Deodorant Dangers

When I started transitioning to a more natural, chemical-free life, one of the first items I researched was my commercial deodorant and antiperspirant. This is one substance that we put on our bodies every single day, without giving much thought to any potential consequences. But it can’t be that bad, right? Everybody uses it. We need to use it, or else everyone would stink! Not to mention the sweating…

What’s so bad about deodorant?

Many commercial deodorants, antiperspirants in particular, contain substances that may lead to breast cancer and other diseases. I will say that no conclusive evidence has yet been found linking antiperspirants to these diseases, but the fact that they are suspect makes me hesitant to continue using them. The two main suspects here are aluminum-based compounds and parabens.

Aluminum-based compounds are common in antiperspirants. These chemicals are meant to plug up our pores, preventing sweat from being released. Some studies suggest that the aluminum-based compounds themselves leach into our systems and increase the risk of cancer. Others say that stopping sweat from flowing results in a build-up of toxins that would have otherwise been released in the sweat, and these toxins are the cause of the cancer.

Parabens are preservatives used in some deodorants and antiperspirants that can build up in the breast tissue, potentially contributing to cancer.

Read more about these substances here.

What’s the alternative?

In order to figure out how to solve this deodorant dilemma, we first need to look at the story behind body odor, and why we sweat so much when we don’t use deodorant. (Gross, I know, but it’s very telling!)

Body odor results when harmful bacteria begin to grow and multiply on our skin. These bad bacteria cause us to sweat and smell really bad.

Commercial deodorant and antiperspirants keep us smelling fresh and clean because the chemicals in them work to kill off these bad bacteria. Yay, right? Actually, not so much. These chemicals also kill any good bacteria that are also on our skin.

We, as humans, have bacteria all over us, inside us, everywhere. They work with us to maintain balance in our systems and to keep us healthy. One way they function is to fight away any bad bacteria to prevent them from growing. By using commercial antiperspirants and killing beneficial bacteria on our skin, we are effectively destroying our natural line of defense against BO and sweating. This is the reason that we start sweating and/or smelling as soon as the deodorant wears off – we are entirely reliant upon deodorant for our fresh scent!

Therefore, it is more beneficial to do away with antiperspirants and embrace our natural body chemistry. After a minor transition period (a week or two of heavy sweating) as our bodies adjust, giving those beneficial bacteria time to grow and establish themselves on our skin, something miraculous happens! We actually begin sweating less (much much less) with little to no whiff of BO.

“But I can’t just give up deodorant!” you say? That’s okay!

A simple, natural deodorant free from all of those harmful chemicals is easy to make in your very own kitchen.

All you need are equal parts of:

   - coconut oil

   - baking soda

   - arrowroot powder (or corn starch if you don’t mind the whole GMO thing…I’ll stick with arrowroot powder myself)

Mix these three ingredients together to make a thick paste. To use, dab a tiny bit of this deodorant paste on your underarms with your fingers. Keep in mind that a little bit goes a long way. You should not use so much that it rubs off onto your clothing. After all, it is just a back-up, now that your natural BO-fighting troops dominate the battlefield (the beneficial bacteria).

This deodorant is as simple as it gets, and it really works! The coconut oil provides luscious moisture, as well as some minor anti-bacterial action to help fight any bad bacteria. Baking soda serves to deodorize, and the arrowroot powder thickens the paste while helping absorb any sweat.

A slightly more complicated recipe for deodorant transforms this paste into an easy-to-use, just-like-store-bought, stick deodorant. But, that is a post for another day!

Note: Baking soda can be quite abrasive, so be sure not to rub this in too much. Apply just enough pressure to create a fine layer on your skin. If you find this deodorant to be too rough (red, irritated skin), simply dial back the baking soda and replace it with just as much arrowroot powder (e.g. use 1 part coconut oil, ½ part baking soda, and 1 ½ parts arrowroot powder).


Have you ever tried a natural deodorant? Give it a try and let me know what you think!


DISCLAIMER: The statements made here are purely educational and have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.