I’m not going to dance around the subject — people stink. I stink. Exercise, stress, heat; whatever the cause, we all sweat on a daily basis, which means that most of us use deodorant or antiperspirant every day of our post-adolescent life. So what’s the deal with antiperspirant? Is antiperspirant safe?
Understanding Deodorant vs. Antiperspirant
Most of us use one of two types of products to fight the effects of sweat and its subsequent odor. The first is deodorant — classified as a cosmetic by the FDA, it is simply used to mask the smell caused by the bacteria in sweat. The other product is antiperspirant — typically containing the active ingredients aluminium zirconium tetrachlorohydrex gly or aluminium zirconium trichlorohydrex gly. Through a variety of chemical reactions, the aluminum compounds plug the pores in your underarms (or wherever it’s been applied). Voila! You sweat less…usually. The effectiveness of antiperspirants varies from person to person.
Deodorant gets rid of the smell, antiperspirant gets rid of the sweat. Got it?
So what’s wrong with antiperspirant?
Well, several things. There has been some controversy about whether or not the aluminum compounds in antiperspirants are a cause of Alzheimer’s; some parties say yes, others say no. No one can say for certain (yet), as research has not yet indicated precisely what causes Alzheimer’s.
This one shocked me: antiperspirant also causes those all-too-common yellow pit stains on your shirts. Yes, you read that right; the best method of avoiding those yellow stains is to simply stop using antiperspirant (or at least those with aluminium zirconium tetrachlorohydrex gly in it, which appears to be most). The chemical reaction between our sweat and this aluminum compound also stiffens the cloth in the armpits of your shirts.
Consider me a new convert to deodorant.
Natural Alternatives
There are several natural (healthier) alternatives to using commercial deodorant or antiperspirant. First, try to supplement your diet with zinc, which has shown anti-odor properties in its ability to help balance the body’s metabolism. Another makeshift natural deodorant is baking soda, possibly mixed with coconut oil. I haven’t tried this myself, but I intend to (keep an eye out for a review).
In a Nutshell
Deodorant masks odor from sweat, antiperspirant stops sweat. Antiperspirant may or may not cause Alzheimer’s, but most certainly causes yellow armpit stains and stiff armpit cloth.
Action plan: stop using antiperspirant and switch to a deodorant — preferably a natural one (see above for details).
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Good article! I don’t think Allspice is that great!
Looking forward to seeing what you suggest. Pit stains are gross!
A great alternative I’ve been using for the last few years is a “stone” made of mineral salts. Works just like antiperspirant, but no odour and it’s completely natural. You can usually find it at Shoppers Drug Mart or other drug stores, usually hidden down near the bottom shelf.
This topic was addressed somewhat in Richard Nikoley’s (in?)famous “shower experiment” post at his Free The Animal blog. After reading that post and conducting a personal experiment, I now know it is absolutely possible to do without either antiperspirant or deodorant – even natural or homemade variants – and still not kick up as much as a whiff. Some paleo bloggers have confirmed this experience to be true. The body’s naturally secreted oils are wonderfully potent at controlling pit (and bit) odors. Though I haven’t seen any research into this or a controlled study, I believe the secret boils down to a combination of natural microfloral balance on the skin and hair, combined with the mix of antimicrobial fatty acids and minerals present in skin oils and sweat (which probably also form part of the skin’s so-called “acid mantle”). I suspect why most people stink is because the soaps and shampoos they use daily strip away these essential natural compounds from the skin and hair and wear off the skin’s protective coating, allowing harmful (and odor-producing) microbes to thrive. It is amazing how capable the human body is, and to see the transformation of skin and hair that occurs when you abandon the everyday use of soap, shampoo, deodorants and antiperspirants in favor of plain warm water and the palms of your hands (no wash cloths, brushes, loofahs or other special kit is needed). Initially, you will stink as the body expels years of chemical abuse of your skin and hair. But the rewards of toughing out those first few months are well worth the wait. Those yellow pit patches and brown-rimmed collars and cuffs literally disappear. Armpit stickiness and pain fades away. Groin tangles and itches become a thing of the past. Hair in all parts turns smooth, glossy and full of body. Wounds and scratches heal at warp speed. Wrinkles straighten and black/whiteheads are no more. The amount of sweating normalizes. No vicious maintenance procedures (bikini shaves, scrubs, facials etc.) are ever needed again. And you finally smell great – like a human.
Gruesome – well said. I’m looking into Richard’s blog to read more on the topic. To say the least, it’s very interesting! Thanks for the input!