Are Regular Deodorants Harmful? | Should You Switch To Natural Deodorant? | Top 5 Benefits Of Natural Deodorants

As the temperature increases, you start sweating, and there comes the unwelcome body odor. So, deodorants have become an essential part of most of our hygiene routines. However, some of us are also concerned about the chemicals present in regular deodorants and thus, look for their natural alternatives. That is the reason why natural deodorant has become the modern trend in the beauty section. Natural deodorants have been gaining enough popularity because now many people prefer using natural products over synthetic materials as natural ones have relatively fewer side-effects when compared to synthetic products.

Now the question arises, are regular deodorants harmful? Should you switch to natural deodorants? To get an answer to these questions, you need to read the following array of the article. You can also check out the top five benefits of natural deodorants when you take a read further.

The answer to this is, “No!” According to the FDA, it has been mentioned that conventional deodorants and antiperspirants are safe for daily use in humans.⁽¹⁾

Deodorants mask sweat odor with fragrance along with an active antimicrobial ingredient, that limits the growth of odor-causing bacteria. As published in an article in the “International Journal of Dermatology”, the active ingredient present in these deodorants is usually triclosan, which is a synthetic antimicrobial agent as shown by research.^{(2, 3)} On the other hand, natural deodorants rely basically on essential oils and plant extracts, which act as a fragrance and also have specific antimicrobial properties too.

A controversial claim that comes against antiperspirants and deodorants is that our skin can absorb the ingredients in them like parabens and aluminum-based ingredients and this can cause breast cancer. However, there is no scientific evidence on the fact that aluminum or any other ingredients present in deodorants cause breast cancer.⁽⁴⁾

So, we can say that regular deodorants are not harmful. However, it might cause skin irritation in some people, especially those who have sensitive skin. But again, there is no strong evidence that supports that deodorants can have negative health effects, however, many people prefer to choose natural products over synthetic ones.

Now the biggest concern is, “Should you switch to natural deodorant?” We would say, that natural products are always best since they do not contain any harmful chemicals or toxic preservatives. Moreover, natural products are also environment-friendly.

If you find the words like Parabens, triclosan, aluminum, and phthalates on the back labels of your regular deodorants, then we would say that these ingredients can wreak havoc on the environment and might be harming the planet. But, natural deodorants are made of natural ingredients and do not contain ingredients that might harm our planet.

If you are concerned about the health impact of regular deodorants then we have already mentioned that these deodorants are safe. So, there is no need to switch to a natural deodorant if you are concerned about your health ground. But, we would surely say that if you are looking from an environmental perspective, it is better to switch to natural deodorant.

However, we would also keep our word, that personal preference or sensitivity to specific ingredients might make you think about switching to a natural deodorant.

Natural deodorants have potential benefits for your skin and also our environment. Explore top five the benefits of these natural deodorants below.

1. Helps To Stop Body Odor Naturally

   Sweat does not cause body odor. However, when it gets combined with bacteria on your skin, it might leave you smelling. So, it can be said that sweat is not the culprit in the case of body odor. In fact, sweating is good.

   Natural deodorants do not stop your body from sweating, rather, it neutralizes body odor. The natural ingredients found in these natural deodorants help conceal the bad odor.

2. Natural And Organic Ingredients Are Skin-Friendly

   If you have sensitive skin or suffer from any kind of skin allergy, then regular deodorants might cause allergic reactions and skin rashes.

   A study on fragrance allergies has found that among several scented personal care products that were tested, including deodorants, shampoos, lotions, and shaving creams, the deodorants caused the most cases off a skin rash named, allergic contact dermatitis. This is caused by contact with an allergen.⁽⁵⁾

   However, natural deodorants which contain plant-based ingredients, essential oils, or other natural ingredients are skin-friendly and do not cause any skin issues, and also keep your skin feeling smooth and fresh.

3. It Allows You To Sweat, Which Is Good

   Sweating is a normal and healthy function that helps in eliminating odor-causing toxins in the long run.

   Though most of the detoxing of our body occurs in the kidneys and liver, research says that sweating is a fine way to eliminate metals from our bodies.⁽⁶⁾

   Natural deodorants are made in a way that they help in eliminating body odor while still allowing your body to sweat.

4. It Is Believed That Naural Deodorants Support Hormone Balance

   Regular or conventional deodorants have different types of parabens, which are used as preservatives. It has been suggested by research that certain parabens might interfere with the usual way in which our body produces and regulates hormones like estrogen and others. This should be avoided. Thus, using paraben-free natural deodorants could be the best alternative to conventional deodorants.

5. Natural Deodorants Are Eco-Friendly

   One of the top benefits of using a natural deodorant is that it is natural, biodegradable, and sustainable, that not only gives you odor-free skin (armpits) but is also eco-friendly. Natural deodorants omit the use of toxins and chemicals and use natural ingredients which do not hamper the environment.

   Many natural deodorants also come with eco-friendly, plastic-free, or recyclable packaging, and also organic or cruelty-free(vegan-friendly) ingredients.⁽⁷⁾

• You need to remember to wash regularly and exfoliate weekly that help in removing the toxins that your regular deodorant might have created.
• It must be noted that not all deodorants work for everyone. So, it might be a trial-and-error process when switching to a natural deodorant.
• Make sure that while you make the switch to natural deodorant, stick to natural fabrics. This would help you stay odor-free.
• Talk to a dermatologist or a herbalist about the best options while purchasing your natural deodorant.

Deodorant is highly essential for most of us in today’s world. However, choosing a natural deodorant could be a plus point for you if you are looking best for your armpits and also thinking about the environment. Now, the educated mass is searching for cosmetics having a lower environmental impact. If you are one of those then go natural and choose natural deodorants. The best thing about these natural deodorants is that they have fewer side effects and you do not have to worry about any skin health or general health risk while using them.

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