Making the Switch to a Natural Deoderant

Thought about making the switch to a natural deodorant but hear horror stories of pit irritation and stink from others who have recently switched?

This irritation is your pits starting to clean out. We found this great recipe to help with the pit detox!

Why conventional deodorants/antiperspirants aren’t the best choice:

Aluminum– these compounds temporarily plug the sweat glands, and are easily absorbed into the skin. Some evidence shows aluminum is linked to breast cancer.

Parabens– (methyl, ethyl, benzyl, propyl, and butyl)- used as a preservative in many deodorants (keeps mold away). These contain hormone disrupters, which are linked to breast cancer.

Fragrance– this is harmful to the environment AND can seriously irritate your skin.

Triclosan– this is a disinfectant that kills odour causing bacteria. It can be an irritant to skin, can cause contact dermatitis, and may be an endocrine disrupter.

As with any hot topic like this, a ton of research still needs to be done, and we definitely can’t make causal claims that directly link any of these ingredients to cancer. However, there is enough evidence out there to make you question conventional deodorants and antiperspirants, so why not make the switch?

Many people claim adverse reactions when they switch and usually blame it on the new, natural deodorant ingredients but in most cases underarm discomforts are actually symptoms of your body trying to detox the old, bad ingredients it’s used to.

What’s the Detox?

Think of a juice cleanse. People do them to rid their bodies of toxins. But we could all benefit MORE from an armpit cleanse. It will help clean out the buildup of toxins, and can reduce the amount of sweat and odour (not to mention reducing the risk of cancer) in the long run.

How do I do it?

It’s super simple, two ingredients:

  • 1 tsp. Raw apple cider vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp. Bentonite clay

Instructions:

  1. Mix ingredients together with 1 tsp. of water until you create a thick paste.
  2. Apply paste onto armpits and leave for at least 5 minutes, longer is better but start with shorter lengths of time. If it hurts, wash it off.
  3. Rinse off in the shower or with a wet washcloth. (you may see some redness)
  4. Repeat as long as necessary, and feel free to use a natural deodorant in conjunction with this detox paste.

Credit: Natalie Classen, Urban Alchemist

 

Once you’ve done the detox, a great natural deodorant option is routine de-odor-cream, a company created by a pair of sister’s local here in Calgary. I switched to routine more than a couple years ago now and have not turned back, it’s totally worth it!

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