I remember hearing someone say a long time ago that you vote with your dollar. And I think that saying has never been more poignant than it is today. What you buy and consume is a reflection of what you believe in. And over the past several years, I’ve been re-evaluating a lot of the companies and products that I support fiscally.
It all started when I started purchasing Beautycounter products in 2016. That was the first time I researched a brand, their products, and their mission and understood what I was purchasing. Fast forward five years later and I’m still researching as much as I can before I buy. But it wasn’t until recently, that I took the plunge to switch to clean deodorants.
I have tried on multiple occasions over the past few years to switch to clean deodorants and have failed miserably. I tried the Aztec Indian healing clay underpit masks to help detox. Didn’t work for me. I tried Toms, Schmidt’s, the list goes on…They didn’t work for me. But truth be told, I sweat a lot and I stress sweat even more. I attempted to switch in PA school, which looking back was probably a bad time to switch given the fact that my sympathetic nervous system was forever in fight-or-flight mode for those 27 months. But now that I’ve been practicing as a PA for almost two years, I thought it was time to finally say goodbye to aluminum deodorants. Here is my WHY!
I’ve been on a journey to cleaner living since 2016
The more informed you are, the more educated decisions you will make. Now that I am aware that what I buy and put into and on my body has long-term effects on my endocrine, reproductive, neurological, and integumentary systems, I buy with intention. But this change doesn’t and shouldn’t happen overnight. It starts with one product swap for something healthier and cleaner, and then each time you have a product run out, you make a new healthy swap. It’s simple.
So what made me switch to clean deodorant now?
Well, it’s probably one of the last beauty/health products that I haven’t swapped. I stress sweat and sweat sweat A LOT. More so than I would care to admit. So part of my hesitation in switching was because of my fear of sweating too much. But also, I was afraid it just wasn’t gonna cut. And to be honest, I’m still worried that when summer comes, my bromhidrosis (body odor) will be next level. But I’m going into this journey with my fingers crossed and ever hopeful.
But I also know that I am a woman of child-bearing age with an inflammatory disorder, so reducing toxins and exposures can only be to my benefit. So my why is not only for me, but it’s also for my overall future reproductive health.
What purpose does aluminum serve in deodorant?
For those of you who don’t know, aluminum is one of the main active ingredients in many name-brand deodorants. Aluminum essentially blocks your sweat glands from producing sweat. So those toxins that your body is trying to eliminate through perspiration are retained. That’s pretty gross if you ask me. Our bodies need to sweat in order to thermoregulate, increase blood circulation, and also to detox. And the aluminum in your deodorant is preventing this normal process from happening.
Does aluminum deodorant increase your risk of developing breast cancer?
It may increase your risk, but there is still not enough evidence to support this claim. A study from 2017 showed that women who used antiperspirants and deodorants with aluminum were at higher risk for breast cancer and had higher aluminum concentrations in their breasts. The study also found that women with breast cancer had higher levels of aluminum in their breasts than those without breast cancer, irrespective of antiperspirant use. That is, breast cancer may be linked to aluminum, but antiperspirant may not be the only route of exposure.
Let’s compare deodorants…
Here is a side-by-side comparison of my former deo vs. my current deo. Check out the ingredient difference! That in itself should be reason to switch to a cleaner deodorant: less ingredients that you can actually pronounce! I’m all in for that!
What ingredients should you be avoiding?
If you want to make the switch to clean deodorant, here are a few brands I’d recommend trying. Honestly, every person is different so it’s important to find the one that meets your needs. Here are some to try! I use Native and Beautycounter clean deo and LOVE them both so far.
Native || Beautycounter || Primally Pure
Necessaire || Ursa Major || Schmidt’s || Kopari
Have you made the switch to cleaner deodorant?
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