Safe Deodorants
Deodorants and anti-perspirants are often full of ingredients and chemicals that can be harmful – your pores absorb these ingredients and can get into your bloodstream. Deodorants are often scented to mask odors. Anti-perspirants block the pores from sweating (aluminum is effective but not necessarily safe).
The best safe deodorants have the least chemicals and junk – look for ingredients you understand and can pronounce.
I use a crystal deodorant – you just wet the crystal and spread it under your arms. It’s not messy, lasts for years, is natural, and yes – it’s effective. I can go for sometimes two days with the crystal deodorant, and it is still working if I don’t get a shower in. It’s inherently an organic deodorant because it’s pretty much just a rock. It has no scent, though there is a choice if you want, on the liquid ones.
Many deodorants have ingredients in them which may not be healthy, or may irritate your skin, or affect your health. Use a safe deodorant – for your health!
Deodorants and antiperspirants are different – deodorants work on odor, while antiperspirants work on sweating. The bigger issue is smell for most people.
Aluminum is one such ingredient, and aluminum is linked to Alzheimer’s and more studies need to be done on this. Aluminum can be stored in excess in people with kidney disease and may then be linked to bone or brain disease. Aluminum is used to block the sweat ducts from perspiring but can then also be absorbed. Aluminum is linked to breast cancer cell growth with more studies also needed.
Parabens in deodorant have been linked to breast cancer.
Phthalates have been linked to birth defects – may be linked to cell mutations.
Silica is an irritant of the skin.
Triclosan kills both good and bad bacteria – it is categorized as a pesticide and certainly bad for you. It is a potential carcinogen.
Propylene Glycol is harmful – it’s said to be a neurotoxin. It may affect your liver and kidneys, heart and central nervous system.
Steareths are linked to carcinogens.
Now, who wants all this is your deodorant?
Deodorant often stops working and needs to be reset by changing the type of deodorant for a while, then you may be able to go back to the original deodorant. With the crystal safe deodorant, I haven’t found this to be the case (except after surgery when no deodorant was available) – it’s been completely reliable, so far, and I haven’t had to buy deodorant in years!
After a lengthy stay in the hospital, when I wasn’t able to bathe and had to schedule a washcloth bath after some days, I was pretty stinky. I had issues trying to get back to normal after getting home. I washed and washed but the smell lingered. I found out that wiping down with witch hazel helped. Then I was back on track to use a deodorant effectively.
When a scent is bad from the armpits, try using a cotton ball with hydrogen peroxide or witch hazel (or both) and blot the armpits well after first washing them. Then use a good safe deodorant when armpits are dry – there are strong natural ones that kill germs that cause bad armpit odors. I get mine from a natural grocery store and look for the best safe deodorant coverage for my situation. There are sport deodorants for heavy sweaters which might be good until your armpits get healthy.
Don’t compromise your own health by using harmful ingredients. Use deodorants with safe ingredients.
Email me any comments to post!
P.R.