Reasons why antiperspirants and deodorant from the store are toxic products no one should be using near delicate breast and glandular tissue and the scientific studies on the dangers of these common ingredients.
If you are eating a wholesome, healthy diet and are still using underarm deodorant from the store, it’s time to wake up and smell the roses.
Store deodorant is loaded with chemicals and toxins that easily penetrate the skin, getting into the blood supply.
It’s even worse if these products are applied soon after shaving. Tiny nicks in the skin provide an even easier route for chemicals to penetrate the skin barrier directly into the bloodstream.
Drug companies are taking advantage of the ability of skin to absorb chemicals of all kinds with the smokers’ patch being one of the most well known. There are now skin patches for birth control and a patch for motion sickness when you take a cruise or fly in a plane.
Slathering on the chemicals and heavy metals contained in underarm products day in and day out is a dangerous practice and one that no doubt can contribute to a host of health woes in the long run.
Need some concrete reasons to ditch the store deodorant? Here is the top ten list to consider before your next shower and where to find nontoxic brands that actually work.
#1: Parabens
Most deodorants, even those labeled as “natural,” still contain harmful ingredients like parabens affixed to one of the following common prefixes: methyl, ethyl, propyl, benzyl and butyl.
Parabens are dangerous substances, particularly when put on the delicate underarm skin which is so near the breasts.
The Breast Cancer Fund reports that measurable concentrations of six different types of parabens have been identified in breast cancer tumor biopsies. (1)
What’s even more telling is that the concentration of the parabens in the biopsies were in the same approximate concentration that would be found in paraben containing cosmetics like underarm deodorant.
Parabens are not just a risk for the breasts. Samples of a diverse sample of US adults found parabens in nearly all urine samples as well indicating that these chemicals get into the blood and move around the body before being excreted.
#2: Aluminum
The heavy metal aluminum is contained in most deodorants and is even disguised in some natural deodorants under the word “alum”. Any compound containing the word “aluminum” would be a problem such as aluminum chlorohydrate or aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex gly.
Scientific evidence has demonstrated that aluminum exposure is associated with the development of Alzheimer’s Disease. (2)
#3: Triclosan
Triclosan is an antibacterial and antifungal agent. Preliminary analysis indicates it may be carcinogenic due to potential contamination with dioxin. Triclosan easily crosses cell membranes and is stored in body fat.
A 2006 study has shown that low doses of triclosan act as an endocrine disruptor in the North American bullfrog. In 2008, a study of juvenile male rats showed that triclosan exposure significantly impacts thyroid hormone concentrations.
More recently, a 2016 study showed that this chemical disrupted the placental hormones of pregnant rats. (3)
Triclosan is in many deodorants labeled as natural so buying at the health food store is no protection from this chemical.
#4: Fragrances
Love the smell of your deodorant? Even natural smelling fragrances like rose might be something else entirely. The fragrance industry takes great care to hide from the consumer exactly how chemical fragrances are concocted using any blend of the 3,100 stock chemical ingredients that are available. The Environmental Working Group reports that:
The average fragrance product tested contained 14 secret chemicals not listed on the label. Among them are chemicals associated with hormone disruption and allergic reactions, and many substances that have not been assessed for safety in personal care products. (4)
Bottom line? If your deodorant has “fragrance” listed in the ingredients, you really don’t know what’s in it!
#5: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Yet another chemical popular in deodorant, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) has been banned in Europe. A well-known skin irritant, SLS is also a suspected carcinogen and has been linked to kidney and liver damage; nervous system disruption; damage to eyes leading to cataracts; eczema, and dermatitis. (6)
#6: Sweat Blockage
Sweating is good! You want to sweat to release toxins and it is a normal cooling response the body needs. Blocking sweat with antiperspirant ingredients is an unhealthy practice and can cause blockage of toxins.
#7: Deceptive Marketing
Some deodorants, even natural and organic ones like salt crystals and salt sprays, state that they have no aluminum chloride.
However, if you examine the label in detail you notice that they contain potassium alum. The full chemical name of potassium alum is potassium aluminum sulfate, which is still aluminum!
Stay away!
#8: Staining and Clumping
What in the world are those clumps left on your skin by conventional deodorants?
This stuff doesn’t completely lather off in the shower either and eventually ruins your shirts by leaving yellow stains that don’t wash out (that’s from the aluminum).
They are also embarrassing when they end up on your yoga mat while you’re trying to relax in child’s pose.
#9: Ineffectiveness
Many people report that natural versions of conventional deodorants found at the health food store are ineffective or only work for a short period of time. This funny video below satirizes this point very well!
#10: Store Deodorant is So Uncool!
Let’s face it. Everything about store deodorant is uncool from the chemicals in the supermarket versions to the hidden baddies and ineffectiveness of the so-called “natural” brands at the health food store.
What Deodorant is Nontoxic AND Actually Works?
Consumers deserve a deodorant that is safe AND effective, don’t we? Is that really so much to ask?
Fortunately, there are nontoxic deodorants out there that actually work and claim to be what they say they are.
I am pleased to say that my family and I use such quality products. They work even for friends of mine who are extreme athletes working out in extreme heat and humidity.
If made properly, natural products really can withstand all sports, endurance races, mud events, WOD (CrossFit for “work out of the day”), and athletic competitions.
Sourcing Quality Deodorant
If you find yourself throwing up your hands about the deodorants on the market that are either incredibly toxic or natural but completely ineffective as shown in this humorous video below, then click over to the Personal Care section of my Resources page to check out brands with vetted products that actually work and won’t harm your health!
In my home, we use activated charcoal/magnesium deodorant and ozonated deodorant. Both of these actually work AND are completely safe to put on your skin day after day.
So a quick question about not using soaps… what do you use then??? To wash your pits and privates? Feet? My mom said I had horrible B.O. at the age of 2. Primale Pit Paste is the only natural deodorant I saw in the resources page and it absolutley does not work for me, niether does coconut oil. I have been using salt crystal which I thought was healthy….
what do you use for shampoo, and soap, and deodorant?????
Bev, I still use soap sometimes but not as much as I used to. Just a small amount and only where I think I need it (pits, privates, or to help get off dirt). Some people think you should never use soap and don’t need it. I’m not quite there yet…. I alternate between Dr. B’s castile soap (peppermint) and Dudu African black soap.
Sometimes I cleanse with olive oil — rub on the olive oil, massage it in before I shower. Then rub off excess with a towel. Then shower. No soap.
For hair, I wash it either with baking soda or borax powder dissolved in water, and finish with an apple cider vinegar or lemon juice rinse (diluted in water). I rinse off the rinse. I finish up with a few drops essential oil in water, pour over my head and leave on. Smells good. To condition, if it needs it, I put on a bit of aloe gel and/or coconut oil. I find that I do not need to use the borax/baking soda every day, since I’m not using shampoo any more, my scalp does not overproduce oils. I do, however, rinse my hair in the shower every day.
and then, deodorant as in my post above: if you need a bit of extra help, swab with apple cider vinegar about 10 minutes before your shower. Wash as usual. Then dab on dry baking soda while your skin is damp.
I use miessence ancient spice deodorant. It works nicely. Just a mixture of essential oils and spices. I believe that if the body is functioning correctly due to proper bowel health that the sweat should not smell bad. When I smell a bad smell in any of my bodily functions I know that something is wrong (breath, poo and sweat :)). I am currently addressing all my bodily functions to allow them to be back to the way they were created to be by doing the GAPS diet.
I stopped using deodorant 3 years ago. I went through an initial detox period where I had an increase in bad body odor, but I stuck with it. It took a couple weeks to adjust.
I still use some soap — Dr. B’s peppermint. Because I shave and that helps lubricate my skin.
After I get out of the shower, I pat on some dry baking soda and I’m good to go. Some days I skip the baking soda and I don’t have an odor problem.
I read an internet tip which I try from time to time (more so at the beginning when I was adjusting) and this really worked for me. About 10 minutes before getting in the shower, swab your underarm area with apple cider vinegar. Rinse off in the shower, then use baking soda after getting out of the shower while skin is still damp.
Not only is it so much healthier, but for me I found I do not have to buy any deodorant products any more! It caused me to question ALL of my “product” buying, and now in fact I buy very little: no shampoo/conditioner, no perfumes, no deodorant, no lotions, no toothpaste, no mouthwash, etc. I just use natural things like oils, baking soda, borax, apple cider vinegar. Cheap and healthy!
Tiffany, I would suggest trying the apple cider vinegar before you shower, then baking soda after, and also do an inventory of all the products you currently use. For example, if you use shampoo, that rains down all over your body and is absorbed through your skin, and that also may be toxins your body needs to release. The other thing is that many problems stem from constipation — if that is blocked, then the toxins will come out through your skin, so consider your interior “terrain” as well. Good luck!
Eliza,
I could really use your tips on
“”no shampoo/conditioner, no perfumes, no deodorant, no lotions, no toothpaste, no mouthwash, etc. I just use natural things like oils, baking soda, borax, apple cider vinegar. Cheap and healthy!”
This is like a foreign language to me but I want to learn! Will you share your recipes on the above mentioned?
Bev, I did post about this below — probably posted over each other! 🙂
But I’ll add a few things, and many other people are touching upon the same stuff, too.
1. the internal “terrain” of your body is very important as to the health of your skin/external body. So, clean that up first (cleanses, starting with bowel, then liver/kidney/gall bladder, then bloodstream) and keep it clean, with wholesome foods.
2. instead of perfume, I use an empty atomizer, fill with distilled water, small amount of vodka and a few drops of whatever essential oil. You can spray this on skin or hair or clothing (or use as room air freshener). I also add several drops of essential oil to my bath and it smells good on my skin afterwards. You can also mix the essential oil with another oil like coconut oil and put this on as a moisturizer.
3. if you have dry skin, rub oil over your body BEFORE getting in the bath or shower.
4. if you have foot fungus, grab a small handful of borax (20 mule team, in the laundry aisle) and rub all over your damp feet when getting out of the bath or shower. I do this in the evening before bed and leave it on (yes, it gets in the sheets…). But it really kills the fungus and leaves your feet smooth. Dry, cracked feet can be a sign of foot fungus! Not just dry skin.
5. I do not wash my face with soap. I don’t wear makeup. I just massage oil into my face and rinse it off. I vary the types of oils I use: coconut, castor, olive, wheat germ. I don’t make recipes. I just use the oil “straight up.” My skin is clear, smooth, soft, glowing. No need for makeup!
6. I don’t have a specific hair routine. It varies depending on the state of my hair on any given day. Some days I just rinse. Other days I use the baking soda or borax. Some days I rinse with nettle tea (steeped for 30 minutes, then diluted in cool water) which is good for the hair. I do not color my hair or use a dryer to style it. I have long, wavy hair and let it dry naturally. If my hair and scalp feel dry, sometimes I will rub my scalp with oil, leave on overnight, then rinse out in the morning. In this case, the borax does a more thorough job. There are a lot of natural shampoo “recipes” on the internet, so you can play around (honey, egg, etc.).
7. Baking soda leaves your mouth feeling very fresh. You can brush with it, or a mix of baking soda and salt. If you also try oil pulling, it removes a lot of toxins/bad breath stuff. You can also dip your toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide (diluted, food grade) and brush your tongue with that.
8. Nail polish is also extremely toxic. I don’t do any of that stuff anymore — though I used to! Everything you put on your body is absorbed through your skin, so these chemicals in the products can be very harmful.
Eliza,
What do you use for shampoo then since you don’t buy any?
Oh!!! Duped again. When will I quit believing the label? Back to straight baking soda for now…
Is it just me or does baking soda burn your skin? I used it several times as a deodarant and after several days I had very sore armpits!
I’ve had the same thing happen to me, especially after waxing or shaving.. I am going to try to make my deodorant out of coconut oil and arrowroot powder instead of baking soda and see how that works
Start with a small amount if it stings. If you use it right after quitting commercial it could irritate a bit. After a few weeks your body will adjust, but may never get irritated in the first place. We’ve been using a homemade deodorant with some baking soda for years. It even helped a friend who was prescribed a powerful deodorant for a sweating problem.
Cheeseslave once wrote about how stinky pits can signal a magnesium deficiency. My husband (a VERY hard worker) and I both can attest that when we are diligent to keep our magnesium levels up, arm pit odor disappears…. EVEN in the midst of very sweaty weather conditions! Sadly, though, we struggle to keep our mag levels high enough, so we go through long phases of odor.
I totally also think detoxing is another factor to blame. When our bodies are trying to detox through the skin, no matter WHAT we do… the stench smells like rotting fast food. LOL. (And no… we never eat the stuff.) Very interesting. Detoxing foods from childhood?? 😉
We do enjoy using homemade deodorant recipes and the ever so simple combo of coconut oil and shea butter. Just a tiny dab though, so you don’t get any on your clothes!
Interestingly, I’ve found that using magnesium topically is an absolutely phenomenal way to neutralize just about any kind of odor on the skin.
Believe it or not, plain, unflavored milk of magnesia (which is simply magnesium hydroxide and purified water) is simply AMAZING for use as an underarm deodorant.
Just shake the bottle well and dab a small amount on.
Not only is it fantastic for stopping pit odors in their tracks, but it can also be used to get rid of fishy odors on hands after handling seafood, or just about any other kind of smell you may be dealing with on the skin.
Personally I stopped using any kind of antiperspirant/deodorant decades ago, but I do like to use a little swipe of MOM under my arms before my public speaking events just in case.
If you want to try it, be sure to only use the PLAIN UNFLAVORED kind. The ingredients should only be magnesium hydroxide and purified water.
I also use milk of magnesia. It works great and is cheap. What I did was to buy a roll-on glass bottle to make application easier, especially when traveling. I got 2 the bottles for about $3 or $4 on e-bay.
I saw the article Cheeseslave wrote and I tried MOM as well. It seemed to work for a couple dayse and then my stink came back. I don’t know what to do, I really wanted it to work!
I was just about to suggest Milk of Magnesia, as well, when I saw others were already on the bandwagon, so I’ll just chime in with it’s effectiveness for our family. I put it in an old roll-on I had laying around to make it easy to use. It works better than any commercial deodorant (healthy or not!) I’ve ever used. I started using it before supplementing with magnesium, since which has kept the stink down even more effectively between “pit treatments”.
I like the deodorant from Home Health. It works well for us. Here is one of their scents: http://www.iherb.com/Home-Health-Herbal-Magic-Roll-On-Deodorant-Herbal-Scent-3-fl-oz-89-ml/6466
I have tried umpteen different natural brands and have tried making my own and NOTHING so far has worked and it has been a huge source of frustration because I walk around super self conscious and stinky!! At church especially people are constantly hugging me and we raise our arms to praise all that stuff and I am afraid people will smell me! two woman that I know that don’t wear deodorant had no idea just how bad they smelled. One of them was a doula for me at my home birth and smelling her pits was not fun in labor & delivery. SO. I just hope hope hope I can find one that will actually work because I am they type of person who not only had had to resort to using store brands but the prescription strength at that. I know it is bad for me but who wants to walk around wreaking!? I am going to see the one’s you recommend. *crossing fingers*
Tiffany, I used to be the same way. I found I was deficient in magnesium and after I started supplementing and using magnesium oil I don’t smell nearly as bad. I have a lot of detoxing to do (which will cause odors), but it is sooo much better with magnesium. I am also going through menopause and imbalanced hormones can cause problems as well.
I also started using magnesium oil topically and found that I didn’t need deodorant anymore!
This is really true. I make and use Mangesium “Oil” and provide directions for use. (It is really Magnesium salt that feels a little like oil when you put it on.) If you are not careful it can be an unpleasant experience to apply it. I sleep much better too.
I make my own from coconut oil, baking soda, and arrowroot (or non-gmo corn starch). Yes, I still sweat, but it doesn’t smell!
I make my own too from coconut oil, arrowroot and grapefruit essential oil! I have the same thing…I sweat, but don’t smell. Plus the arrowroot seems to absorb some of the wetness to I don’t get wet spots under my arms. This totally works and is totally cheap!
I use the same formula for my homemade deodorant and I will never go back to store-bought stuff. I didn’t stink after 20+ hours of travel including car, train and 2 flights (one 7+ hours). That’s like, magical or something.
Yes, recipe please!
Can you kindly share the recipe? I’m interested for my whole family, thanks!
Check further down the comments for the recipe.
I’ve been making it for years. Same recipe, but I added Shea Butter….I rarely sweat and have lots of friends who love it so much they buy it from me.
I have been using this recipe for almost a year and wouldn’t use anything else! It works much better than any store bought, It takes about 15 minutes to make enough for 2 months. I pack it into empty Arm & Hammer deodorant containers. Works Great!
I use nothing but organic, virgin coconut oil. Since it is anti-bacterial, it eats odor-causing bacteria.
We stopped using deodorants a long time ago. We found that in the absense of soaps, they are not as necessary. I sometimes use coconut oil as a deodorant. Salt water can also help, or grapefruit seed extract, or baking soda. But really, the whole body smells better without soap. Evidently, the skin tries to detox from the soap and produces unnatural, toxic-smelling odors. Baking soda does pretty well for cleansing, but without producing the odors.