourage the added perfumes to linger. Unfortunately, with longer-lasting good smells, you increase your risk of reproductive damage, depressed immune function, allergies, asthma, and cancer. Pthalates have also been found to impede blood coagulation, lower testosterone, and alter sexual development. In fact, phthalate exposure during pregnancy has been shown to impair the offspring’s ability to produce sperm.
Fragrance is a trademarked term, meaning that companies can put dozens of potentially harmful chemicals within the term “fragrance” without disclosing what it contains. Often time, phthalates and other toxins are hidden under this term.

BODY ODORS FROM A NATUROPATHIC PERSPECTIVE:

Now you may understand why traditional deodorant isn’t great for your health, but what options does this leave you? Let’s consider what our sweat and odor is doing for our body and informing us about our body.

WE ARE MEANT TO SWEAT!

Sweating is one of our main forms of elimination and is an often-prescribed treatment at NCNM for detoxification. Rather than suppressing sweating, we believing encouraging sweating! One thing to note, because natural deodorants don’t contain Aluminum, they aren’t going to prevent you from sweating. They are simply working to deodorize your underarms without interfering with sweating.

If you are concerned about the amount you are sweating, here are a few things to consider:

Sympathetic/Parasympathetic Tone: Ever wonder why you sweat more when you are anxious or nervous? It is because your sympathetic nervous system is in overdrive. Your sympathetic nervous system activates your sweat glands through acetylcholine production, resulting in increased sweating. In order to combat this sympathetic response, you may try to activate the parasympathetic response through deep breathing, meditation, gargling, or loud singing.
Weight: Being overweight can also encourage excess sweating, as the body tends to create a greater amount of heat while carrying out daily activities, and sweating is the body’s main way of releasing this heat.
Fitness Level: Typically, with increased level of fitness, the body becomes more efficient at sweating, causing an individual’s sweat glands to be activated earlier than the normal population.
Thyroid: An overactive thyroid may result in excess sweating. Alternatively, if you are on thyroid medication, excess sweating may be an indication that you are taking too much.

WHAT CAUSES UNDERARM ODORS?

Bacteria naturally on your skin ferment the organic components in your sweat, particularly sweat from the apocrine sweat glands in the armpits, producing odors. Often times, body odor is influenced by the food that we consume. This is why individuals from different cultures will often exude a different body odor. Other times, body odor can be a sign of an underlying health issue, including a toxic liver, overburdened kidneys, or diabetes.