Switching to Natural Deodorant

Switching to a natural deodorant was one of the last healthier home swaps I made. This is because no matter what I tried, I felt like I was going to stink up a room and offend people from not wearing traditional antiperspirant.

Natural vs. Regular Deodorant

The difference between most “regular” deodorants and the natural deodorants out there is the antiperspirant. In most commercial deodorants you’re not only getting the deodorant (mostly made with artificial perfume) you’re also getting an antiperspirant that stops your arm pits from sweating like they should. It actually blocks the sweat ducts and keeps them from doing their job to keep you dry and not smelling.

Natural deodorant doesn’t contain the artificial fragrance so the smell is not as strong and most that are truly natural are not also antiperspirants. That means you’ll actually be able to sweat while wearing it. You might see why I was worried about switching.

I wanted to switch because I didn’t like slapping those synthetic chemicals into my armpits every day. Because I shave there too, the skin can be broken and more sensitive. But the idea of sweating and stinking all day was really throwing me off.

Why Our Pits Stink

After doing some research I found out that part of the reason we stink is because when we wear antiperspirants we actually block the body from doing its job – sweating. It’s a natural function that keeps your body running properly. When you suffocate it, you actually create more bacteria under your pits and create that “b.o.” smell yourself.

Natural Roll-Ons

I experimented with a few types of natural deodorants before I found one I liked the consistency of. I was determined to try it out. I first tried a salt stick but the feel of it on my arm pit wasn’t pleasant so I opted for a more traditional version. I tried the roll-on version of the salt stick but the feel still was weird and I didn’t love the smell.

Natural Stick Deodorant

I decided to try a stick form, which is more like what I was using before. I rooted around online but couldn’t find one that made me jump out of my seat. Then at a lunch one day a friend of mine had a girlfriend visiting from town. We somehow got on the topic of natural beauty products and I told her my struggle with going to a natural deodorant.

She immediately recommended me to a company call Native. They were available online and also had an auto ship option that allowed you to save money by getting them monthly.

I picked a popular scent and ordered it immediately. When it came in the mail I was happy to see that they actually explain the process of adjusting to natural deodorant and what to expect. For me that was a big help. They tell you that your body will adjust to your pits finally breathing and rebalance the bacteria in a few weeks, so to just hang in there.

Sweat, No Smell

It took about a week and I realized one day at the gym, I was sweating, but no odor! I wouldn’t have believed it if someone had told me you could sweat without a smell, but you can. Your body still gets to release its normal sweat and do its thing for you, but you also don’t have to smell. It takes some getting used to.

When I feel myself sweating I sometimes panic and then realize it’s ok! I have even blow a few skeptics minds by asking them to smell my pits and they smell nothing.

Stress Sweat with Natural Deodorant

I will say that when I stress sweated, which many people do, I felt like I would even sweat through clinical strength deodorant, and nothing has changed on that end. If I’m stress sweating a little, I might smell a bit, but that goes quickly and everything else is good to go in the natural deodorant.

I have since tried three other scents, and the non-scented which I’m in love with. They even have minis for you to test it out and try the different scents they offer. I love that they have seasonal scents as options as well.

While natural deodorant on the outside is a great way to cut back on smelling, there is something too I found for the inside. Liquid chlorophyll drops in water are amazing for alkalizing your insides and I find that when I’m taking it every day, I don’t even have to wear deodorant at all sometimes.

Has anyone else experienced this with chlorophyll? And, if you’ve made the switch to natural deodorant, which is your favorite brand? Let me know if the comments!