The implication is that the natural products are inherently safer and purer than the so-called “unnatural” versions, which have been used for decades. But are natural deodorants really better for you than regular old Speed Stick? Here’s what experts and scientific evidence suggest.
The Difference Between Natural Deodorant and Conventional Deodorant
Before comparing natural and conventional deodorants, it’s worth pointing out that there are actually two different types of products within the deodorant category: deodorants and antiperspirants. As explained in an article in Annales de Dermatologie et de Vénéréologie in 2020, antiperspirants are formulated to prevent sweating, and they use aluminum salts as the active ingredient to do so. Deodorants, on the other hand, don’t actually prevent sweating. Instead, they aim to mask sweat odor with fragrance plus an active antimicrobial ingredient to limit the growth of odor-causing bacteria. According to an article in the International Journal of Dermatology, the active ingredient in conventional deodorants is often triclosan, which research has shown to be a synthetic antimicrobial agent. Natural deodorants, on the other hand, typically rely on essential oils and plant extracts, which act as a fragrance and have some antimicrobial properties as well. Most, but not all, natural deodorants are aluminum-free. But even those lines are blurred. For example, Tom’s of Maine, a brand known for selling natural products, offers a few antiperspirant products that do contain aluminum, along with its many aluminum-free deodorant offerings. Those antiperspirants don’t have “natural” on the packaging, but the fact that they’re sold by a company that markets itself as using natural ingredients could certainly confuse consumers. Plus, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), hasn’t defined the term “natural” as used in cosmetics labeling, and therefore there’s no meaningful regulation of how brands use the term or what ingredients might be in so-called “natural” products.
Are Conventional Deodorants and Antiperspirants Harmful?
“The noise around conventional deodorants dates back to the early 1990s, with an email chain letter that circulated claiming deodorants block sweating and toxin purging, and could swell lymph nodes and cause cancer,” says Jeffrey Fromowitz, MD, board-certified dermatologist and the medical director of Dermatology of Boca in Boca Raton, Florida. “To date, these risks have not been shown.” An article published in Nature Medicine in 2004 called the email chain a hoax and pointed to a study published in 2002 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute that looked at data from 1,600 women and found that deodorant use wasn’t associated with breast cancer. The Nature Medicine article also questioned the validity of two studies — one published in 2003 in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention that linked antiperspirant use and frequent underarm shaving to breast cancer, and one published in 2004 in the Journal of Applied Toxicology that showed parabens (preservatives used in cosmetic products, including deodorants, that mimic estrogen) were found in breast tumors. The first study, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS), was small and poorly designed, and its findings haven’t been backed up by further research. The second study, the ACS says, found parabens in breast cancer tumors, but it did not show that these parabens caused or aided the development of the tumors or that the use of products containing parabens was linked to breast cancer. “There was also concern about aluminum exposure and Alzheimer’s,” Dr. Fromowitz says. “But as the science of disease has advanced, experts have dismissed this idea.” In other words, conventional deodorants and antiperspirants are safe to use, he says. According to the FDA, conventional deodorants and antiperspirants are perfectly safe for regular use in humans. If you’re still worried about using conventional antiperspirants, you can also take comfort in the fact that, because of the way they work, these products are classified by the FDA as both cosmetics and drugs, and thus are subject to stricter regulations than conventional and natural deodorants, which are just classified as cosmetics. To date, there’s no reason to believe that natural deodorants have negative health effects either. But, as is the case with conventional deodorants, they may contain ingredients that certain people are sensitive or allergic to. Most commonly, it’s the fragrance-adding ingredients in deodorants that cause dermatitis, a common skin irritation that usually appears as a rash or a patch of dry, itchy skin. If you’re experiencing itchiness or other skin problems under your arms after applying deodorant or antiperspirant, Fromowitz recommends speaking with a dermatologist.
What to Look for in a Natural Deodorant
Although the evidence doesn’t support the idea that conventional deodorants and antiperspirants have negative health effects, some people prefer to use natural products made without artificial ingredients. Natural deodorants could also be a good alternative for people who have tried many conventional antiperspirants and deodorants and found that their skin is sensitive to them. Again, though, it’s important to remember that aluminum-free natural deodorants don’t prevent sweating — they just mask its odor. If you’re looking for a natural deodorant, Jenelle Kim, a doctor of Chinese medicine and the founder of JBK Wellness Labs, who is based in San Diego, recommends reading the ingredients list rather than simply trusting front-of-label claims like “natural” or “clean beauty.” Ideally, brands should be transparent about what’s in their product, she says, instead of just listing terms like “natural fragrance” without being specific about what ingredients that fragrance is derived from. Fromowitz also recommends paying particular attention to the essential oils and other fragrances used in the products you choose, as those are the most likely to cause irritation. Beyond that, there’s no consensus or evidence to say that certain ingredients in natural deodorant products are more effective than others. If you want to go the natural deodorant route, try a few with different ingredients and decide which, if any, work best for you.
