Leave it to me to talk about armpits in entry #1 of this blog. Who’s excited?!
No, our underarms are certainly not the most glamorous part of our bodies, but for me, natural deodorant was my “gateway drug” to chemical-free/organic/natural skin, hair and beauty products. After I tossed my “dirty” deodorant, my chemically enhanced cleanser, moisturizers, shampoo, body wash and makeup soon followed.
What’s so bad about deodorant, you ask? That stuff keeps me from smelling like a barnyard.
Traditional deodorant has been one of the poster children for harmful skincare products. “Your deodorant causes breast cancer!” said the media. “Antiperspirants cause Alzheimers!” cried the blogs. These claims freaked me out. But the truth is, they’re a bit hyperbolized. Here’s a peek at what I do know:
- A 2004 study found parabens in 18 out of 20 human breast tumors (before you shout this from the mountains, note that the study didn’t test healthy breast tissue as a control…d’oh). Parabens, some of which the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database flag as highly hazardous endocrine disruptors and allergens, among other scary things, might be found in your (not so) trusty ol’ stick deodorant. In my opinion, they are best to avoid in every beauty/skincare product (they’re in pretty much everything), whether or not the case against them is conclusive.
- Aluminum, which makes up key compounds used in antiperspirants, has been linked to Alzheimer’s and dementia since the ‘60s. Studies connecting the two continue to emerge, but whether or not aluminum in antiperspirants (and elsewhere: aluminum is all over the place, even in our water and some veggies) definitively causes memory loss remains to be seen.
- Check out our spirit guides at No More Dirty Looks for more on other controversial chemicals commonly found in antiperspirants, like triclosan and BHT.
Conclusive? Nah, but alarming enough for me to stick my hippie flag in the ground and declare war on the white stuff. Our mom always taught us to be safe (or in this case, smelly) rather than sorry. Lucky for me, and hopefully you, all-natural Soapwalla Deodorant Cream delivers on the dream of clean, chemical-free coverage. The online community seems to unanimously agree that Soapwalla is one of the go-to, works-for-everyone, all-natural deodorants. I am now a member of that chorus. This product freaking rocks, is uncompromisingly all-natural (contains absolutely nothing sketchy or scary) and keeps me so fresh and so clean-clean. Let’s walk through it.
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Put some broth on it!
