Natural Deodorants
5 Key Ingredients for Effective Odor Protection
People who are interested in natural eco-friendly products are choosing to use natural deodorants instead of chemical based deodorants and antiperspirants because of health and safety concerns. These chemicals include aluminum – added to antiperspirants to block pores and prevent perspiration, parabens – preservatives that can be stored in the body and have been found in breast tumors, triclosan – a bactericide that harms the environment as it enters our water, and other chemical ingredients with questionable levels of safety.
Although natural deodorants generally do not contain harmful chemicals, they also have not had the best track record for performance. Many who have used these deodorants in the past have complained that they were not effective for eliminating perspiration odor. While using a deodorant that does not contain aluminum, parabens or other chemicals with unknown risk factors is best from a health perspective it is also very important to be able to rely on the performance of natural deodorant to prevent perspiration odor.
We know which ingredients we want to avoid. But which ingredients make a natural deodorant work? To help in making a decision about whether a natural deodorant is likely to be effective in eliminating odor, check the label for the following ingredients.
This list includes ingredients found in highly effective natural deodorants:
1. Sodium Bicarbonate – also known as baking soda, is a powerful all natural ingredient that effectively neutralizes odor. Baking soda also absorbs moisture and helps to keep underarms feeling dry and comfortable.
2. Corn Starch – absorbs moisture and helps to reduce wetness without clogging or blocking pores.
3. Essential Oils – lavender, lemongrass, geranium, clove, orange, tea tree, grapefruit and lime essential oils not only smell wonderful they also help to eliminate bacteria that cause perspiration odor.
4. Botanical Oils and Butters – coconut oil, shea butter and soybean oil are blending agents for natural deodorant formulas.
5. Waxes – beeswax and candelilla wax adhere deodorant ingredients to the skin as it is applied. These natural waxes become invisible after the deodorant has been applied.
Other effective natural ingredients to look for include kaolin clay used to enhance moisture absorption, and mineral salts that neutralize odor causing bacteria in perspiration.
The Author:
Daileys Natural
