Deodorant
Deodorant is typically a staple in our daily routine. But have you ever thought about the ingredients in your choice of anti-perspirant?
In this episode of The Clean Living Podcast, I’m sharing the reasons to switch your stick ASAP with suggestions for cleaner alternatives.
Product Recommendations
Sources
https://www.ewg.org
https://www.madesafe.org
https://time.com
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Transcript
Okay, so this is probably an overshare, but in college, I used to wear men’s Old Spice deodorant. Yes, I smelled like a flannel-wearing lumberjack. But there was an important reason why… and it wasn’t so I would repel every straight man who came into my path… in today’s episode, we’re talking pits.
This might surprise you, but I wasn’t wearing Old Spice at the age of 19 because of the zesty pine smell. I was in college when I learned that there was aluminum in every mainstream women’s deodorant. This was back in 2008 and I remember storming the shelves of CVS and picking up a stick of Secret, then a stick of Dove, then a stick of Mitchum and so on and not being able to find a single brand without aluminum.
At the time, I didn’t know of the myriad other toxic chemicals in conventional deodorant but I was able to find one brand that was aluminum-free. In the men’s section.
Enter Old Spice and the four ignorantly blissful years I spent swiping it on my pits.
When I look at the ratings now on the Environmental Working Group, Old Spice and other conventional deodorants, rank 7,8 and 9 out of 10 in allergies and immunotoxicity. This was last updated in February 2019, well after clean, non-toxic deodorants came on the scene, so I don’t want to imagine what the rating would have looked like in 2008.
So what’s the problem with most deodorants? Over the years, studies have shown that ingredients in conventional deodorants not only enter the bloodstream but also get stored in fat cells under your armpits.
The research goes on to show that deodorants and antiperspirants contain compounds that can cause developmental or reproductive issues, as well as cancer, and mess with the very important microorganisms that live on your skin.
The main five ingredients to be concerned about are aluminum, parabens, triclosan, phthalates and fragrance. Ironically, these are also the common ingredients of concern in cleaning supplies.
Here’s the thing about deodorant, like so many other products, you cannot always trust the words “natural” or “essential oils” or “mineral.” The very best way to rid yourself of harmful chemicals is to go deodorant-free, but I know most of us don’t have that luxury.
THIS FOR THAT: Deodorants I’ve vetted for you and can recommend are Native (which is so widely distributed it can be found in Walgreens), Agent Nateur, Schmidt’s and Earth Mama (I’ll link to them in the show notes at [link)
I’ll also just add a closing thought on your armpits, think about that part of your body and I know I already mentioned we have a lot of fat cells there but that’s also where our lymph nodes are. And I don’t know much about lymph nodes but I do know that they route fluid through your body. So, if you have a neurotoxin like aluminum going on your skin and then potentially filtering through your body that’s probably not ideal. Making the switch to clean deodorant is worth it — even if it does cost a few dollars more. Also, remember to give your pits a break every once in a while… maybe on a day when you’re home alone : )
Thanks so much for listening to this episode of The Clean Living Podcast — I’m your host Shannon Lohr. If you learned something today and can leave a positive review, it will not only make my day but it will help more people find out about the podcast. Here’s to creating a cleaner, more sustainable world for all of us.
