When it comes to B.O., I don’t smell pretty when I sweat. Ever since I can remember, I always used to use the strongest clinical strength deodorant I could find. But, it’s been almost a year since I threw out all of my drugstore deodorants for good and decided to stick to an all-natural deodorant. I’ll have to admit, it took me a while to find one that worked for me and that I could trust. But, after making the switch, I haven’t looked back.

But, wait, what’s so bad about deodorant?!

Well first off—there’s a difference between antiperspirant and deodorant. While they both are used interchangeably (seriously, who says antiperspirant?) and have hard to pronounce ingredients, deodorant’s main role is to tackle body odor head on. Our actual sweat, though, doesn’t smell. It’s when the bacteria on our skin interacts with the chemical makeup of our sweat that we smell as a result of the reaction. So, this is where antiperspirant comes in to prevent the sweat in the first place by blocking the sweat ducts in our armpits. The main ingredient, aluminum, is what does the trick and reduces sweat by about 20-30%. And you can thank aluminum, too, for all of those yellow stains on your clothes all of these years!

A lot of rumors have been passed around claiming that this aluminum in antiperspirants can cause breast cancer in women and potentially other diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. But, there actually aren’t any conclusive studies that show the link between antiperspirants with aluminum and these diseases.

So, why is everyone sweating it?

Well, for one, people believe it’s better to be safe than sorry if studies down the road find potential links. And, secondly, aside from yellow stains, antiperspirants can cause some irritation and bumps under your armpits if you do have razor nicks from shaving. Lastly, many women, including myself, prefer to use a deodorant with all-natural ingredients, since they’re already eating all-natural nutritious foods and using other cosmetic or beauty products with all-natural ingredients.

the strong movement strong girl tips all natural deodorant antiperspirant lavanila2

Source: Instagram @lavanilalabs

Why You Should Consider Making the Switch

Making the switch over to an all-natural deodorant, at this point, is all personal preference. However, I do like the fact that I don’t have any buildup in my armpits like I used to when I used the clinical strength. Since, I don’t have any buildup, I don’t have to worry about it getting all over my clothes and having noticeable deodorant marks everywhere. Long gone are yellow stains, too.

I do have to say, though, that while my armpits feel like they can breathe, I do have to re-apply another layer throughout the day, especially before a workout and definitely after, if I don’t have time to shower immediately. It may seem like an inconvenience, but I carry around a travel stick with me in my purse and gym bag, in case I get a bad whiff and apply as needed. (Seriously, not an inconvenience.) A lot of natural deodorants come in crème form in a jar, which can get messy. I, personally, prefer to use a stick.

When it comes to natural deodorant, they still may have funky ingredients that are hard to pronounce, but many contain essential oils, shea butter and coconut oil. Switching over definitely has a trial and error period— some, flat out, didn’t work and I had to try a few before finding one that minimized my smell most effectively. I will note that most natural deodorants are more expensive than traditional ones we are used to; many are still made and packaged by hand. They can dry out, as well, so I avoid stocking up and just re-order when I’m running low.

the strong movement strong girl tips all natural deodorant antiperspirant lavanila3

Source: Instagram @lavanilalabs

So far, Lavanila is my go-to. It smells like a vanilla garden dream. The lavender vanilla scent is also a fave! They also have vanilla coconut and vanilla summer that I’m looking forward to trying. I love what the company stands for and that they even use natural fragrances. Lavanila has also recently branched out into fragrances, lotions, body scrubs and sunscreens. In 2009, Lavanila partnered with Nature Conservancy’s ‘Plant a Billion Trees’ and every order on their website plants one tree until they reach the Conservancy’s goal of planting a billion trees. Seems lofty, but it can be done–Lavanila is “100% healthy” and socially conscious!

So, what’s your take, Strong Girls? Do you use all-natural deodorant and which one is your favorite? Share your comments below!

xo