DO NATURAL DEODORANTS WORK?

Better for the environment and our health, natural deodorants are becoming increasingly popular, but what are the advantages? Natural skincare specialist Lisa Harris talks us through the benefits

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ANTIPERSPIRANT AND A DEODORANT?

Lisa says, “Deodorants help prevent body odour but don’t stop sweating – they mask the smell with more pleasant fragrances. Antiperspirants, on the other hand, typically contain aluminium, which blocks your sweat glands to prevent sweating.”

WHY ARE NATURAL DEODORANTS BETTER FOR YOU?

Natural deodorants are formulated without harmful chemicals like parabens or aluminium and contain natural ingredients to keep you smelling fresh. Lisa explains, “One of the main benefits of natural deodorants is the fact that you’re not introducing unnecessary chemicals onto your body. The natural ingredients are more skin friendly and without pore-blocking ingredients, the good bacteria can work better to maintain the natural pH balance of your skin. In fact, they may even neutralise odour even when you’re not wearing any deodorant at all!”

WHY ARE ANTIPERSPIRANT SPRAYS BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?

There are many ecological reasons not to use a traditional antiperspirant spray. Lisa says, “Conventional deodorants are full of toxic ingredients such as aluminium, parabens, SLS, petroleum, mineral oil, phthalates, artificial preservatives and fragrances, and synthetic colours. Spray deodorants create the most obvious threat to the environment because they release chemicals into the air. Roll-on deodorants are often packaged in thick plastic that’s hard to recycle. Aerosols can be problematic to recycle because they need to be completely empty, dry and clean, which they’re often not.”