What To Expect When Switching To Natural Deodorant
When first starting your sustainable living and natural beauty journey, natural deodorant should be one of the first products to switch out in our daily routine. It seemed easy, we wouldn’t have to sacrifice anything the world can see and we were immediately addressing concerns of aluminum and paraben laden store deodorants, and the perils of sweat blockers.
However, as anyone who has ever tried a natural deodorant will tell you, many of them are impossible to apply, leave stains on your clothes and frankly don’t always hold up. Here are some tips and products for managing the transition.
The Process To Natural Switching
WEEK 1
Antiperspirant is classified as an over-the-counter drug in both Canada and the U.S. If you have been using antiperspirant since you were a preteen, your body will definitely be dependent on it. You may go a couple of days or even a week without noticing much difference between your antiperspirant and natural deodorant. This is due to the fact that the aluminum compounds in antiperspirant form a gel-like plug and constrict your pores in the underarm. This prevents you from sweating and getting wet.
WEEK 2
When you stop using antiperspirants you will experience a substantial increase in the growth of odor-causing bacteria in the underarm area. You may also feel additional moisture because your body is sweating, which is the body’s natural way to flush out toxins.
It is important to know that this odor-causing bacteria won’t last forever, it is just a part of the detox that happens when you discontinue use. Consider using our Antifungal & Antibacterial Deodorant Soap to help speed this process and our Gentle Detoxifying and Exfoliating Armpit Brush which, like brushing and flossing your teeth, serves to disrupt the bacteria colonies and makes your underarms more susceptible to deeper cleaning and natural deodorants moving forward.
WEEK 3
Bacteria levels may begin to subside. The culture of bacteria is able to re-balance and stop over-producing odor-causing bacteria. What this means is that you will likely notice any odor issues starting to decrease. Also, underarm moisture levels will also normalize over time. Powder in natural deodorant can help absorb that moisture, while our Activated Charcoal Soap will assist with further toxin removal.
WEEK 4
Your body should have fully adjusted to natural deodorant. It can take up to 30 days for your body to regulate itself, though for some people the detox stage is shorter, and for males, it may be considerably longer. You can now continue using natural deodorant every day (males twice a day) to neutralize the smell of daily body odor.