Here’s all you need to know about them.
Let’s just say that you know a guy who sweats a lot. Or the guy who smells like feet and weed all day! Despite showering twice a day or more, that too! We feel for them and you (because your poor nose is compromising a lot in the name of friendship). In India, sweaty pits are something we deal with throughout the year, with the exception of the colder months. This is where natural deodorants come in handy.
Antiperspirants, as the name suggests, prevent you from perspiring. The aluminium in them clogs your sweat glands and stops you from sweating. Natural deodorants are not antiperspirants. In other words, natural deodorants are the ones formulated without aluminium. Chemicals like aluminium have been linked to breast cancer in women, so, natural deos are for those who want to stick to clean/safe products. Plus, they’re good for our planet too!
However, they don’t prevent you from sweating, and don’t clog your sweat glands. Instead, they mask the odour and keep you smelling fresh with the help of a bunch of natural ingredients that combat bacteria! Everyone’s not the same. So, finding the right natural deo best suited for you will take a lot of trial and error—as not every ingredient will agree with everyone. It’s vital to find one that does its job of masking the odour without irritating your skin, as underarm skin is sensitive. To help you out a bit, we at Man’s Life have figured out some primary odour-blocking ingredients to get you started….
Magnesium
It’s said to be an excellent natural odour stopper! Having said that, keep in mind that it doesn’t block your sweat glands. However, unlike aluminium, it doesn’t get absorbed into the skin and battles the bad bacteria on the surface instead. So, it will not prevent you from sweating, but will fight the odour-releasing bacteria! Magnesium is usually listed as magnesium hydroxide or milk of magnesia.
Alpha Hydroxy Acids
Plant-and-fruit derived acids such as—lactic, glycolic (found in some sugar crops) and citric acids—are said to break down bacteria without harming your skin. Unlike thick deodorants, they don’t clog your pores—which is great because it won’t cause excessive sweating, which will lead to more moisture and more bacteria!
Moisture-Blocking Ingredients
Kaolin clay, arrowroot powder and tapioca starch—are fantastic at soaking up moisture. Bacteria thrive in humid conditions and these get to the root of the problem by keeping your underarms dry, therefore, making them inhospitable for the microbes!
Baking Soda
This one doesn’t work for everyone. Baking soda’s terrific at absorbing odours, but has the opposite pH as our own skin—meaning—it’s alkaline and our skin leans towards acidic. This may result in irritated skin, but lots and lots of people have no problems whatsoever! So, tread with caution. Baking soda will be listed as sodium bicarbonate on the label.
Use an antibacterial soap in the shower as you are switching from regular deos to natural ones, and then slowly decrease the frequency of that soap if you feel it is no longer needed. This will help reduce the major contributor (bacteria) to body odour allowing the natural deodorant to seem more effective! Natural deodorants may not save the excessively sweaty from the pit-stain embarrassment, but will definitely keep body odour at bay!
[All Images Credit: Shutterstock]
Eva Pavithran
Vertical Head - Lifestyle