I’m sure that you have heard about natural deodorants before. Or maybe you haven’t and that’s okay too because we’re about to change that. So let’s talk sweat (yummy lol!). Many of us use antiperspirants or deodorants that might not be as innocent as you think. Most of the popular options contain harmful ingredients and may be doing more damage than good. What stops most people from switching to a natural deodorant is the fear of unwanted odor or over-the-top sweat. What scares people even more is the detox process that is often part of the switching journey as well.
This post will walk you through my 30-day detox experience, why you should make the switch, and what to expect.
WHY SHOULD YOU CONSIDER SWITCHING TO NATURAL DEODORANT?
There are several reasons why you should consider switching to a natural deodorant. Let’s discuss the main ones.
1. SWEATING IS HEALTHY
Your regular antiperspirant or even deodorant contains aluminum-based ingredients. In essence, aluminum works by blocking sweat completely. This means that you do not smell simply because no sweat is exiting your body. Natural deodorants do not stop you from sweating but they work by neutralizing the smell. Now, sweating is one of the ways your body removes toxins, it NEEDS to do that. Do you really want to hold onto all of that? Sweating is normal and healthy. I repeat, sweating is normal and healthy. There is nothing shameful in sweating. Let’s just all sweat together lol.
In essence, aluminum works by blocking sweat completely. This means that you do not smell simply because no sweat is exiting your body. Natural deodorants do not stop you from sweating but they work by neutralizing the smell.
2. ANTIPERSPIRANTS MAY WORSEN THE SMELL OVERTIME
Aluminum and other harsh ingredients that are often found in antiperspirants and regular deodorants tend to clog pores and cause build-up. When that happens, you may notice that when you are not wearing any protection, you smell bad (like really really bad). You may even notice that your regular deodorant has stopped working as well as it used to. Fun fact! Our sweat actually is odorless. It’s the bacteria that likes to live in that happy warm underarm that causes us to smell like ‘rose petals’.
3. those yellow stains (yes, it's your crappy deodorant)
This reason is not related to health but your wallet. I like wearing white. In fact, half of my wardrobe is white. If you are an avid white wearer, you’ll know that one of the worst nightmares are those yellow armpit stains that don’t ever go away. No matter how many times you wash the shirt. And it doesn’t only happen with white clothes. Anything that is light in colour is prone to getting it as well. This happens due to acidic reaction to fabric because of aluminum and other harsh chemicals.
4. IRRITATION AND OTHER SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUES
If you are not yet convinced, this should do the trick. You may want to consider switching to a natural deodorant because not only do those harsh chemicals cause irritation, rashes, and bumps on your skin, they may also lead to more serious diseases. Your skin absorbs everything that you put on it, which means that it absorbs those harmful ingredients as well. Some studies claim that aluminum compounds found in your regular antiperspirant/deodorant can cause breast cancer, Alzheimer’s, or fertility issues. No, thank you, I’m gonna pass on that.
a few things to keep in mind | my backstory
First of all, let me tell you that I am definitely not one of those people who don’t sweat or barely wear their deodorant. I know that there is a certain percentage of people that won the lottery in that department.
I started my sweat journey in my early teens. To be completely honest with you, that wasn’t a pretty picture. All of a sudden I started sweating like a volcano. Most of the time, it didn’t smell too bad, but when it did I would end up smelling like an old canteen (yeah, super sexy). That’s when my Mom got me my very first deodorant which helped for some time but in a few years, I found myself using antiperspirants. I loved them because I felt way more comfortable wearing them. Well, of course, I did. They basically taped and sealed my armpits. Years later and I still used antiperspirants or deodorants containing harmful ingredients. I have tried using the natural ones a few times but I immediately hated it. And that’s what leads me to say this:
a) Not every natural deodorant is going to suit you. What works for me, might not work for you.
b) Most of the time, you will notice a huge difference when you switch to a natural deodorant. First of all, you start sweating which is normal. Second of all, you need to allow for the detox to occur.
What natural deodorant do i use now?
I now use Jason’s Men’s Forest Fresh Deodorant Stick. Yes, men’s haha. I picked it up because I do prefer men’s deodorants as they tend to have refreshing scents. Jason’s deodorant stick worked fantastically for me. Honestly, I feel like I have hit jackpot. Most importantly, Jason’s is a cruelty-free brand and most of their products are vegan (including this deodorant stick). This was very important for me. I am not planning on switching to another brand, except maybe trying other scents within their range.
I have also heard a lot of great words about Native deodorant sticks. However, they deliver to a limited number of countries. Check their list of countries and if yours is on it, try it out! That is the only other deodorant stick that I would be curious to try as well.
WHAT HAPPENED WHEN I SWITCHED TO NATURAL DEODORANT?
In general, it is said that it takes 30 days (1 month) for your underarms to detox. During this period most people experience heavier sweating and unpleasant odors. When that happens, most people switch back to their regular antiperspirant or deodorant. However, I want to you to remember that everyone’s experience will be different. There are a few things to keep in mind:
a) If you used to sweat heavily in your teens, that doesn’t mean that the same is or would happen now. Some of us get used to harmful deodorants and we just assume that switching to a natural one will cause us to sweat wayyy too much.
b) You may be lucky and find a natural deodorant that suits you right from the beginning. That means an easier journey through detox.
week 1
As I mentioned earlier, I had a problem with sweating when I was younger. I assumed that this would come back and since I used strong antiperspirants. I thought it would smell really bad during the detox month. However, to my surprise, my sweating didn’t change that much. In fact, I kinda felt like it got better. Never once did I feel any unpleasant odor when wearing Jason’s deodorant and I wouldn’t say I sweat more either.
Overall, it actually felt better than wearing my usual antiperspirant. The only day that perhaps felt a bit uncomfortable was Day 2. I was really really busy on that day and I did notice that I felt a bit too sweaty. However, at this point, I didn’t expect for the things to change that much because they all say that the real detox starts in Week 2. Week 1 is usually when you get this fake impression of ‘oh, this is actually not that bad’.
week 2
Week 2 is usually the worst for most people because the detox really starts kicking your butt. The odor becomes really unpleasant and the sweating increases. In essence, your body starts purging and adjusting. To my surprise, week 2 was even better than week 1. I was completely baffled because I expected to be the sweatiest and smelliest person on planet Earth by this time. I couldn’t understand if it’s Jason’s that’s doing the job or if I had so much build-up that it was taking time to detox.
Overall, I noticed that I stopped producing any unpleasant odors during my workouts as well and just felt super duper great during week 2.
week 3
For most people, week 3 is when your armpit area starts feeling and smelling better. It’s still not perfect but it’s definitely better. For me, week 3 was the worst but it wasn’t disastrous. It felt worse than the first two weeks of the detox. I noticed some unpleasant odors during my workouts (keep in mind, they were more intense). Also, looking back, I noticed that my armpits smelled a bit weird after night’s sleep. I didn’t think much of it but as the time went by, I noticed that it stopped being an issue. I believe that week 3 was when my detox journey reached its peak. Which honestly wasn’t that bad. Yes, I smelled a bit funky when working out and after sleep but I would do it again in a heartbeat.
week 4
Week 4 usually marks the completion of the detox after switching to a natural deodorant. For me, week 4 felt worse than week 2 but better than week 3. Therefore, I believe that this was my version of week 3. This just goes to show that not everyone’s experience is going to be the same. You might need more time to adjust, you mind need less time. The odor during my workouts decreased, but my armpits still carried a weird smell after my night’s sleep.
After I completed my 4 weeks of detox, I can honestly say that I will never go back to using regular deodorants or antiperspirants. My life feels happier now, my armpits barely and rarely smell. I don’t sweat excessively during my workouts and I definitely notice that there is literally no odor when I workout.
I think I was one of those people who did sweat a lot during puberty, but now that I am an adult, my sweating has changed quite a bit. Additionally, I believe that Jason’s really does work well with my body. We’re now best friends haha.
IMPORTANT!
I do believe that stress levels can cause excessive sweating. I think that in the past few months I have really gotten my mental health into a great place. That could have played its part. Additionally, I am a big believer that your diet is really important. I’m a vegan, therefore my digestion is not overloaded with heavy animal products which essentially means less sweating. Don’t forget that spicy foods make you sweat as well!
Do this for your health, guys. Let yourselves sweat it out and use this as a guide when switching to a natural deodorant.
Namaste. I am proud of you.
