Humans are a stinky lot. Sure, we disguise it well with fragrances, detergents, and mouthwash. But that doesn’t make it go away. We just go to crazy lengths to forget about it for a while. Take our obsession with deodorant. The habit itself is rather ridiculous (swiping our pits and all), but when it’s not natural deodorant, it can be downright dangerous, too.
Of all the personal care products we use in our daily de-stinking routine, deodorant may be the most divisive. And for some green beauty lovers, giving up conventional deodorant can be a tough commitment. But it matters. Numerous studies have linked ingredients in deodorants and antiperspirants to serious health risks, making natural products all the more appealing.
Here are five of the craziest things that happen when you switch to a natural deodorant.
- You may get to live longer: Suppressing sweat production, the job of antiperspirants in conventional deodorant products, is no easy task and it’s done so with harsh chemicals, mainly aluminum, which has been linked to cancer and even Alzheimer’s disease.
- You get used to smelling human: Deodorants can mask, and in some cases naturally prevent odor (if your deod contains baking soda it may help to prevent the odor). But once you break-up with chemical fragrance, you realize how much worse it smells than simply smelling, well, human.
- You’ll be able to look animals in the eyes again: Harsh synthetic chemical laden products are often (but not always!) tested on animals. When you switch to a natural deodorant, you’ll most likely be supporting a company that does not conduct any animal testing.
- You’ll live on a healthier planet: Natural deodorants are less damaging to the environment than their synthetic counterparts, which often include ingredients tied to big polluting industries. Plus, smaller companies that make clean products like natural deodorant may also be mission-driven, supporting environmental and sustainability initiatives.
- You’ll put less strain on your eyes: As if texting and scrolling through your Instagram all day wasn’t stressful enough on your eyes, trying to read the ingredient labels of conventional deodorants is enough to make you go blind. No more squinting at aluminum zirconium tricholorohydrex glycine or other unnatural deodorant ingredients.
Want to give some natural deodorants a try? Check out Zatik’s faves:
image: Francisco Anzola
