Understanding the difference between natural deodorant and antiperspirant.
Antiperspirants contain ingredients that stop you from sweating. The number one ingredient used for this is aluminium. Researchers have been trying to link exposure to aluminium to increased likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease for decades. There has yet to be a proper study conducted on this though, even though it has been a theory since the 70s & 80s.
Exposure to aluminium is also thought to be linked to increased probability of breast cancer. Primarily due to the zones of the breast more likely to develop cancer issues being closest to the arm pits, and therefore more exposed to aluminium via skin absorption & nicks in the skin absorbing aluminium from antiperspirants. This has also yet to be proven.
That said, there is a huge movement away from traditional antiperspirants and deodorants and towards natural deodorants. If you look at the ingredients on a can of spray deo (axe / lynx) the number one ingredient is alcohol, and the next three ingredients which are listed based on quantities contained, are all forms of propane and butane. I’m not a chemist, but I certainly don’t want that absorbing into my skin.
What’s the difference?
Antiperspirants actually try to stop you from sweating to stop BO. Clearly you are meant to sweat - it's how the body regulates temperature amongst many other things.
Body odour is not actually caused by sweat, which doesn’t smell, it’s caused by the bacteria that feed on the fats within sweat. They quickly accumulate, feed, and give off bad smells.
Our natural deodorant works by including active ingredients to eliminate any bacteria that may congregate. We use a combination of liquid and solid coconut oils (naturally anti bacterial), and magnesium hydroxide which primarily comes from seawater and often used in antacids as well as natural deodorants.
The remaining ingredients are as follows:
Shea Butter - moisturises and conditions your skin and also has anti inflammatory and healing properties. There is a reason why it is used so widely in moisturisers (and why we include so much of it in our soaps)
Arrowroot powder - plant derived powder that has great absorptive qualities, keeps you feeling dry.
Candelilla Wax - this is a naturally occurring plant wax that we use to create a firmer deodorant. It’s worth noting that we don’t use any stabilisers so the consistency will vary depending on the ambient temperature at which it is stored… if it is too firm, hold it to your skin for ten seconds and it will begin to melt and glide much smoother. I do this every time before applying.
Kaolin Clay - this is used to help anchor the scent in the essential oils, and also has great cleansing properties for your skin, it clears the skin of excess oils, drawing out dirt and toxins from your pores.
Vitamin E oil - a naturally occurring oil with many benefits for skin, including wound healing occurred from shaving, treating irritated skin and it also has great preservative qualities.
Activated Charcoal - helps cleans skin and unclog pores.
Essential oils - our proprietary blends of essential oils used in our soaps, are also used to add scent to our deodorants though some have been slightly modified due to the fact that a deo is a leave on product, whereas soap is a wash off product. Many essential oils also have beneficial effects on your skin.
So why make the switch to natural deodorant? Personally, i’ve made the choice to switch to more natural products because I want my skin absorbing less chemicals, less things that may cause issues down the road. The easiest way to do this is to switch to 100% natural products. Because, it’s an option now, so why not? They are just as effective once you get used to them, and probably better for your skin.
Check our our Atlantic Pine Natural Deodorant here.
