Have you always used the same deodorant? When you find a scent that you like, it is sometimes just easiest to just stick with the status quo. No wandering the aisles of the supermarket looking for inspiration, no more trial and error.
But have you ever flipped over the bottle or spray can and actually had a look at what is in your favourite anti-perspirant? Do you simply apply abundant quantities of spray with limited consideration of what you are putting under your arms? At least it will stop you from smelling, right?
A growing number of natural deodorants are hitting the supermarket shelves, pharmacies and even niche gifts stores. And more consumers are adopting natural skin care and health products that are filled with ingredients you can recognise.
Yes, sometimes they are more expensive. Generally, they come with claims of improved health. I am not going to touch on too many of the claims here, as they are plentiful, but let us talk about why it might be time to break the chain of habit and at least try a natural deodorant.
Ditch the nasty chemicals
If you struggle to understand the ingredients on the back of a can, that is never a great sign. At Lone Kauri we are not super keen on ingredients that are difficult to pronounce or sound more suited to a chemical manufacturing plant than an armpit. Natural deodorants steer clear of aluminium compounds, parabens and sulphates that are still used in many deodorising products.
Aluminium compounds are included in many popular anti-perspirants and deodorants to stop your body from perspiring. These compounds prevent your sweat glands from opening and sweat from being released. Yes, the jury remains out on potential health impacts of aluminium salts, and many deodorants such as Natio and Lynx still include aluminium compounds in their formulations. Manufacturers of natural deodorants have taken the "better to be safe than sorry" approach and opt to attack the source of smell, while allowing you to sweat naturally.
Do your shirts or blouses seem to flare up as soon as you put them on, with white sweat stains to the fore? We address the science behind armpit stains in more detail here, and why your favourite tops are getting ruined by those embarassing, and seemingly washing resistant, stains.
You may be surprised to learn that these stains are not the result of excessive sweat. The more likely culprit is what you are putting under your arms. Sweat can bond with chemicals in anti-perspirants forming a white tacky film that sneaks its way onto your clothing and builds up over time. Fading and discolouration of fabrics can also occur due to greater acidity.
More environmentally conscious
Ok, so this is not always the case. There are plenty of natural deodorant manufacturers out there who persist with heavy plastic packaging and are seemingly unphased by the environmental conundrum the world finds itself in. But, an increasing number of natural deodorant providers couple their health focus with a strong environmental agenda by employing brilliant recyclable and recycled materials, and by reducing product and packaging waste.
