In order to improve your health, you’ve adopted stevia and ditched refined sugar from your diet and you’ve got a lot more physically active. But what have you done about the products you use in your personal care?

Because the personal care industry in many countries is largely unregulated, many harmful chemicals, carcinogens and drying agents end up in conventional soaps, lotions, shampoos, and deodorants. Although our skin works hard to provide a protective barrier, topical skin products can be absorbed through our skin and into the bloodstream, hence the importance of using chemical-free personal care products, including natural deodorant.

The side effects of regular deodorants include skin irritation, possible health risks and even making perspiration worse. Natural deodorants can help you avoid all these issues. Below are some of the reasons why you should switch to natural deodorant and how the change should be done.

You Need to Sweat: It’s Important for Your Health

Sweating may sound, feel and look pretty gross but it’s your body’s way of regulating temperature and releasing toxins. Traditional deodorants work to clog up pores and don’t allow your body to properly release the sweat necessary to cool down the body and release toxins, reason why they are also called antiperspirants.

Contrary to what many think, sweat isn’t actually what smells. Sweat is just a mixture of salt and water. What does lead to that dreaded body odour is when sweat comes into contact with the natural bacteria that live on our skin. Natural deodorant helps to prevent odour by keeping natural bacteria from mixing with the salt and water on the skin while allowing your body to sweat the way it should.

Ingredients That Are Good for You

Most of the natural deodorant Australia range includes plant-based moisturizers in the formula to treat your underarms like the delicate skin they are. Ingredients like olive oil, shea butter and mineral-rich clay can actually improve the condition of your pits, leaving them smooth and less prone to irritation. Natural deodorant containing witch hazel can also shrink pores and smooth razor burn.

A healthy natural deodorant can also contain natural botanicals, such as tea tree oils. These ingredients have antibacterial properties that can help minimize the bacterial in your skin, which is what causes the odour in the first place.

You Can Forget About Yellow Stains

There is nothing more frustrating than getting ready to go out, only to stain your shirt or dress with a white or yellow mark. These marks are caused by the aluminium in the ingredients, which turn the fabric yellow after extended use. By switching to a natural deodorant, you won’t have to worry about these stains. You can apply as little or as much deodorant you think you’ll need, and leftover residue easily washes out.

Some Diseases Have Been Linked to Deodorants

Deodorants are applied to the skin that is near the breasts. Research has shown that the chemicals that are absorbed in this skin area could cause estrogen-like hormonal effects. The aluminium compounds found in traditional deodorants have been linked to breast cancer and Alzheimer’s. Infertility-causing toxic chemicals have also been found in some deodorants.

You’ll be Helping Save the Planet

It’s no secret that canned deodorants are bad for the environment. The mineral oil found in many deodorants emits carbon and harmful pollutants that damage our surroundings, whilst spray bottles contain volatile organic compounds. Furthermore, many deodorants contain triclosan, an antifungal agent that can harm the waterways and have a negative effect on aquatic wildlife. And deodorant cans are generally non-recyclable, with both tin-based and plastic-based packaging causing pollution in the environment when they’re sent to landfill. Natural deodorants are often completely plastic-free, meaning nothing will be left behind to pollute the environment once you’re done with it.

Tips to Switching To a Natural Deodorant

After visiting a natural deodorant Australia retailer and buying your new product, you will need to take a few days to make the switch. That is because you’ll need to go au natural for a few days. If necessary, you can use essential oils during the switch. After a few days, you can start using your natural deodorant. Make sure to wash daily and exfoliate weekly to help remove the toxins created by the traditional deodorant.

Remember that people have different body chemistry, so what works for one person may not work for another. If you have tried a natural deodorant before and it hasn’t worked as expected, that may be because the brand or blend of ingredients didn’t work for you specifically. This doesn’t mean all-natural deodorant, in general, doesn’t work. Most contain baking soda which kills the bacteria on the skin but can result in skin irritation. So try other ingredients and portions to find the deodorant that works best for you. It may take a trial-and-error process to find the one that works for you.