Is it time to ditch the deodorant?
A healthy living advocate claims she no longer needs deodorant [Photo: Getty]
If we’re honest there are probably a fair few fancy beauty products in our bathroom cabinet we could totally live without. Come on you don’t really need that moisturiser with pepto-thingys, dermo-thingys and ceramidey-thingys. Deodorant on the other hand is a must. But one healthy-living advocate really doesn’t agree.
Alyse Brautigam, 22 from Hawaii, who shares details of her lifestyle on her YouTube channel Raw Alignment, says she no longer needs to wear deodorant because her plant-based diet has completely eliminated her body odour.
In a recent vlog she explains that she hasn’t used deodorant for a year, but that since switching to a vegan diet she’s noticed a considerable difference in the way her body smells. And when she moved onto a raw diet, of fresh fruit and vegetables she noticed a further change.
Alyse says her vegan diet means she no longer needs deodorant [Photo: Instagram/rawalignment]
“Your body actually starts to smell differently based on the food you are putting into your body,” she explains in the video. And even though she claims to get sweaty, the healthy-living vlogger believes the smell she gives off is more of ‘pheromone’ smell than body odour.
Though you might not be ready to go completely cold turkey on the deodorant just yet, there are some less extreme alternatives to consider if you want to explore your underarm options. More and more people are making the switch from chemical to natural deodorants of late.
If you’re not sure of the difference, allow us to explain. Antiperspirants reduce sweating by temporarily blocking the sweat glands with aluminium salts. Natural deodorants on the other hand, allow the sweat to run freely, but simply mask the smell. Because apparently sweat in itself isn’t smelly, the body odour stink is caused from skin’s bacteria breaking down the acid in the sweat.
So why make the switch to natural deodorants? There have been mutterings about a link between the parabens and aliminium found in some antiperspirants and an increased cancer risk for years now although the official line from Cancer Research UK is that: “There is no good evidence that aluminium in deodorants could increase the risk of cancer in animals or humans.”
But cancer or no cancer risk aside there are other reasons people are switching to natural deodorants. One reason is that sweating is natural. Your body has a built in temperature regulator that triggers sweat when you need to cool down. Antiperspirants temporarily stop your glands from secreting sweat, but sweating is a vital part of the detoxification process, so do we really want to prevent it?
Other reasons include being kinder to the environment. Deodorant sprays cause air and water pollution, and are terrible for the environment because, like hairsprays, they contain the highest amount of VOCs (volatile organic compounds), which contribute to the formation of smog and damaging the Ozone layer.
And then there’s the healthy skin boosting benefits a natural deodorant can provide. Conventional deodorants can irritate skin, whereas many natural deodorants contain ingredients like baking soda which neutralises odor, witch hazel which evaporates sweat and soothes irritation, and essential oils that aid in preventing bacteria build up.
If you fancy giving your underarms a chemical deodorant detox here are some more natural alternatives to try.
Salt Of The Earth Pure Aura Scented Spray, £5.99 from crystalspring.co.uk
[Photo: Salt of the Earth]
If its good enough for Madeline Shaw…This spray on natural deodorant includes a fusion of over 15 natural botanical extracts and oils, and smells pretty darned delish.
MooGoo Fresh Deodorant Cream £5.90 from MooGoo
[Photo: MooGoo Skincare]
A great choice for those who think baking soda may cause skin irritation. This roll on version works in a similar way to other natural deodorants, but uses milk of magnesia instead of baking soda.
Neal’s Yard Lavender & Aloe Vera Deodorant, £8 from Neal’s Yard Remedies
[Photo: Neals Yard]
Packed full of essential lavender oils to cleanse the sensitive armpit area, the aloe vera acts as a soothing agent to keep the area super-soft and irritant-free.
Lush The Greeench, £6.95 from lush.com
[Photo: Lush]
This talc-based deodorant powder is one of the most popular natural deodorants on the market. It’s the talc formula that stops you sweating, but you have to be slightly careful when applying or it can go everywhere.
Would you try a natural deodorant? Let us know @YahooStyleUK
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