Complete personal hygiene and freshness are essential for everyone. That's why deodorants play a crucial role in our daily routine. However, not all are created equal. Let's find out together which ingredients to avoid in deodorants without sacrificing effectiveness!
Deodorants are cosmetics that mask the smell of sweat and have antibacterial action, thus acting on the main cause of the bad odor of our sweat. Deodorants have become indispensable for everyone's daily hygiene: for aesthetic and social reasons, none of us like to smell bad and we all want deodorants that guarantee long-lasting effectiveness throughout the day.
Deodorants, like all cosmetics on the European market, must be considered safe because they are approved by regulatory bodies. However, some ingredients used to make the products are constantly monitored and are subject to various studies. Given the sensitivity of the area where we apply deodorants, the armpits, characterized by their proximity to the lymph nodes and the presence of sensitive skin that is often subject to hair removal, there are aspects that it is good to investigate in order to consciously choose the best product for us. But how can we recognize the ingredients inside a cosmetic? All ingredients must, by law, be written on the labels. These lists are called INCIs and are often very difficult to decipher if we are not specialized chemists or cosmetologists.
Fun fact! They are written in a specific language, which looks like Latin, but isn't!
Learning to distinguish certain names can be important to understand whether a product is of interest to us or not. There are also several apps that help us read the INCI code. But are there really any ingredients that are best avoided in deodorants?
Let's find out together and see what shouldn't be in a natural deodorant.
See what you will find in this blog:
Deodorants: What ingredients should you avoid?
Deodorants: avoid aluminum salts?
Ingredients to Avoid in Deodorants: Potassium Aluminum Sulfate?
Are parabens ingredients to avoid in deodorants?
Silicones: the importance of this ingredient in deodorants
Alcohol: why do we find it in deodorants?
Artificial and natural perfumes: what to choose in deodorants
Triclosan: critical ingredient for deodorants?
Deodorants: What ingredients should you avoid?
As we have seen, deodorants are cosmetics that work to remove the bad odor of sweat. This action can be achieved through different ingredients. It is often believed that natural or organic deodorants are not effective. In the past, this statement may well have been true, although this is always a very personal question: some organic and natural deodorants work very well on some people, while they do not work at all on others. Of course, over time, the formulas have improved and today we find formulas that satisfy an increasingly wide spectrum of people. In particular, bicarbonate-based deodorants are really effective, but they are not the only ones. Why are so many people looking for natural alternatives to classic deodorants? Because in recent years, there has been a growing awareness that certain ingredients contained in deodorants can be critical for various aspects of our health. Studies are still ongoing.
Let's analyze what these ingredients are.
Deodorants: avoid aluminum salts?
Many deodorants on the market contain active ingredients that block perspiration and therefore the development of bad odors. Among the most commonly found ingredients with antiperspirant functions are aluminum salts, used precisely to reduce sweat production. When applied, aluminum salts dissolve in our sweat, forming a temporary barrier. They are therefore mainly used because they act in two ways:
- They perform an antiperspirant function, blocking the sweat glands and preventing sweat from leaving our body.
- They have a bacteriostatic action, thus reducing the activity of skin bacteria that are the cause of bad odors.
It may seem obvious to say that sweating serves to regulate our body temperature and expel toxins, but it is not: by using aluminum salts, we are clogging the pores, interfering with the normal functioning of physiological processes.
So, are aluminum salts a danger to our health? This is still a hotly debated topic and the subject of several studies. Research has focused on trying to understand how these aluminum salts penetrate the skin and in what quantities. The Italian Cancer Research Association (AIRC) is seeking to clarify the health and breast cancer risks of prolonged use of this ingredient. Here is a short excerpt: Aluminum compounds are among the active ingredients in deodorants. [...] Some researchers have hypothesized that aluminum could be absorbed through the skin and modify estrogen receptors in breast tissue. Since many cancers respond to estrogen concentrations, aluminum could, in theory, increase the risk of contracting the disease. At the moment, however, there is no reliable evidence that aluminum can reach the breast through the skin (one of the most reliable studies showed that an almost negligible amount, equal to 0.012%, passed through). The amount of metal that reaches the breast through food is much higher than through the skin. As a result, experts believe that there is no concrete link between aluminum in deodorants and breast cancer based on current research. "While waiting for new studies that confirm or refute the safety of this ingredient, it would be best to avoid prolonged use of these products on our body as a precautionary measure. Therefore, if you want to avoid aluminum, you can look for deodorants that use natural alternatives to reduce bad odors and that allow the skin to breathe naturally ( see our suggestions ).
Ingredients to avoid in deodorants: Potassium alum
Potassium alum, known since ancient times, was used in a variety of activities, such as in the textile industry to fix colors or in medicine to clean wounds. Today it is commonly known as rock alum, and is often sold in pharmacies and supermarkets as a semi-transparent white stone used as a natural alternative to traditional deodorants.
In addition to its antibacterial and deodorizing properties, it also has soothing and astringent functions, as well as hemostatic. Due to these multiple properties, in addition to being used as a deodorant, it is also often used on small wounds, such as cuts after shaving, waxing or mosquito bites, to reduce inflammation and relieve itching.
Although potassium alum is not classified as a dangerous substance and is generally well tolerated by the body, it is nevertheless an antiperspirant: its action prevents the skin from perspiring properly. Rock alum does indeed contain aluminium salts, which are associated with all the criticisms we have seen above. Studies are still ongoing and the subject is quite controversial, but as a precautionary measure we can avoid using it, opting for alternatives that do not present any critical points.
Are parabens ingredients to avoid in deodorants?
Parabens are synthetic preservatives that, due to their low toxicity, are widely used in medicine, cosmetics and food. Given their bactericidal and fungicidal function, their purpose is therefore to inhibit the growth of microorganisms in products, so as not to alter them.
Over the years, controversy has developed over the potential risks related to breast cancer and potential endocrine disruption, which has forced several regulatory bodies to conduct extensive studies and issue regulations.
What does the US Food & Drug say?
In the United States, there is no regulation governing their use. Consequently, no legal limits have been established for concentrations in cosmetic products. The US Food and Drug Administration, in one of its articles, explains why they can be used freely in America: this would be related to the fact that typical concentrations are less than 3% in the products, thus making the risk to people very low or almost non-existent.
But what about Europe?
The European Union does not think so and has issued a regulation to impose limits, while Denmark has banned some, such as propylparaben and butylparaben. Although their use is therefore approved, to be considered safe, a product containing parabens must comply with the limits of the maximum concentrations that can be contained in the product.
This is why more and more people are opting for cosmetics in general and deodorants in particular that do not contain parabens, especially because organic cosmetics have long proven that parabens are not essential ingredients in cosmetic formulations, and that there are several natural alternatives that are safe and much better tolerated by all skin types, even the most sensitive.
Silicones: the importance of this ingredient in deodorants
Since the 1990s, silicones have been widely used in cosmetics: we find them mainly in creams and hair products. This is because they are inert substances that do not interact with the other ingredients in the formula, but are used as technical substances, useful for making the textures of products easier and more pleasant to spread. Being hydrophobic substances, they create a hydrophobic barrier on the skin and hair: while on the one hand this barrier is capable of protecting them from external agents such as pollution, on the other it prevents the evaporation of water from inside, altering the natural perspiration of the skin and hair.
This category includes more than 500 derivatives: they can be easily recognized on the label because their names end in -one, -xane, -silanoyl. What is certain is that they are non-biodegradable substances and, therefore, pollutants, with a negative impact on the environment.
Alcohol: why do we find it in deodorants?
There is no single type of alcohol. When we use this word in cosmetics, we are referring to a group of different substances.
The most common of these is ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol. It is a clear liquid with a strong odor and is highly flammable. It is found in many products and the answer to why it is widely used is simple: it is cheap to produce and has many properties. The main ones include:
- bactericidal effect
- acts as a preservative and protects against contamination
- reduces inflammation
- has an anti-odor effect
- vehicle for fragrances
- suitable as a solvent for materials that are not water-soluble, such as volatile essential oils
Is alcohol harmful to our skin?
The first thing to consider is the dosage. Studies claim that a concentration of less than 5% is not a problem, as it evaporates quickly without leaving any traces. However, a higher dosage and repeated use can destroy the protective layer of oil on our skin, making it dry and cracked.
When not to use alcohol-based products?
Although it does not cause any discomfort for most consumers, even at higher doses, it is important to remember that it is strongly discouraged for people with allergies, sensitivities to the compound, or people with already irritated, dry or injured skin.
Therefore, it should not be used immediately after waxing and shaving to avoid irritation and, during the summer, before sun exposure, to avoid altering the skin layer. Among the various types of alcohols, there are, however, some so-called good alcohols. As already mentioned, the chemical term alcohol actually includes a series of compounds with quite different properties. Among the alcohols used in cosmetics, fatty alcohols definitely stand out, which are mainly used as emollients, moisturizers, co-emulsifiers and consistency factors, helping to improve the stability of products and their fluidity and making them easier to apply. They are considered safe substances with properties quite different from those of ethyl alcohol.
Artificial and natural fragrances: what to choose in deodorants
How important is it for a deodorant to smell good? Perfumes in cosmetics, as well as in deodorants, can be artificial or natural.
Artificial perfumes, also known as synthetic perfumes or molecular perfumes, are often made with petrochemical-derived alcohols and fixatives that make the perfumes persistent on the skin. They can be stronger, more resistant and more persistent than natural perfumes.
Natural perfumes, on the other hand, are created from essential oils extracted from plants processed with completely natural raw materials. The creations are made without the use of synthetic elements and thanks to a true art of perfumery, the knowledge of which is lost in the mists of time. In fact, man has always used extracts from wild plants and flowers to produce simple essences.
Many deodorants contain artificial perfumes which, due to their nature, can be irritating or make the deodorant unsuitable for use immediately after shaving. Natural perfumes, on the other hand, are less aggressive and much better tolerated by the skin, especially in sensitive areas such as the armpits.
Triclosan: A Critical Ingredient for Deodorants?
Triclosan is an antibacterial ingredient often used in cosmetics that can also be found in some deodorants.
It is generally permitted in cosmetics at a concentration of up to 0.3%. This ingredient works by blocking an enzyme necessary for the growth of bacteria, so these small amounts are enough to exert a strong antibacterial action.
There is one important aspect that raises concerns regarding the use of this substance: it is speculated that, due to its widespread use and its continuous dispersion in the environment, it may cause resistance to antibiotics. This means that it could cause an increase in bacterial resistance to the most common antibiotics, with significant consequences for people's health, in hospitals and in pharmaceutical products. However, this effect is still much debated and the subject of research, as this correlation has not yet been proven.
Although there is no confirmation of these toxicity risks, the issue was submitted to the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Cosmetic Products. In 2002, it was concluded that, based on the available clinical evidence, triclosan is safe to use under current conditions, and therefore no new legal limits or measures imposing restrictions of any kind are necessary for the time being.
In any case, as a precautionary measure, it is not an ingredient that has ever been used at La Saponaria, always preferring natural and safer alternatives.
Conclusion
Often, especially in the past, deodorant was the hardest thing to replace for those coming from traditional cosmetics and wanting to embrace organic cosmetics: "OK for organic and conscious choices, but natural deodorants don't work!"
How many times have we heard this?
However, there are some ingredients, such as aluminum salts, often present in traditional cosmetic deodorant formulas, which are the subject of several studies as they are possible endocrine disruptors.
Other ingredients such as alcohol, antiperspirants, silicones and petrolatum should be avoided in an area as sensitive and rich in receptors as the armpit and in this article we see why.
But what then? Are we destined to smell bad forever? No!
There are several options for solid natural deodorants that are plastic-free or roll-on, which do not require disposable bottles and can be used indefinitely.