The never-ending quest for a truly clean deodorant that ACTUALLY works ( and I mean, f'real works, so that my 4-year-old doesn't tell me I smell like eggs by 3pm), has been a long and arduous path. And expensive. I have spent silly amounts trying the newest and latest that promise the world, but fail miserably. So many boxes arrive on the daily my husband thinks I have started a cartel with the Prime delivery guy. Not ALL of those boxes are deodorant of course, but I feel like an inordinate amount of them have been experimental fumigants.
I'm not going to say I have tried them all, but I think I have tried them all. The good news is there are more and more coming to the market that are sophisticated, smell good and actually do work. Thing is, not all "clean" deodorants were created equal. Some a) don't have 100% safe, non-toxic ingredients, b) smell putrid or c) don't stop me from smelling putrid. I feel like it is my duty as a woman to share what I have learned because I don't want you to use the nasty stuff (looking at you, ALUMINUM) or maybe worse: smeeeeelllllll.
First things first. The science, because I'm a nerd like that. Why shouldn't you use off the shelf pharmacy brand deodorant that is cheaper, easier to find and guaranteed to keep you fresh for days?! Two words: cancerous mess. Chemicals within these products that can disrupt hormones are even more suspect when considering the buildup in our bodies over time. These chemicals are linked to various conditions such as obesity, diabetes, infertility, hyperactivity & behavioral problems in children, loss of memory, organ failure and then, of course, cancer. And one thing to note about the cosmetic industry in the US is that it’s willfully flawed. Ingredients inside products on the shelves are not independently tested nor are they evaluated by the FDA for safety before they are sold. The cosmetic industry effectively polices themselves. They determine what chemicals are safe and which are not, leaving us dangerously behind Europe in terms of safety. Below, a few ingredients to be careful of below if you like details, like me. And PS - before you @ at me, it's true that the FDA has found no proof that some of these ingredients cause cancer. Not sure about you, but no proof is not enough for me, especially when breast cancer near armpits is on the rise.
1) Propylene glycol - found in anti-freeze, probable carcinogen
2) Parabens/Pthalates - hormone disruptor
3) Fragrance - can be any number of 1000 chemicals that are not regulated
4) Formaldehyde releasers like quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, polyoxymethylene urea, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (bromopol) and glyoxal
5) Aluminum - increased risk of Alzheimer's
6) Triclosan - banned in "soap products" for being unsafe but still allowed in other products
7) Talc - can contain asbestos
8) BHT - May cause damage to liver/kidneys
Ok now to the fun stuff. I have tried the following:
Native
Follain Charcoal - can't find this one anymore.
Yeah.... a lot....Thing is - every single body is different and what doesn't work for me, may very well work for you. So, if you haven't tried any of the above, by all means. They are all pretty clean by my standards. People have told me they LOVE Corpus Natural and Necessaire - my body chemistry just didn't jive well with their scents. Lume worked fairly well but wasn't my fave. The Crystal stick - no bid. Agent Nateur weirdly smelled like rosy BO to me. I haven't tried Beautycounter's new deodorant yet, but I have heard good things.
The one I finally settled on (for now) is called Each and Every. Clean ingredients, great smell combos and my pits were still feeling freshhhhh by day's end. And they sell a sample pack with minis so you can find your favorite scent....This is not an ad - I am not paid by Each and Every....just one woman helping another to not stink.
