When I found out that I was pregnant with my daughter Maddox, I knew that although I had been making mostly natural choices when it came to my health, that there were definitely changes that I needed to make to help decrease the toxins in my body. One of these choices was my deodorant. I had known for a while that conventional deodorants are full of toxins, such as aluminum and parabens, but I had yet to find a natural deodorant that actually worked or didn’t dry my skin out. Plus, I wasn’t trying to smell up the office. I did some research on different DIY deodorant recipes and was excited to find out that it is extremely easy to make. I started with just using coconut oil and I was honestly surprised at how great that it worked. If someone has more toxins in their body, some almost go through an “armpit detox” the first 7-10 days. During this detox, there may be more sweating than normal or a slight odor. But, once you detox, the natural deodorant works great! I was fortunate to not go through a “smelly” detox process, but I definitely felt a difference after I quit using my conventional deodorant.
I decided to also try out different essential oils mixed in my coconut oil and added in baking soda to make it have even more odor fighting power. I really enjoyed mixing in Melaleuca essential oil. Melaleuca oil, also known as tea tree oil, is a natural antiseptic, is soothing to the skin, and smells great. When using essential oils, remember that less is more! I like a more faint smell of Melaleuca when using it in my deodorant. So, I prefer to use 5-10 drop of Melaleuca per ½ cup of coconut oil+ ½ cup of baking soda. You can adjust this ratio to your own liking or add different scents. Lavender oil is also amazing for the skin and blends well with Melaleuca. Just stir the ingredients together and store in a glass container! Comment below on your favorite essential oils to use with homemade deodorant!
Here are the top 3 reasons to make your own deodorant
1) Most Conventional Deodorants Contain Aluminum
Most conventional deodorants that are available are also antiperspirants. Aluminum, which is a metal, is used in antiperspirants to clog the pores in your underarms to prevent sweat from exiting. The issue with this is that your body sweats for a reason. You are sweating to remove toxins from your body. So when you prevent the sweat from exiting, you are allowing more and more toxins to build up. Studies show that the accumulation of aluminum in the breast tissue may cause gene instability and an increased risk of breast cancer. (1)
2) To Avoid Parabens and Phthalates
Parabens are used as preservatives in many products such as soaps, make-up, lotions, and deodorants. “Parabens can penetrate the skin and act like a very weak estrogen in the body–potentially turning on the growth of hormone-receptor-positive breast cancers.” (2) Phthalates are also a common ingredient in deodorant. Pthalates are hormone disruptors that mess with your hormonal balance. Unlike parabens, they don’t act like a weak estrogen, but they can effect different levels of hormones that will indirectly effect estrogen and testosterone. (3) Be sure that when you purchase personal care items for you and your family that you avoid both of these ingredients.
3) More Cost Effective
When you start making your own deodorant, you’ll be amazed not only at how well it works, but also how much money it will save you. A jar of quality coconut oil can run anywhere between $10-$20, but it will last you an extremely long time! One large jar of coconut oil might last you and your family 6 or 7 months, depending on how much you are using it for.
Making your own deodorant, as well as other personal care items, can help you have a peace of mind that you aren’t damaging your hormones or contributing to increased cancerous cells. But, if you prefer to purchase pre-made items, you can check the safety of their ingredients by going to the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) website at EWG.org or by checking out their app.
If you have any questions, including what essential oils and natural products that I trust with my family, please e-mail me at DrKaseyAJohnson@gmail.com.
Sources
1) http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0162013413001608
2) http://www.breastcancer.org/risk/factors/cosmetics
3.) https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/endocrine/
