I stopped using conventional deodorant years ago, and to be honest, I’m not really sure how it started. But, I do remember learning that Shalene Woodley was making her own deodorant out of coconut oil and baking soda, and my best friend and I thought she was pretty cool, so I ditched my Degree for the homemade stuff. And actually, it worked pretty well from a stink standpoint, but caused a lot of skin irritation.
Since then I’ve learned more about deodorant and have been on a search to find a safer product that doesn’t leave my pits red and bumpy, but still works!
Fortunately, the market seems to be booming now with alternative, safer deodorants, but why? What is wrong with conventional deodorant anyway?
But first, why do we use deodorant in the first place? What are we deodorizing? Body odor, that's what. But, body odor does not actually come from sweat.
Sweat is odorless. Body odor is caused by bacteria breaking down sweat, and is linked to apocrine glands, which are concentrated in certain areas of the body, one of which is the armpits. Deodorants make the skin more acidic, making it harder for bacteria to grow, while antiperspirants (found in most deodorants) reduce the amount of sweat for bacteria to break down (1).
Diet can also affect body odor, and because odor is caused by bacteria, it is likely associated with the gut and/or skin microbiome. Some research has shown that men who have a diet high in fruits and vegetables have better smelling sweat, and self-reports show a link between high-carbohydrate intake and less-pleasant smelling sweat (2).
I have noticed this link in my own sweat as well. When I tend to eat more sugar, dairy, and/or wheat, foods my body doesn't agree with, I smell--badly. But, when my gut is healthy, I don't - even if I am sweating profusely.
So keep in mind that deodorant is helpful, but that it really only covers up the underlying issue of why we smell in the first place. This could be related to many factors like nutrition, stress, infections, etc (2).
But as I said, deodorant is still helpful to have, so why not use conventional products?
For the longest time I thought the issue was aluminum.
Aluminum is what makes deodorant antiperspirant. It was thought that because deodorant is applied closely to breast tissue and that aluminum may have estrogen-like effects, that it was correlated with breast cancer, but, no substantial evidence has shown an increased risk (1).
Aluminum, however, can be a concern for those with kidney disease. Our kidneys are responsible for many things in the body, one is filtering out excess aluminum. So, if kidney function is compromised, they are less able to excrete aluminum, which can lead to bone disease or dementia if built up too much in the body (3).
Most people, though, will not be able to absorb enough aluminum through the skin to cause issues (4). But there are other questionable ingredients in conventional deodorants as well:
Parabens
Function: Prevent pathogens (fungi, bacteria, yeast) from growing on deodorant
Concerns: Absorbed through the skin; can function as an estrogen, and chronic, high exposure may increase breast cancer risk. According to the FDA, the chances of parabens in deodorant causing breast cancer have not been scientifically proven (4), but I’d still rather not take my chances.
Phlatates
Concerns: Endocrine disruptor, linked to increased risk in breast cancer, reproductive birth defects. Often found in “fragrance” (5).
Fragrance (parfum)
Function: Make things smell nice :)
Concerns: Companies do not have to disclose their “secret formula” for fragrance, but unfortunately, this means there could be potentially harmful ingredients in a product hidden under the guise of "fragrance". Fragrances have been associated with allergies, dermatitis, respiratory distress, and potential effects on the reproductive system (5).
For more information about these ingredients and why to choose safer skin care read:
Personally, I just feel better and safer knowing I can identify ingredients that I am putting on my skin. Similarly, I recommend choosing foods with ingredients you can find in your own kitchen. It’s not necessarily the same for skincare, as you may not have shea butter or geranium extract in your kitchen, but you might, and if not, you can identify them as real ingredients or at least know where they came from.
So how do you choose a safer deodorant?
First, find out if the one you’re currently has any potentially harmful ingredients in it, but either looking at what it contains or typing the name into the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Skin Deep data base. Skin Deep grades products based on safety of ingredients used, what those ingredients potential risks are, and how much research is backing those results.
For example, I have been enjoying Native deodorant, which has a score of 1 on Skin Deep.
The best score a product can get below being “EWG Verified.” Next best score is a 1, then 2, 3, and so on.
It’s hard to recommend a specific deodorant as everyone has different reactions and some work well for people, while others don’t, but here is a list to at least point you in the right direction (Disclaimer: I have tried some of these, but not all of them):
Tom’s of Maine -Natural Strength only (this scores a 2 on EWG, while other products score 3-4)
FYI: Safer deodorants usually do not contain aluminum, which means many of them do not contain an antiperspirant. You will likely sweat using safer deodorant, but ideally, the sweat has no smell!
Sources
1. Felman, Adam. What's to Know About Body Odor? Medical News Today. November 29, 2017. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/173478.
2. Elmer, Jamie. Why Has My Body Odor Suddenly Changed? Healthline. May 13, 2019. https://www.healthline.com/health/sudden-change-in-body-odor.
3. Antipersperants/Deodorants and Breast Cancer. National Cancer Institute. August 9, 2016. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes prevention/risk/myths/antiperspirants-fact-sheet
4. Is Deodorant Harmful for Your Health? Penn Medicine. June 6, 2019. https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2019/june/deodorant
5. Toth, Stacy. Why Cleaner Cosmetics Matter: Heavy Metals, Hormone Disrupting Chemicals, Safety, Nano Particles, and Glitter. July 12, 2018. http://realeverything.com/why-cleaner-cosmetics-matter/
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