Natural Alternatives To Deodorant

If you're trying to eliminate chemicals from your life as much as possible, you can't go wrong starting with your deodorant.

Conventional deodorants not only have a list of scary chemical ingredients, but the very fact they prevent your body perspiring means they are blocking your pores, leading to a build up of toxins and cause a load of health problems including cancer and Alzheimer's (thanks to the aluminium content of antiperspirants~ see below).

Deodorants are known contributors to many health problems because they not only block your natural detox function, but are directly used on an area that contains many important glands and lymph nodes used for your hormone production and immune system.

As you probably already know deodorant and antiperspirant are kinda two different things...

• 'De-odour'-ant: simply stops your pits smelling
• 'Anti-perspire'-ant: will also stop you actually sweating to keep your pits dry

But despite standard drug-store deodorant being not as dangerous as anti-p don't think it's a safe option. It still contains a cocktail of harmful chemicals that at the very least disrupt hormones.

So what do you use instead? Well there are loads of alternatives to choose from...

Just as with many conventional toiletries, they are designed to keep you needing more (makes sense), so the more you use, the more you need as you become dependent on the product to keep the problem at bay.

I rarely use any deodorant and I find I don't need it unless it's a particularly hot day or my hormones are a bit haywire. Of course there will be a time of adjustment while your body finds a balance and detoxes, but if you did want to wean yourself off deodorant, or don't feel like you can go without something, try out the other suggestions below.

Humans smell~ it's a fact of nature unfortunately. But if you have unusually smelly pits it may be there is a health reason behind it. It could just be it's a hot day or you've just done a work-out, but if you find you're a bit pongy for no apparent reason you could have a hormone imbalance or fungal problem.What you eat will also have a direct affect on your body odour. Research any symptoms and try to lead a Whole Natural Approach to life including diet~ which can cure more than you might think! But if you're so inclined it might be worth getting checked out...just be sure to consider all options before presented with pills or surgery (the conventional go-to's) as the whole point here is to avoid harmful toxins not have more!

Let me start by saying that Tea Tree and Lavender are the only essential oils that are safe to use 'neat' on your body. All others must be diluted in some way!!

Now Tea Tree is another multi-use product and worth buying in bulk. It's naturally antibacterial and has a multitude of uses. It's easy to carry around a 10ml bottle for travelling and makes a great addition to your natural first aid kit (coming soon).

To use place one drop on the tip of your fingers and rub under the arms. It will probably tingle a little, especially if you've just shaved.

My personal favourite when I feel the need to use something. A natural cleanser and deodoriser, this cheap white powder which goes by the name of Bicarbonate of Soda or Baking Soda, has hundreds of uses in beauty, the home and even baking.

Buy in bulk to save even more pennies, because as long as it's well stored in an airtight container, it'll last a very very long time and a little goes a looong way.

To use just brush a small amount onto the clean and dry armpit. If you have just shaved or have sensitive skin this may not be the one for you as it can be harsh. If you'd still like to try it though you can mix with with a little cornstarch (cornflour). You can even give it a scent by adding a couple of drops of your favourite essential oil...good ones to try are tea tree (see below) and lavender which are good for your skin.

A great little product for those who prefer something more solid than the above. It's not as cheap as the others but it's handy for carrying around with you.

It's basically a chunk of natural spring salt which, like most of the things on this list, kills the bacteria responsible for making you smelly.

It's important to keep these dry, otherwise they'll disintegrate and sharp chunks could fall off.

The best way to use it, is to simply rub the stuff onto wet skin. If you want to use it while your skin is dry you can wet the deo stick and then rub it on, but make sure you dry the stick after to preserve it. These mamas last a really long time so you do get your monies worth!

Michelle at FindYourBalanceHealth uses this natural deodorant recipe and I confess if it wasn't for my skinflint and lazy ways I'd give it a go as it does sound divine! Combining the afore-mentioned bicarb with other gorgeously natural ingredients such as coconut oil (yum!) for a bit of moisturising, this recipe makes a great product that you can customise for your skin type and favourite scents.

So there you have it! I'm sure there are other natural deos and if you know of any please let us know in the comments below. Any of the above should stop you wondering what that nasty smell is only to find out it's you (we've all been there), without worrying about chemicals.