Making the Switch to a Natural Deodorant

If you follow me on Instagram and watch my stories you’ve seen me talk a lot about my experience switching to an all natural deodorant. It’s a topic I’m very passionate about due to hormonal issues I’ve been dealing with over the last few years (more on this in a future post), and starting to realize how toxic some of the products we use on a daily basis truly are to our bodies and overall health.

One of the most commonly used and worst products for you is regular deodorant and antiperspirant, specifically ones with aluminum in them. For YEARS I was an avid Secret user. I loved the variation of scents (I always used the vanilla or coconut ones) and I loved how they blocked sweating completely. As I started to learn more about toxic beauty products and their effects on our bodies, I quickly learned that deodorant was one of the worst and that I needed to stop using it FAST.

WHAT’S WRONG WITH MY REGULAR DEODORANT/ANTIPERSPERANT?

If you think about it, deodorant is something we put on every day in one of our most sensitive areas. As women, we usually shave our armpits which means we no longer have the hair there to protect our skin. Our pores are completely open and exposed, and the elements in the deodorants we apply are absorbed into the skin. Aluminum, which is the number 1 agent in antiperspirants that blocks your sweat glands, preventing you from sweating (sounds super unnatural and not good for you when you think of it hey?)  has been linked to breast cancer, Alzheimer’s, and kidney disease. If you think about it, does it really sound like a good idea to be putting something like aluminum directly on our skin DAILY, where it’s absorbed into our pores?? I also want to note that if you look into the topic online, you’ll see that there is research backing up both ends of the spectrum.. some saying you don’t need to worry about aluminum in your deodorant, and many saying you do. Let’s keep in mind that at one point in time there was research saying cigarettes were good for your health. It’s up to you to really think about what you’re putting in or on your body, and if you ask me, aluminum isn’t something I want to fuck around with and put on my skin every single day in such a sensitive area.

 

 

MAKING THE SWITCH TO NATURAL

So you (like me) have decided that you no longer want to use a deodorant that has aluminum in it and want to start using a more natural and non toxic deodorant. Good for you! While the switch can be brutal for some (and it certainly wasn’t an easy experience for me), I’ve learned a lot from my own experience and have outlined a few tips that will hopefully make the experience easier for you.

First of all, you need to know that when you switch to a natural deodorant there is a detox period. Think about it, your sweat glands are used to being clogged up by aluminum, and when they’re all of a sudden clear of that they’re going to overcompensate. You may sweat more, you may stink more, but it won’t last forever. And I can promise you if you switch to my favorite natural deodorant brand Native (more on it later) you’ll experience none of these effects.

Unfortunately when I made the switch I started with a drugstore brand (Toms of Maine) rather than investing in a good quality brand, and it was horrendous. For a couple days I smelled like nothing short of a caveman, and every morning I would wake up thinking there was a smelly, sweaty man in my bed (only to realize that smelly man was me). It honestly made me smell WORSE than when I didn’t wear deodorant. It was horrible.

My second natural deodorant try was a brand I picked up at Winners (Jason) just out of convenience. It smelled like lavender and was quite pleasant in the beginning but it didn’t even last half a day. By the end of the day I still kind of smelled and I wasn’t ok with it. So I decided to finally take a friends advice and try a brand that was (apparently) tried and true… Native. And man did I wish I had started with it from the beginning.

 

TIPS FOR A PAIN FREE SWITCH TO NATURAL DEODORANT 

1. Skip the deodorant completely for a couple days. One of the easiest ways to detox quicker is by actually skipping the deodorant completely for a few days. If you have a weekend at home, do this. Even for a couple days. Just skip the deodorant and allow your body to detox naturally.
2. Know that it may take you a couple tries to find a natural deodorant that works for your body. I tried 3 different brands before I found one that worked for me. The first one (Toms of Maine) was absolutely horrendous, the second one (Jason, which i picked up at Winners) was okay, but didn’t really work by the end of the day. The last one I tried was Native, and it’s been a real winner!
3. Just go Native. You have to trust me on this one, Native has been a god send.

 

 

 

WHY GO NATIVE?

Native deodorant was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise sweaty, smelly world (which had basically been my life for a whole week as I tested out brands). First of all I just want to say they have so many amazing scents which made it comparable to the Secret line I had been used to. I ordered the Coconut & Vanilla, and the Almond & Vanilla and both of them smell amazing. The deodorants have to be ordered online, but they arrived within a few days with free shipping.

Native honestly works the exact same as any regular old deodorant stick. They come in amazing scents (think vanilla & coconut, lavender & rose, lemon & fir just to name a few), and they look and feel just like regular deodorants too. I’ve been hooked on Native since I first tried it and I won’t be changing brands anytime soon. In fact, I’ve had a couple of my friends play as my guinea pigs and they’ve tried Native without skipping deodorant in the beginning and they experienced zero of the effects of detoxing. If you want to switch to natural deodorant, this is the way to go!

Native, like other natural deodorants is made from 100% non toxic ingredients like shea butter, jojoba oil, beeswax, baking soda and coconut oil (all the ingredients are listed on their website). They offer free shipping, and free returns if you aren’t satisfied so it gives you the opportunity to give them a go stress-free. But even more convincing, is that out of 5558 reviews they sit at 4.72 out of 5 making it pretty much a guarantee that you will like them!

Get a free travel sized Native deodorant of your choice with purchase by clicking here (and in return I get my own travel sized one too! win-win!)

 

 

 

If there’s one thing we should all be doing, that’s taking care of ourselves and becoming more aware about what we put in and ON our bodies. Start the process of incorporating more natural products into your routine by starting with a natural deodorant. I promise that if you follow my tips you’ll have a smooth transition!

 

Thinking about making the switch? Don’t forget to grab your free travel sized Native deodorant with purchase by clicking this link! And earn me a free one in return <3

 

Love,

 

 

(FYI this post is not sponsored – I just believe in sharing my experiences and supporting the products I truly believe in! Also, Native is a game changer for anyone who is thinking about making the switch but is scared of the detox process)