Natural deodorants seem to be all anyone is talking about these days, but many people have noticed the same effects and putting them down – here’s why
People love natural deodorants thanks to the clean formulas and pretty scents – but so many people are ditching them for one reason. While they are aluminum-free and care for your skin as well as the planet, there are a growing number of people falling out of love with them.
A surge in people have started calling out natural deodorant users for being stinky, and urging users to stop applying them after they claim they don’t work. However, is this true?
There is a trend at the moment for natural beauty products, including natural deodorants, and we speak to Charlotte Vøhtz, organic beauty expert and founder of Green People on why some people may think they don’t work.
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She told Daily Mirror: “While some natural deodorants can be ineffective due to weak formulations, efficacy depends entirely on the functional ingredients used.” Rather than blocking perspiration and masking odours with synthetic fragrances, the deodorants work with the body to eliminate the bacteria that creates odour and use essential oils to help users feel fresh and clean-smelling throughout the day.
Synthetically made deodorants work to block the sweat, while natural ones work to block the odor – and finding the right one is very much a trial and error job. Some formulas will perform better with your body’s natural chemistry than others, especially as the days and summers get hotter and sweatier.
Most users say there is the “two week zone” once you swap to natural – where you will think the deodorant is ineffective, but once you get over the two week smelly period where your body is releasing the blocked pores, the natural deodorant will start to do it’s job.
A popular natural deodorant on the market currently is the Wild Stick Deodorant (£12) that comes with a case and refills. There are a range of different luxurious and fun scents to choose from too. Wild isn’t antiperspirant as they don’t use aluminium salts in the deodorant. “This is because we think sweating is a natural and important function. Instead, our deodorant contains alternative ingredients such as tapioca starch which absorbs moisture and keeps you dry all day,” they say on the website.
Deodorants and antiperspirants are two completely different formulations. “Deodorants don’t prevent wetness, they limit odor,” dermatologist Hadley King explained to Bazaar. “Antiperspirants contain aluminum chlorohydrate or aluminum zirconium or aluminum chloride, which act by blocking the eccrine (sweat) glands and preventing wetness.”
MALIN+GOETZ Eucalyptus Deodorant (£22) is another popular product that is packed with synthesised refreshing natural eucalyptus extract and odour-neutralising citronellyl to be appropriate for all skin types, especially sensitive.
But one of the biggest concerns people have over switching to natural is the is effectiveness and overcoming pong-paranoia. Green People’s Aloe Vera & Prebiotics Deodorant (£14) is a soothing, natural deodorant with built into an aloe vera core and not a drop of skin-drying alcohol in sight, containing Alum, Prebiotics and Zinc Ricinoleate which all naturally protects against odour.
Clara Challoner Walker, founder of Cosy Cottage noted how people are becoming increasingly conscious that many commercially-made deodorants and antiperspirants interfere with the body’s natural sweating process and include preservatives such as parabens, which have been linked to cancer and Alzheimer’s.
Outling the science behind the natural options, the founder said: “Our natural deodorant is not designed to stop perspiration, which is vital for regulating temperature and eliminating toxins. Our original bestselling formula uses bicarbonate of soda as an active ingredient; while this works well for the majority, it can irritate some people’s skin.”
There is a small number of people are sensitive to sodium hydrogen carbonate, also known as bicarbonate of soda, which is commonly used in natural deodorants, which could be why they don’t get on well with natural deodorants. A significant number of those who may react to the ingredients are women going through periods of hormonal change.
Natural deodorants come in unique formats, from creams and pastes to crystals and roll-ons, all utilising a blend of starches, baking soda, acids, or probiotics to capture and reduce odour or neutralise bacteria on the skin. They contain no aluminum, so they have no real impact on sweat.