How natural deodorant works
Scent is just one of the tools in a mans arsenal to help him on his quest towards becoming the ideal man.
When we think about bad body odor (BO), we tend to think of sweat as the villain responsible. But sweat doesn’t inherently smell - at least not by itself. It’s sweat mixed with bacteria found on skin and body hair that produces that pungent smell. Not all sweat is the same, either. People have two different types of sweat glands—eccrine glands and apocrine glands.
Eccrine glands:
These cover most of our skin and create regular salty sweat to keep the body cool. This is the sweat that occurs on a hot day, or after excercise.
Apocrine gland:
These are found in your armpits, groins, hands, etc. This sweat occurs when as a reaction to your body’s stress. The sweat emitted from the Apocrine glands is distinct from your sweat emitted from your eccrine glands; the apocrine gland sweat is loaded with fatty lipids.
Human skin is covered with bacteria, creating a diverse ecosystem of microorganisms—some good and some without much function. These various microbiomes exist all over your body. One of those microbes, S. Hominis will feed on your apocrine sweat, transforming your sweat's chemical makeup into thioalcohol. Because it’s a type of alcohol, it escapes quickly into the air, resulting in a sulfuric scent.
The next big thing; Natural Deodorants
The term “natural” deodorant can be a little misleading. Most products that have “natural” slapped on the label are formulated with only natural ingredients—or at least natural ingredients make up a majority of the formula.
For deodorant however, it refers to the process by which your body deals with BO. Basically, any formula that isn’t an aluminum based antiperspirant.
There are several benefits of using a natural deodorant over an antiperspirant.
Natural deodorant doesn’t plug your sweat glands and allows your body to do its natural thing—sweat.
Sweating helps to rid your body of toxins.
Natural deodorants don’t stain your clothes the way aluminum antiperspirants do.
Natural deodorants contain ingredients that help the skin retain moisture, which helps skin look and feel healthier.
Natural deodorant allows the microbiomes under your arms to be closer to their normal state.
Different deodorants pack different effects, depending on ingredients. Understanding the common ingredients used in natural deodorants can help you weed out what works for you and what doesn’t.
So what is a “Deodorant”?
Deodorant and antiperspirant perform very different functions, especially in how they attack the issue of body odor.
Antiperspirants work by clogging pores and sweat glands, preventing sweat from escaping. Artificial ingredients such as aluminum is responsible for plugging up your pits. Starving bacteria of sweat removes any BO stink.
The key difference is that Deodorant doesn’t aim to stop your sweat at all. Instead, Deodorants use antibacterial ingredients that neutralize or mask the odor-causing bacteria.
Turns out, Aluminum is… bad?
There has been a growing wave of health concerns surrounding the use of aluminum in antiperspirants, stemming from research started back in the 1960’s. While historical studies speculated a link to cancer, there was little data to back these ideas up. In more recent years, research has instead focused on health concerns linking aluminum-based antiperspirants to kidney disease and Alzheimer's.
This rising tide of aluminum concerns has led to a massive expansion in companies producing and marketing natural deodorants, although there still isn’t any conclusive reason to believe that aluminum isn’t safe to use. That said, customer trends appear to be changing as more and more people switch to natural deodorants.
What makes a good natural deodorant?
We looked at many of the most impactful or commonly used ingredients found in natural deodorants. There are all kinds of natural deodorant formulas out there. Some use all of these ingredients, while some use just a few.
The critical thing to keep in mind is that everyone’s skin is different, so ingredients will never be consistently effective across the board. You may have to try a few varieties of natural deodorants before you find what works for you.
Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda)
Baking soda actually is excellent for covering up stink, which made it a popular go-to ingredient for early natural deodorants. And it’s still one of the most widely used ingredients. There’s some downsides however; For some people, it may cause irritation, rash, and burns. Baking soda has an average pH level that is higher than the pH of human skin. Can have a grainy texture that is hard to apply and leaves white marks on clothing.
Charcoal Powder
Charcoal is the “it” ingredient right now. It’s in everything from toothpaste to deodorant. Charcoal has become so popular that anything marketed as having it feels a little bit gimmicky. That said, charcoal has been shown to be great for reducing wetness and odor. Charcoal is also generally considered to be safe to use.
Saccharomyces Ferment
Saccharomyces Ferment comes from the fermentation of vegetable feedstock. It contains naturally-occurring, live enzymes that break down sweat molecules, and effectively fight both odor and wetness. The enzymes use bacteria and ammonia to make amino acids. The yeast enzymes help increase cellular respiration and metabolism to improve structural proteins such as collagen and elastin, aiding in smooth and hydrated underarms.
Arrowroot
Arrowroot is native to Indonesia and is a popular ingredient in homemade natural deodorants. More companies are using arrowroot in their formulations as it is useful in absorbing moisture while respecting the natural perspiration of the body.
Tapioca Starch
Tapioca starch is similar to arrowroot, as it helps deodorants absorb sweat while respecting the natural perspiration of the body. It’s often used as an alternative to baking soda.
Propylene Glycol
Propylene glycol is great as a base ingredient in natural deodorants because it attracts moisture and locks it into the skin. This helps maintain hydration in the skin and increasing smoothness. Because propylene glycol is smooth, it makes application easier than baking soda deodorants. Again, worth noting that Propylene glycol is also a known allergen, a small percentage of people have a skin allergy to it.
The ingredient listed first on a natural deodorant is generally the base ingredient. Most natural ingredients tend to have either baking soda, propylene glycol, or water as the base ingredient. Some skin irritation is normal when transitioning to a natural deodorant. It pays to monitor your skin for any reaction, and switch ingredients if there is redness or itchiness.
