When we’re getting ready in the morning, many of us reach for a stick of antiperspirant without even thinking about it. But if you’ve come across any kind of literature on the subject, you’ll already know that antiperspirant is super bad for your body. A much healthier alternative is using natural deodorant. That said, it can be a challenge to find a natural deodorant that works. Well, we at Good+Plenty Naturals™ have the answer!

 In order to understand why our natural deodorant is a better alternative, it’s first worth understanding the difference between deodorant and antiperspirant and why the latter is so bad for you.

The Difference Between Deodorant and Antiperspirant

The difference between these two products is written in their names. Deodorant is designed to deodorize – it helps to stop the smell that comes from you sweating. This smell is caused by bacteria, which digest the fat and protein found in sweat. As part of the reaction, they secrete a chemical that smells. Deodorant contains antibacterial ingredients to neutralize the odor. Also, deodorant contains ingredients that absorb sweat. Depending on the ingredients, this can be a chemical compound or natural alternative. 

Antiperspirant, on the other hand, physically stops you from sweating. Most do this using aluminum salts, which dissolve and create a thin layer over your sweat glands. This helps to block them and prevent sweat from exiting the gland

 So, in short, deodorant stops you from smelling while antiperspirant stops you from sweating altogether.

Are Antiperspirants Safe?

Antiperspirants are pretty hard-hitting products. After all, your body sweats naturally and so you need serious and sometimes harmful ingredients to stop this. The FDA classes antiperspirants as drugs because they alter the function of your body. Deodorant, on the other hand, is a cosmetic, it does not alter the body’s natural function. 

To work properly, antiperspirants contain numerous chemicals that aren’t the nicest things ever. These include: 

• Aluminum chloride. This is the main active ingredient and has been linked to increased risk of breast cancer in women, prostate cancer in men, and a higher risk of Alzheimer’s.
• Parabens. These are a preservative and lead to hormone imbalance in your body. They have estrogen-mimicking properties that are linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. Studies have even found parabens in biopsy samples of breast tumors.
• Triclosan. These help to kill bacteria and are what’s known as endocrine disruptors. In short, this means they affect your immune system, reproductive organs, and thyroid gland function.
• Propylene glycol. This ingredient is what gives antiperspirant its consistency and is also found in antifreeze! High concentrations can damage the liver, heart, and central nervous system.
• Phthalates. These help the antiperspirant stick to your skin and can cause reproductive toxicity in both men and women. This, in turn, can lead to cancer.

All of these harmful ingredients are absorbed into the skin and as you read above can cause some serious damage. So, it’s worth taking a cautious approach simply due to the high number of unnatural chemicals they contain.

Using Natural Deodorant 

Using any deodorant is preferable to antiperspirant because they typically contain fewer harmful chemicals. However, most commercial deodorants will still contain things like parabens and phthalates because these aren’t unique to antiperspirants. 

A suitable alternative if you’re conscious about your health is natural deodorant. As the name suggests, these contain entirely natural ingredients, meaning you reduce the risk of anything dangerous absorbing into your system and causing damage. This, of course, is vital for a product you plan to use every day. 

Here at Good+Plenty Naturals™, we’ve put together a natural deodorant that works. We have ingredients that allows the body’s natural process to flow and works alongside it to stop odor and absorb sweat to keep you dry. All of our ingredients are simple, effective, and work together to create a product that will keep you fresh and dry with no buildup. Oh, and let us not forget that it is long lasting. Importantly, we’ve created an aluminum free and paraben free deodorant, that also does not contain triclosan, propylene glycol or phthalates. Giving you one less thing to worry about. But, as we like to be as clear as possible, here’s a list of our ingredients along with why we chose them. 

Coconut oil

Coconut oil is an effective natural base for deodorant because it has antibacterial properties. Also, it saves us from having to use things like propylene glycol and phthalates. 

Beeswax 

Beeswax also has natural antibacterial properties. It’s an anti-inflammatory and helps to soften and smooth skin, which is why you’ll find it in a wide range of natural beauty products. 

Like coconut oil, it's an effective base ingredient that provides our natural deodorant with a solid and applicable consistency. 

Baking soda 

Baking soda (also known as sodium bicarbonate) is probably one of the world’s most versatile products. It’s regularly used in natural and conventional products because it’s an effective absorber of both moisture and odor. And this is exactly why we’ve added it into our natural deodorant. It helps to absorb sweat without leaving a sticky or cakey residue. 

Zinc oxide 

Zinc oxide is a naturally occurring product that’s been used pretty much throughout human history. It’s a white powder that has been used for treating or preventing minor skin irritations such as burns, cuts, and diaper rash. In a fine powder form, it’s naturally antibacterial and antimicrobial. It’s in our natural deodorant because it helps to combat odor at its source by killing the bacteria that cause it. 

Arrowroot powder 

Arrowroot powder is naturally derived from a plant (the arrowroot family) and has long been used in cooking as a thickening agent. It functions in much the same way as cornstarch. We use it in our deodorant to absorb moisture, which it does without leaving residue. It’s pretty effective at this, too: it can absorb up to six times its own weight in water! 

Natural scents 

Finally, we use a combination of natural scents unique to each product. As with the other ingredients, we ensure these are kind to the body and phthalate free. We then use our expert knowledge to combine them into exciting aromas that you’ll love.

Conclusion

Using natural deodorants is a much safer alternative than conventional antiperspirants. 

If you’re looking for a natural deodorant that really works, check out our products at goodplusplenty.com. We’ve designed our natural deodorants with three criteria in mind, to keep you fresh, dry, and without buildup.

The hardest part will be deciding which scent you like the best!