The human body is designed to sweat. As well as being one of the mechanisms to excrete toxins from the body it’s important for regulating the body’s temperature.
Huge under-arm sweat patches are not attractive in any outfit and, consequently, the deodorant and antiperspirant market is big business. In most commercial antiperspirants the active ingredient is aluminium. The microscopic pieces of metal are used to clog the sweat pores, reducing the amount of sweat that can escape.
So far, so good. That is until you think about what is actually happening. The blocked pores can result in sweat building up and cause bumps that can become quite painful. The trapped sweat holds bacteria and that lead to a bad odour. If that’s not bad enough, it gets worse.
Aluminium is an endocrine disrupter and a know neurotoxin. It has been linked to diseases such as Alzheimer’s and a variety of cancers, including breast cancer. The microscopic Aluminium is easily absorbed through the skin, but it’s harder to get out of the body.
So, what’s the alternative? No deodorant and live with the stink? Thankfully not! There are an increasing number of healthy deodorants available to buy, or you can make your own.
Make your own deodorant
Here’s a very simple recipe to make your own healthy deodorant.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup Sodium bicarbonate
- 1/2 cup Coconut oil
- 1 tsp Essential oils
Instructions:
- Simply mix the ingredients together and store in an air-tight container.
- Apply to your skin for freshness.
- Coconut oil melts at a fairly low temperature so you may want to keep it in the fridge if it gets a little too warm and the ingredients separate.
Sweat itself does not smell bad. It’s the bacteria in sweat that give off the nasty niff. The active ingredient in this deodorant recipe is… well, they all are.
Sodium Bicarb is antibacterial. It will kill those nasty bacteria that get excreted with the sweat. Kill the bacteria and you kill the processes that create the stench.
Coconut oil is used as the base to help you apply the Sodium Bicarb more easily than throwing a fine powder around. But more than that, it is also antibacterial. If you find this deodorant causes any skin irritation, add a little more coconut oil.
Essential oils are often used for their fragrance, but that’s not the end of the story. Essential oils are antibacterial too.
Which Oils Should I Use
There are no hard and fast rules here; it’s a matter of preference. You can mix-and-match but use these ideas to get you started.
Gentlemen – try Rosemary, Cedarwood or Bergamont.
Ladies – try Lavender, Ylang Ylang or Rose.
