Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff

Lets be honest, having stinky pits is well “the pits”. One of my biggest challenges while I was transitioning to all natural products was finding a good deodorant. It has been one of the trickiest items to find. Without getting super preachy on you, here are some of the reasons why your average deodorant is not the best for you in the long run.

	Aluminum: Aluminum is a neurotoxin linked in studies to detrimental health effects in lab animals. It was thought to be associated with Alzheimer’s, but data is inconclusive and controversial. One human study found it in breast tissue, and given the proximity of armpits to breasts, it seemed to indicate aluminum’s ability to migrate from the armpit into the body. Perhaps that’s thanks in part to….
	Penetration enhancers: That’s a fancy term for ingredients that help carry other ingredients—often the active ones—into your body so they can do their job. There are many different kinds, like propylene glycol and Disodium EDTA. Often, these ingredients on their own are not the worst of the bunch—but they can be problematic because they basically work as an express lane for the absorption of more troubling ingredients.
	Triclosan: Triclosan is an antibacterial agent that is so controversial that even the FDA is getting mad about it. It’s in antiperspirant and deodorant because the thing that makes people smell is bacteria—not sweat. It’s been shown to be a hormone disruptor capable of changing the sex of fish, and it’s also suspected to be responsible for certain strains of resistant bacteria.
	Fragrance: A major difference between one brand’s “Swagger” antiperspirant and its “Classic” is the smell—a proprietary blend of chemicals lumped together under the vague rubric of “fragrance.” Check last week’s post for a refresher on why this blanket term is often hiding possibly problematic other ingredients inside your products.
	BHT: While less commonly used, this bad-boy is linked in studies to nervous-system effects at low doses, is dubbed “expected to be toxic or harmful” by Environment Canada’s Domestic Substance List, and there are studies linking it to the C-word.

(Grid and full article found here.)

I wanted to be able to help you out in your search, so you don’t have to go through the trail and error that I did. Below are my top 3 natural deodorant picks. Click through the images for the product site.
You can purchase all Tom’s of Maine products at almost any drugstore and at Whole Foods.