Why Natural Deodorants Are the New Thing

Natural beauty products have definitely become very popular. One of the reasons may be that we are simply tired of using chemicals that harm our health. If you think about it, our skin absorbs what comes into contact with it, which is why it’s so important to be selective about what is put on it. This doesn’t only apply to lotions and makeup, but also our deodorants.

When it comes to lotions and makeup, the solution seems simple. There are a variety of options that contain clean and natural ingredients and can be easily added to one’s routine. But finding the perfect deodorant can be a little trickier. I say this simply because some of the natural options might not work for everyone.

Antiperspirants

Before diving more into natural deodorants, let’s go over the difference between deodorant and antiperspirants. For people that sweat a lot during the day or are looking for protection for their workout, they may initially turn to antiperspirants. But the problem with these is that ingredients are added into the deodorants to prevent the body from sweating. Although this seems like a great option, it’s actually far from ideal for our bodies. Other than having harsh chemicals added to these products, sweat is actually an important function of our bodies. It helps regulate our body temperature, and it works as a natural detox. So stopping sweat is not something we should be doing.

And if this frustrates you, I get it! We associate sweat with body odor and nobody wants that, right? But in reality, the bad smell that we desperately try to avoid is not actually coming from sweat alone, but instead from bacteria on our skin in combination with the sweat. So instead of stopping sweat, we need to be looking for something that will regulate this bacteria with the bonus of adding a fresh and lovely scent. Which is where deodorants come in.

Natural Deodorants

Now that we know why we should be avoiding antiperspirants, next is understanding what to look for in a deodorant. Anything that says natural doesn’t necessarily mean that it has clean ingredients. That’s why it’s so important to read the ingredients list and do your research.  A really neat tool to help you learn more about your deodorants is Skin Deep Cosmetics Database by the Environmental Working Group. It’s a very simple tool to use! All you have to do is search for your deodorant name, and it will rate the product on how safe the ingredients are.

Do Clean Deodorants Work?

Lastly, the struggle that many might have experienced when switching from conventional brands: Do clean deodorants actually work? And my answer to this is a resounding YES! The thing that you should keep in mind is that just like picking any other beauty product (shampoo, makeup, lotions), this too is a very individualized experience. Someone with oily skin doesn’t respond to the same lotions as someone with dry skin — just like you may not respond to the same deodorant as me. I made the decision a couple of years back to go clean, and although it took me a couple of tries, I finally found my one! So what I would suggest is exploring a few different options until you find your perfect deodorant.

Don’t know where to start? Narrow down some of your options by simply asking yourself the following questions:

1. Do I prefer roll-on, stick, spray, or cream?
2. What scent do I like? Floral, citrus, woodsy, or unscented?

Find your next favorite natural deodorant here!