In the last few years Aluminium free deodorant has become a popular trend. In fact, google lists over 6,420,000 results and there seem to be new ‘heavy metal free deodorant’ brands popping up all the time.
In this article we ask why?
Our aim as an ethical skincare and beauty brand has always been to inform and educate our audience with absolute transparency, so we’ll explore:
- If aluminium in beauty care is really a problem;
- Why aluminium in deodorant is asked about so much;
- Whether and how to avoid aluminium (and other toxins) in your deodorant;
- The difference between anti-perspirants and deodorant;
- And what the alternatives might be for you (even if your body odour is a particular challenge, for example because of hormonal shifts)
Why Aluminium and Deodorant is a Problem
If you’re someone who cares enough about your skincare ingredients to seek out certified organic skincare, like ours, chances are what you put on and in your body matters. You may also care about the environment and potentially, may have some skin concerns, like Eczema to worry about.
Many customers who discover us for the first time have just become pregnant, so suddenly what goes on the body matters. Some might be going through cancer treatment. This means skincare needs to be as gentle and non-reactive as possible.
All these reasons are why we want to discuss deodorants and aluminium. Putting it shortly, yes it matters, and the evidence suggests it’s not great for anyone.
Investing some time into exploring the ingredients in your body care products is an important component of living an overall healthy lifestyle. What you put on your body is as important as what you put in it, not least because our skins are breathable and can absorb ingredients from your skin care.
If you wouldn’t eat an ingredient, it’s important to consider if you’re comfortable wearing it.
Understanding Your Armpits
It has been said that: ‘There is no better place to start eliminating toxins from your skincare than deodorant’.
The axilla (armpit) has a high concentration of sweat glands capable of releasing toxins from the body. Their function is to do just that – keep your body free from bacteria and germs that can harm it.
They also readily absorb anything applied and their close association with lymph glands and breast tissue have raised understandable concerns over certain synthetic ingredients, especially aluminium salts – e.g., aluminium chlorohydrate, found widely in mainstream deodorants and antiperspirants.
When you sweat, at first, it won’t smell. Sweat is actually sterile and odourless, but if left, the bacteria warm up. This feeds our skin's natural bacteria and creates smelly organic acids that are unpleasant, for us and others.
Using an anti-perspirant has become a popular solution in the last few decades. Anti-perspirants rely on the use of aluminium to prevent sweat forming. However, this then clogs the armpits, and creates a longer-term health issue that is far more serious.
Deodorants work by reducing and masking the smell. They don’t offer the same longevity as antiperspirants, but they are healthier.
This is a great product as it smells lovely and works very well. I can also use it in confidence as my mum recently recovered from breast cancer and this deodorant has no nasties in it, like aluminium oxide.
Deborah, Odylique Customer
Why you should avoid aluminium:
Whilst we don’t believe in demonising ingredients, aluminium is one we give a very wide berth, with good reason.
It has been demonstrated that the skin absorbs aluminium from antiperspirants, which isn’t great news when it is linked to so many health concerns:
- One study found high concentrations of aluminium in the brains of Alzheimer patients.
- Aluminium is considered a neurotoxin and can cause neuroinflammation.
- Aluminium is estrogenic and can disrupt hormone balance, which can lead to all sorts of problems, including cancer.
- Aluminium is part of a group called heavy metals, which can accumulate in the body and trigger a wide variety of health problems.
When there are so many other wonderful, beneficial ingredients that you can treat your skin to, waving goodbye to aluminium-laden products is easy!
Although using aluminium-free deodorant is a great place to start, synthetic deodorants also contain a lot more ingredients that we think you should be wary of…
Toxic deodorant ingredients:
- Triclosan
Triclosan is a registered pesticide – so why on earth is it added to deodorant? The reason is that it has antimicrobial activity and can kill bacteria, however, it can alsodisrupt hormones.
- Parabens
Synthetic deodorant is often preserved by parabens…and we’re not happy about it! Some parabens have been found to have estrogenic effects and have been found in high concentrations of breast cancer tissue. Research shows an associated rather than causal link, but we believe that if in doubt, you should do without.
- Talc
Talc is used in a wide range of skincare and cosmetics. Talc came under fire in recent years when Johnson & Johnson were ordered to pay out $417m in compensation to a customer who claimed it had caused her ovarian cancer (this was just one complaint from many thousands of women). The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies talc as ‘possibly carcinogenic’.
- Fragrance
Not all fragrance is harmful, but to lessen the allergy risk, you’ll want to make sure it’s entirely natural. The tricky thing is that it’s often almost impossible to tell on the label if it’s natural or not. ‘Parfum’ is a term used to cover a multitude of unlabelled chemicals, natural or otherwise, so you might need to contact the brand to get some clarity. It’s well worth doing that as some fragrances have been linked to dermatitis and allergies. No one wants sensitive underarms!
At Odylique, we take the precautionary principle – if any research casts doubt over the safety of an ingredient to humans or the environment, we will not use it in our products.
Finding a safe deodorant
With all the ingredients you need to avoid, it can feel like your options are limited – but don’t sweat, they’re not!
And you won’t have to learn every ingredient from A-Z to help you decide what is or isn’t safe to use.
Think natural. Unless you have a specific allergy to a natural ingredient, they tend to be a lot less problematic or linked to serious health concerns than synthetic ingredients.
To find a truly natural deodorant (which also means without pesticides & fungicides), opt for an independently certified organic deodorant. This means it’s been researched and tested by independent bodies for safety and efficacy, both for you and the planet.
There are lots of companies who market their products as ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ when they aren’t. This is because there are no strict advertising guidelines in place to prohibit this.
Rather than trusting the company trying to sell you the product, trust independent certifiers, like the Soil Association who certify products based on their own set of rigorous guidelines to ensure that the product is truly organic.
Say no to antiperspirants!
Another way to ensure you’re only using the best for your body is to put the antiperspirant down and stick with deodorant only.
Antiperspirant prevents you from sweating by blocking your sweat ducts – usually with the help of aluminium.
But aside from the toxic ingredients, stopping yourself from sweating stops your body from detoxifying through the skin – sweating isn’t just a cooling mechanism. Preventing perspiration is not a healthy practice – whatever ingredients you use.
Instead of buying an antiperspirant, stick to deodorant and let your body function as naturally as possible!
I’ve been looking for a natural deodorant that works and this is the one. I found the fragrance lovely and fresh. It’s been a game changer.
Laura, Odylique Customer
Odylique Natural Deodorant
Odylique’s certified organic, 100% natural deodorants are designed to prevent odour and work with your body…not against it.
Our Lemon & Aloe Vera Natural Deodorant includes:
- Aloe vera juice.This ingredient has so many benefits for the skin (which is why we love using it in a range of our products!). Aloe helps promote skin elasticity and wound healing and is also an anti-inflammatory & antifungal agent.
- Zinc oxide. An important component of skin tissue, zinc oxide is also an antibacterial agent. It helps prevent the build up of odour-forming bacteria.
- Essential oils of lemongrass, lemon & bergamot. Essential oils have a powerhouse of benefits, but we also love using them because they smell so wonderful!
If you’re looking for a healthy, aluminium-free deodorant, we challenge you to go natural and experience the benefits for yourself!
25% Off Our Natural Deodorants
We’re so sure you’re going to love going natural, that you can have 25% off your order of either of our deodorants by entering code FRESH25 at checkout.
More Advice?
If you’d like any more advice on skincare or deodorant, please do email us at customercare@odylique.co.uk, phone us on 01638 491022, add your question as a comment below – we’re here to help!