Don’t Tango With The Funk: Choose Natural Deodorant
By Jillian Polaski
Filed Under Conscious Commerce, News & Reviews |
Sweating is a natural part of life. It’s our body’s way of maintaining its optimum temperature. The problem is, as we all know, that sometimes along with sweat, comes a not-so-sexy odor. Over the years, people have used perfumes, powders, oils, and antiperspirants to mediate their personal aromas. Body odor is caused from bacteria interacting with our sweat, and many people these days use roll-on or stick deodorants to fend off the funk.
Sadly, many conventional deodorants neutralize your body odor with some pretty toxic chemicals. Aluminum is a common but somewhat questionable ingredient found in many conventional antiperspirants. It’s been linked to both breast cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, and the mining of it pollutes ecosystems and requires massive amounts of energy. Formaldehyde is a nasty chemical most commonly associated with the embalming process, but also found in our deodorants in the form of preservatives. There’s also propylene glycol, originally developed as an antifreeze and used in paint, dog food, floor wax, and our deodorant. If you want to feel super fresh, but also want to be kind to your body and the environment, check out these natural choices…
Pure and Natural Deodorant Crystal
I have to admit that I was a little bit skeptical when I first tried the Pure And Natural Deodorant Crystal, made by Deodorant Stones of America. There is absolutely no scent to this crystal. All you do is wet it, apply it to your under arms, and Voila!, supposedly you’re good to go for the rest of your day. I tried it a few times and it seemed to work just fine, but it wasn’t until I went running that I was absolutely convinced. After twenty minutes on a hot summer day, I was sweating profusely but was still completely odor free. And it’s made entirely of potassium alum, which is considered safer than the aluminum sulfate found in most deodorants. Doctors at the Mayo clinic and Walter Reed Army Hospital have recommended Pure and Natural Deodorant Stones for patients with dermatitis and cancer, due to the product’s purity.
Be aware, the crystal will feel a little rougher against your skin than a roll-on. Also, water trickles down the sides of your body when you apply this deodorant, so I would recommend applying before you get dressed for the day. Pure And Natural Deodorant Crystal can most easily be found online.
MSRP: $9.99 for 1 crystal
Earth Essentials Natural Deodorant
Earth Science natural deodorant is available in four scents: tea tree-lavender, rosemary-mint, herbal scented, and unscented. These deodorants are produced with absolutely no animal testing, contain no parabens, and the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database gives them a hazard score of only one. They are packaged in a recyclable container and Earth Science is completely transparent about all of the ingredients they use.
This deodorant held up well on a hot summer’s day. Even the unscented version left me smelling fresh. Earth Science is easy to find both online and at any natural foods store.
MSRP: $5.95 for 2.5 oz.
Kiss My Face
Kiss My Face deodorants are available in both stick and liquid crystal form, and none of them contain aluminum, parabens, or animal ingredients. There are no artificial colors nor unnecessary chemicals. They are available in patchouli, lavendar, summer, and herbal scents, as well as unscented. They are packaged in recyclable materials and the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database gives them a very low hazard score of one. Best of all, the funk factor, even on the hottest summer days, is absolutely zero.
These deodorants are widely available at your local health food store, or shop online.
MSRP: $4.99 for 2.48 oz stick or 3 oz. liquid
Posted on July 29, 2008 |
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3 Responses to “Don’t Tango With The Funk: Choose Natural Deodorant”
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What is the mining process like for Potassium Alum?
Kiss My Face is totally bogus, greenwashing trash…they contain Parabens and many other toxins. Don’t buy it.
Also,there are tons of other brands out there, like Jason’s and Avalon etc. If we do a comparison, let’s include more choices.
Finally, the best option (other than the crystal, which is pretty sweet) is the homemade option. A combination of tea tree oil, directly applied, with other oils like sage or lavendar, combined with some natural salts makes the best method I’ve found. But there are other recipes out there as well.
Scott, I like tea tree oil in general, so I’m interested in your recommendation.
Are you referring to using full-strength tea tree oil?
If you dilute it, what percentages do you recommend?
Thanks.