Naturally, we don’t always smell our best; we tend to sweat and release a foul smell, some of us more than others. This can happen when we work out or after physical activity. Whenever we perform a strenuous activity, the sweat glands under our arms release sweat, triggering a bacterial breed in the area. This leads to a bad or foul smell, which can be more pungent in other people. This is where your deodorant comes in. It masks the body odor with the fragrance, allowing you to smell fresh all day. Nowadays, there are natural and chemical deodorants. But what exactly is the difference between these two? Read on as we explain.
What Is the Difference Between Natural and Chemical Deodorants?
Deodorants target bad smells and mask them with fragrance. The ingredients present in natural deodorants include peppermint oil, lavender oil, and spearmint leaf oil. Chemical deodorants, on the other hand, are alcohol-based and mask the bad smell with sodium chloride, stearyl alcohol, and sodium stearate.
Should You Use Chemical Deodorants?
This must have been the next question that popped into your mind, as the sound of the word ‘chemicals’ is not always promising. Chemical deodorants contain aluminum, which is noticeable as crisp stains on your shirt. This mostly comes in the color yellow. Many people tend to mistake yellow stains for sweat stains. However, the yellow pigment is your stain reacting with the aluminum. It is usually challenging to wash the stain out, thus making it worse.
Another downside to chemical deodorants is that they can worsen your sweating due to the bacteria build up in the clogged pores. Some individuals might also suffer from allergic reactions to the deodorant chemicals. Some of the allergic irritations you might experience include:
- Itching
- Intense soreness
- Swelling
- Redness
- Bumpy underarms
Chemicals You Need to Be Aware of in Chemical Deodorants
Chemical deodorants contain synthetic chemicals that can later trigger health issues. The following are some of them.
Aluminum
Most deodorants use aluminum salts to reduce sweat production by dissolving pores into your skin and blocking the sweat from escaping. There are studies that say that aluminum in these deodorants can cause an accumulation in your body tissue. You also run the risk of bone diseases, kidney problems, or dementia. We recommend being cautious when purchasing these perseverant and looking out for FDA warnings, especially for individuals with kidney issues.
Triclosan
The purpose of this chemical is to kill the bacteria that accumulate in the area where the body is sweating. Triclosan tends to cause interference with the standard hormonal processing of the body and can have drastic consequences. It can increase the risk of breast cancer in women.
Parabens
These are primarily present in canned foods and prepackaged lunch meat. They help prevent yeast, bacteria, and fungi on these products and thus help them have a longer shelf life. Parabens are not just found in deodorants and canned foods alone but also in shampoos and toothpaste.
They tend to be absorbed in the skin and mimic what estrogen does to your body, mainly affecting your endocrine system. This can lead to feminine characteristics like chest enhancements. Even though these effects take a while to manifest, prolonged use of chemical deodorants with this chemical in them can bring about these effects.
Natural Deodorants
Given that more deodorants out there are chemical, there are also natural deodorants you can opt for. Natural deodorants work well with ingredients that fight the foul odor without blocking sweat pores. This allows natural detoxification as bacteria and other wastes are released through sweat. These deodorants also lower the body temperature and keep you cool.
Ingredients in Natural Deodorants
The primary benefit of natural deodorants is the natural, non-chemical ingredients. We have listed some of the said ingredients below to help you know what you are looking for:
- Aloe Vera Juice – This ingredient is perfect for combating irritation and healing the skin; it protects the skin and is an antioxidant.
- Peppermint oil – It cleanses your skin and has a similar cooling sensation you experience when you use alcohol on your skin, minus the defects.
- Lavender oil – The purpose of this ingredient is to unclog the pores, reduce irritation and kill bacteria
- White Tea Leaf Extract – Perfect for protecting your skin from damage and giving you that youthful look. They also help to relieve the stress on your skin.
- Chitosan Lactic Acid – If your skin is damaged, this ingredient is perfect for you as it acts as a healing accelerant and reverses the damage caused.
- Eucalyptus oil – Individuals with overly dry skin could use natural deodorants with this ingredient. It increases Ceramide, the fatty acid that helps moisturize your skin.
- Spearmint leaf oil – It helps in soothing skin problems and reducing headaches. Spearmint also prevents nausea and alleviates cold symptoms and respiratory issues.
- Blue cypress oil – This is both antibacterial and anti-depressive; there are skin treatments that can even prevent warts.
Reasons to Use Natural Deodorants
Aside from the ingredients being primarily good for you and high quality, natural ingredients have other benefits. They are environmentally friendly and don’t leave yellow stains on your shirt. You will no longer have to worry about messing up your shirts, saving you money and even keeping you from needing an undershirt. Sweat isn’t usually the problem; it only causes body odor if it combines with the bacteria on your skin. That is when it starts smelling. Natural deodorants don’t stop the sweat, but they help to neutralize the odor.
Conclusion
It is important to note that both natural and chemical deodorants have pros and cons. The pros of chemical deodorants include the fact that they are easy to find. Chemical deodorants are available at most grocery stores, and you have many options, including strength and scents. They also come in low prices. Finally, they will block foul odor most of the time.
Natural deodorants are great, but they also have their downsides. For starters, they don’t do well in controlling sweating as the chemical deodorants do. They are also less potent in stopping odor strength compared to chemical deodorants. Additionally, natural deodorants are expensive, and it takes time for your body to adjust to see if it works.
