Did you know the largest organ in your body is your skin? It is! Another little known fact is that your skin absorbs up to 60% of what’s applied to it. Think of the nicotine patch as an example- if pharmaceuticals are delivered through the skin, then certainly other things can be delivered that way too.
There has been a fair amount of publicity about the link between aluminum in antiperspirant and the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. The reality is that aluminum in your deodorant is only one of a handful of ingredients you might consider avoiding. Other ingredients to avoid include fragrance, which likely includes phthalates, triclosan, parabens, and talc.
Five tips for choosing a safer deodorant:
- Do just that- opt for deodorant rather than an antiperspirant. Antiperspirants tend to work by blocking the body’s pores so that sweat that would like to escape can’t. Generally speaking, deodorant contains ingredients that neutralize odors.
- Experiment: when I tried to find a safer deodorant, it took a while to find one that worked. The first few attempts left me wanting to run away from myself. My untested theory here is that everyone has different body chemistry, so a deodorant that works for me, may not work for you.
- Ask yourself if you need it. Some lucky people don’t really need deodorant, or they may only need it during the warmer months of the year.
- Use the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database to check out the relative safety of your favorite deodorant
Listed below are some safe brands of deodorant to look for, however I encourage you to use the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database as a reference, because both the product landscape and product formulations change over time.
- Alba
- Almay
- Aubrey Organics
- Avalon Organics
- Ban (unscented)
- Burt’s Bees
- Crystal
- Dessert Essence
- Dr. Hauschka
- Jason
- Kiss My Face
- Nature’s Gate
- Speed Stick, unscented
- Terressentials
- Tom’s of Maine
- Weleda
What works for you? What doesn’t?
