NO – It is not harmful to health, does not clog pores and does not prevent sweating. YES – Neutralizes unpleasant odors and provides a feeling of freshness.
They smell good and you don’t sweat – two good reasons to never wonder if an antiperspirant agent is actually good for you. However, reading the composition on the packaging of our favorite 24/48/72h effective product may lead us to ask ourselves just that – to what extent does an antiperspirant agent affect my health?
Chemicals, parabens, acetates, preservatives in various forms and compositions, and ingredients whose names we often do not even know how to read, make up the majority of antiperspirant and deodorants on the domestic and global market. When opting for natural cosmetics, a large number of us switch to creams, body milks, conditioners, lip balms, but we still do not opt for a deodorant that is composed of components from nature. The answer to the question why it is difficult for us to give up the antiperspirant agent is simple – we want to prevent unpleasant sweating at all costs and to avoid unpleasant odors.
Therefore, in the following text, we will try to break the prejudices related to natural deodorant, point out the unfavorable consequences of daily use of strong chemicals and explain the importance of the sweating process for the overall health of our body.
How much do we know about the chemicals we use every day?
Most of us are very few. Many scientific studies state that many harmful chemicals in cosmetic products are carcinogenic, so below we will look at a few ingredients that we certainly do not want in our preparations for daily armpit care:
Parabens (methyl, ethyl, propyl, benzyl, butyl) that can be found in a number of cosmetic products on the market, including antiperspirant and deodorants, are the target of research claiming that their use causes hormonal imbalances in the body.
Silica and triclosan irritate the skin, can cause allergies, and in some cases contact dermatitis, while delayed allergic reactions can occur when using an ingredient called propylene glycol.
TEA and DEA (triethanolamine and diethanolamine) are chemicals that are easily absorbed by the skin and can damage the kidneys and liver. Due to the proven carcinogenic effect, the use of these components is banned in Europe, but you should always be extra careful.
Aluminum compounds (aluminum chloralhydrate, aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex gly) have been proven to clog sweat ducts and prevent the sweating process, disrupting the overall health of the organism.
Is it healthy to prevent sweating?
When we use an antiperspirant agent, we are actually forbidding our body to perform functions that are completely natural and important for its normal functioning. Yes – sweating is 100% normal and natural, and above all necessary.
With the help of sweat, our body maintains the temperature, removes toxins and unnecessary substances from the system, so to speak – it maintains itself. By preventing this process, we literally keep all the toxins in our body and we can very easily put our body in danger, and antiperspirant “help” us a lot.
What about unpleasant odors?
When we realize that sweating is a natural process that should not be prevented and that conventional deodorants and antiperspirant contain a large number of harmful ingredients, we are left with a question that comes to mind when we think about this topic – does switching to natural deodorants mean accepting unpleasant odors?
Not. In fact, sweat has no odor because it is composed mostly of water and salt. Unpleasant odors are caused by the contact of sweat with bacteria on the surface of our skin, which most deodorants destroy with the help of strong and harmful chemicals.
If you are wondering – is it possible not to prevent the natural processes of our organism and not to be exposed to ingredients that endanger our health, and still smell nice?
Yes. The solution is in deodorants made of 100% natural ingredients. They do not prevent sweating, but help us feel and smell fresh with the help of resources given to us by nature. The next time you choose a deodorant, choose one that does not contain parabens, aluminum, propylene glycol or any of the ingredients listed above. Instead, opt for ingredients that naturally kill harmful bacteria, nourish your skin and its natural functions. Just some of the ingredients that make the perfect natural scented deodorant, which inspired us to make a unique natural deodorant with refreshing notes of bergamot and lemongrass, are: baking soda that maintains the Ph value, shea butter that nourishes and prevents dry skin, as well as bee wax and coconut oil known for their antibacterial effects.
BONUS TIP: When switching to a natural deodorant, try not to use any preparations in the armpit area for at least three days, in order to give your skin a chance to clean and recover after long-term use of antiperspirant.
If you have experience using natural deodorant that you would like to share with us, you can do so by writing to us in a comment or on our Facebook and Instagram profiles.