Organic deodorant is a great way to incorporate natural and organic-based products into your everyday life. These deodorants use ingredients that can benefit your skin without causing chemical reactions like many popular products do. Unfortunately, not all organic deodorants work for every person; you’ll need to find the one that’s best suited for your body and skin type.
What Is Organic Deodorant?
Organic deodorant is a natural product that uses a combination of organic and natural ingredients such as natural oil, clays, and various other items to mask bodily odors caused by sweating. An organic deodorant doesn’t use any harmful chemicals on your skin or cause irritation.
Unlike regular deodorant, this version can be made at home using everyday ingredients if you’re looking for a fun afternoon project.
How Does Normal Artificial Deodorant Work?
Before comparing organic to normal deodorant, we need to examine how the product works. The process is slightly different from organic products due to the different ingredients.
Your Armpits
When your armpits create sweat, they attract bacteria that eat the moisture you’ve produced. The waste produced by the bacteria causes the odor commonly associated with your sweat. While some people seem to naturally emit no such odor, the same isn’t true for all of us.
The Ingredients
Many ingredients and chemicals help ease the smell under your armpits. Aluminum based salts help plug your sweat pores and reduce the amount of moisture you create. Alongside this, ethanol or other antimicrobial agents eliminate the bacteria under your arms. These two ingredients act as an antiperspirant combination that keeps your underarms clean and pleasant smelling.
However, these two ingredients alter the natural ecosystem of your skin. With the wrong mixture of products for your body, you can increase your body odors while blowing your immune system out of balance. Your skin has a natural and beneficial layer of bacteria that traditional deodorants negatively affect your skin.
Antiperspirant Vs Deodorant
Antiperspirants are designed to help you stop sweating, often through plugging your pores. Normal deodorants only offer a layer of pleasant smell and kill the existing bacteria while helping to keep them away. Generally, you’ll find these two features combined in one product.
Is All Organic Deodorant Better for You?
Organic deodorant is better for your skin’s ecosystem as it doesn’t kill any of the naturally occurring healthy bacteria that live there.
Your Skin’s Ecosystem
Corynebacterium is a naturally occurring bacteria that you’ll find under your arms. This species lives alongside Propionibacterium, Staphylococcus, and Micrococcus. These four bacteria help make up your under arm’s natural ecosystem. While some create odors, there are also beneficial bacteria within this layer of skin.
Antiperspirants and other harsh chemicals can upset this balance by eliminating the bacteria which benefits your skin. For example, Corynebacterium may produce odor but enhances your immune system, creating a tradeoff when you get rid of it.
Organic deodorant maintains this ecosystem while lessening the odor caused by other bacteria. Often, organic deodorant will mask this odor and help reduce your created moisture through various ingredients.
Clogged Pores
Antiperspirants clog your sweat pores to reduce the amount of sweat you produce. While this method easily reduces body odor, it negatively affects your health. Antiperspirants that block pores can cause skin reactions and the toxins that would’ve been eliminated through sweat get stuck in your body. .
Organic deodorants don’t clog your pores. Your skin keeps breathing throughout the day and won’t have any negative reactions from blocked pores if you use an organic deodorant.
A good antiperspirant should leave your underarms feeling smooth and dry.
Concerning Ingredients
Alcohol, a common ingredient of deodorants that kills odor producing bacteria, can eliminate helpful microbes that benefit your skin’s ecosystem. This ingredient also paves the way for new bacteria to affect your body’s natural layer.
Propylene glycol is another common item you’ll find on ingredient lists. This synthetic substance is a penetration enhancer, worsening the effects of other harsh chemicals on your skin.
Many commercial deodorants also contain parabens. Parabens are known to affect estrogen and other hormone levels in the skin. There are also concerns that using a paraben-containing deodorant under your arms, where the skin is so close to the sensitive breast tissue that it could possibly promote the growth of cancer cells in this area. This concern has not yet been proven, although preliminary tests have shown a link.
Instead of these, organic deodorants include coconut oil and clays that mask any odor created.
Fewer Reactions
Organic deodorant has fewer ingredients that cause allergic reactions such as rashes, itchy patches, hives, and cysts. These afflictions are often caused by aluminum, fragrances, dyes, and preservatives within the commercial products.
Different Ingredients in All Organic Deodorants and Their Benefits
Many common ingredients in organic deodorants are great for your skin and its natural ecosystem. Items such as coconut oil, vanilla extract, and clay keep your underarms dry and ease the smell but these aren’t the only important ingredients.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil helps your underarms stay moisturized throughout the day. This ingredient helps protect and smooths your skin as you wear the organic deodorant. Additionally, the ingredient provides antioxidants to your arms while calming any temporary redness caused by other factors.
Clays
Clays are a natural detoxifying agent that keeps your body free from rashes and marks. The ingredient helps provide lubrication as you apply the deodorant, making it easier to wear.
Arrowroot
Arrowroot is a great remedy for an athlete’s foot as it helps fight fungal growth. This powder keeps your underarms free from fungi and bacteria as you sweat. The ingredient also helps when dealing with infections, keeping your underarms healthy.
Essential Oils
Essential oils are great little additions to any organic deodorant as they create the product’s scent. Additionally, the various essential oils have different benefits. These can relieve stress, relax your body, reduce nausea, reduce headaches, and kill certain bacteria or fungi.
Does All Organic Deodorant Work?
All organic deodorant doesn’t work the way you’d normally expect them to. Your regular store-bought deodorants work with antiperspirants to block your pores and eliminate all bacteria under your arm. An all-organic product works a bit differently due to differences in ingredients.
The Detox Period
Before you start seeing the benefits of an all-organic deodorant, your body needs to take a few days to adjust to the new product. As its layer of bacteria changes and restores itself, your odor may worsen slightly before it gets better. Additionally, you may notice stains on your shirts as your skin adjusts. Therefore it’s recommended to make the switch during a time you know will work, such as in the winter months when the temperatures are cooler and you sweat less.
Maintaining Your Body’s Ecosystem
Organic deodorants excel at keeping your body’s natural layer of bacteria safe and thriving. The natural beauty product doesn’t kill all the existing bacteria as it aims to maintain the healthy ecosystem by protecting your skin.
Fighting Odor, Not Sweat
All organic deodorant doesn’t attempt to block your pores to reduce odor. Instead, the product focuses on fighting the odor itself. Fortunately, there’s a range of ways to add pleasant scents to organic deodorants, such as essential oils.
Overall, this is less effective than a normal deodorant stick, but the product still works. When using an organic deodorant, the main factor you need to know is finding the option that works for you and giving the product time so that your skin can adjust to the change.
Are All Organic Ingredients Reaction Free?
Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that your all-organic deodorant will be reaction free. As the ingredients are natural, you might have an allergic reaction. Fortunately, many of the ingredients used in organic deodorant aren’t common allergens.
However, you should watch out for coconut oil and essential oils as these are common allergens. Know what makes your underarms flare up in a rash, and avoid using it when making your organic deodorant.
How Do I Find an Organic Deodorant That Works for Me?
The trickiest aspect when using an all-organic deodorant is finding one that works alongside your body’s natural layer of bacteria. Often you’ll try new samples until you encounter a product that reduces odor and helps you feel fresh throughout the day. Here’s how to find an all-organic deodorant.
Experiment
The biggest key to finding an organic deodorant that works for your skin is experimenting. If you react to any deodorant, inspect the ingredient list and see if there’s an item causing it. Additionally, as you use different deodorants, you’ll notice trends like coconut oil working while a different oil is less effective.
Know the Limits
Sweating profusely isn’t a bad thing, and while it may make wet spots, it’s your body’s way of regulating your temperature. If you sweat a lot, you may need to use an antiperspirant, which isn’t organic due to its ingredients. You’ll need to judge for yourself how much sweat you produce and if it’s worth using only an organic deodorant on a hot day. Fortunately, there’s no evidence of an antiperspirant holding any negative effects on your health, aside from possible skin irritation.
Can I Make My Own Organic Deodorant
Making your own organic deodorant is a great way to reduce costs and find the product that works for you. These can be made within an afternoon. Often you’ll mix up and adjust the recipe slightly to find the mix that best suits your body.
Ingredients
To make your own all organic deodorant, you’ll need a handful of ingredients. You’ll need to have ⅓ a cup of coconut oil, ¼ a cup of arrowroot starch, ¼ a cup of organic baking soda, and 6 to 10 drops of any essential oil.
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Instructions
Mix your baking soda and arrowroot starch, mashing in the essential oils and coconut oil until it all blends together. Keep this mixture in a jar, using your fingers to warm and apply the mixture whenever you need deodorant.
Advice for Experimenting
Don’t be afraid to mix essential oils or change their concentration within the deodorant. This experimentation will change the fragrance and intensity when you apply the organic deodorant. The same goes for the other ingredients. If you’re not a fan of coconut oil, substitute it with another light weight oil such as grapeseed or almond (if you don’t have a nut allergy).
Should I Buy All Organic Deodorant
Buying all organic deodorants can be a great move if you suffer from irritated armpits. While the switch will take a few days for your body to adjust, it’ll often leave your underarms feeling smoother and looking healthier. Additionally, the coconut oil and clay ingredients help maintain your body’s natural layer of bacteria and make the odors they produce. Ensure you try a few products to find the one that works best with your skin.
