What's the difference between a natural deodorant and an antiperspirant?

Chances are, you're currently using an antiperspirant and it works really well for you. The reason it's working is that it actually STOPS you from sweating. Aluminium blocks the pores under your armpits and you don't sweat. It's very effective, but is it healthy? Natural therapists usually say no. Even mainstream health experts say it's not a great idea while you're working out. A major set of lymph nodes live around the armpit area. The lymphatic system is an important part of your immune system and your circulatory system in general. When you're unwell, you can feel lymph glands swell not only under the arms but also in the neck and around the groin area. If you're not sweating when your body wants to, what happens to it? Sweating is one of the natural ways the body chooses to detox, so you're effectively stopping that from happening by using an antiperspirant.

You'll notice we're not fans of using negativity and fear here to sell products. I'm sure I could sell more if I did, but I just don't roll that way. There is one scenario though where I'm going to pipe up and say something about antiperspirants. DON'T WEAR AN ANTIPERSPIRANT WHILE YOU EXERCISE. If you're going to exercise, please allow your body to sweat. Whether you do it sans (without) deodorant or you wear a natural deodorant is totally up to you, but please just allow your body to sweat. If you're healthy, fresh sweat will smell fine. You can go and shower afterwards. If your fresh sweat doesn't smell fine, this is a sign that your body is detoxing something unpleasant and some time with a naturopath or other medical professional could help you pinpoint what that is.

According to the website of Unilever, one of the world's most prolific manufacturer of aluminium based antiperspirants, 95% of toxins in the body are expelled by the liver and kidneys, and of the 5% that may come out of your body as sweat, only 1% of the sweat in your body is produced under your armpits. The choice is yours.

Yes they do, but not every formula suits everyone and there is a period of adjustment for some people. If you're going to make the switch, don't just try once and give up, and be prepared to try a couple of different formula styles to find the one that resonates with your body the best.

The job of a natural deodorant is to allow you to sweat, but to stop the bacteria growth from your sweat starting to smell. Some people don't like this idea, and I totally get it. If you want to use an antiperspirant at work during the week, at least give a natural one a try on the weekends and see how you go. Give it a try in winter or on days where it's not super hot and see if you like the idea.

There's more than one active ingredient that can be used in a natural deodorant formula. Some work better than others for specific people and some can be a skin irritant which you will learn about in our next section.

Based on shea butter, coconut oil, bi-carb soda, arrowroot and some essential oils, there's a handful of brands on the market that do this really well and also some that either under perform, or some that over perform and irritate the skin because they have too much bi-carb soda in them. The first brand to do this well in Australia were Black Chicken with their Axilla Paste. Now we stock Woohoo Body and Noosa Basics.

We have mineral salt based deodorants from USA company Crystal Deodorant. Crystal make solid sticks using these mineral salts along with sprays and roll-ons that incorporate the salts and also bicarb soda. Some customers find the pure salt sticks work really well, and others get little results. They are well worth giving a try and are by far the most affordable natural deodorant in store.

There are other brands that do a roll-on formula that are based on aloe and a variety of essential oils and other ingredients. There are deodorants from companies like Weleda and Fresca. Noosa Basics are one of the few companies in Australia to make a roll-on deodorant packed in glass.

We have non-aerosol sprays based in mineral salts from Crystal (mentioned above) along with the luxe sprays from Noosa Basics.

Since the original version of this blog, manufacturers have been taking the deodorant cream style formulas, making small changes to the consistency so they can be pressed in to a solid stick and housed in a cardboard tube, much like brands do with lip balms, but in a larger scale. While tins can be reused, there's only so many small tins a person needs, so the plastic free sticks are a truly waste free option.