woman putting on deodorant
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Does Natural Deodorant Actually Work?

Natural deodorants emerged as an alternative to antiperspirants that contain aluminum. Natural deodorants are deemed to be the safer and more environment-friendly option. However, it has gained a bad rap for not being effective at keeping body odor in check. Learn what natural deodorant is, how it works, whether it actually works, and why you should definitely switch to natural deodorants.

What Causes Body Odor?

Most people think that sweat is the source of body odor—that the sweat they excrete is the one that stinks. This is probably why antiperspirant deodorants are so popular. However, this is all a misconception. Sweat in itself does not stink. Sweat is mostly water that merely helps the body regulate temperature. Sweat is an important bodily function, so preventing it is not a very good idea.

woman applying natural deodorant

So, if not sweat, what causes body odor? Body odor forms when sweat is broken down by bacteria in the armpits turning it into acids, which in turn, causes body odor. In conclusion, sweat is not the enemy here. In combating body odor, you should focus on fighting the bacteria that live on the armpits.

How Does Natural Deodorant Differ From Antiperspirant Deodorants?

Natural deodorants are made with natural ingredients, specifically plant-based ingredients. These are carrier oils, essential oils, and cornstarch or arrowroot. Essential oils, such as tea tree oil, patchouli, eucalyptus, and lemon, have strong anti-bacterial properties. These neutralize bacteria before it even interacts with sweat, therefore preventing body odor. Simultaneously, essential oils have natural fragrances that helps keep your body smelling fresh.

Most commercial deodorants also have anti-bacterial abilities; however, their main selling point is the antiperspirant abilities. Antiperspirant deodorants contain aluminum which prevents sweat by clogging up the pores. Without sweat, the bacteria in your underarms do not cause body odor. Unlike antiperspirant deodorants, natural deodorants do not control sweat. Your armpits will still sweat, but cornstarch or arrowroot, absorb the excess sweat so you don’t feel the sweat as much.

his and hers natural deodorant

Does Natural Deodorant Work?

Yes! But, it doesn’t work in the same way as commercial deodorants. As mentioned earlier, natural deodorants neutralize bacteria rather than control sweat.

The primary complaint of people who are just starting to use natural deodorant is that it seems to make them sweat and stink worse. This is attributable to the purging. The purge is an adjustment time that lasts somewhere between two weeks to four weeks. This is characterized by excessive sweating and, as a result, worse body odor. People sweat more and stink more during this transition time because the sweat glands go on overdrive upon release from pore-clogging antiperspirants. The body releases all pent-up sweat, which contributes to the body odor. Give your natural deodorant some time. Once the purging is over, you will notice that you will start sweating less and smelling less.

However, if after 4 weeks, your body odor is still uncontrollable, this may mean that the product is not a good match for you. This is a reality among all skincare products—you need to test to see which one works for you, but it does not mean that natural deodorants do not work. Utama Spice’s His and Hers Deodorants may be the right natural deodorant for you. It absorbs sweat, fights odor-causing bacteria, and keeps you smelling fresh without the help of synthetic chemicals or artificial fragrances.

Why You Should Switch To Natural Deodorant

Let Your Body Breathe

While the link between aluminum and diseases remains unproven, it is clear that sweat is an important natural bodily function meant to help maintain body temperature. So, preventing your body from sweating will affect this function. As established earlier, sweat is not the problem, but the bacteria. So, switching to natural deodorant would be good for your body.

Gentle On The Skin

If you are the type of person with sensitive skin, a natural deodorant is a great choice since they are less likely to cause irritations. Utama Spice’s natural deodorants are made with natural ingredients so they are gentle on the skin and are less likely to cause allergic reactions. Of course, it is advisable to still conduct a skin test to ensure that the deodorant matches with you.

Say Bye To Yellow Stains

The chemicals used in commercial deodorants cause the dreaded yellow stain. A yellow stain in your armpit area is never a pleasant sight. Not having to struggle to get these stains out is just one of the many benefits of using a natural deodorant. Natural deodorants do not react negatively with fabrics, and so do not cause stains.

Make Natural Deodorant Work For You

A lot of people agree that natural deodorant works even better than commercial deodorants, but it would not hurt to practice a few things that will improve your experience with natural deodorant.

  1. Stay Loyal To Natural Deodorant

Aside from weathering the purging time, do your best to stick only to natural deodorants so you do not have to go through a purging another time.

  1. Wash And Exfoliate Your Armpits

Washing your armpits everyday is a no-brainer. Keeping your armpits clean of bad bacteria minimizes body odor. In addition to this, exfoliating your armpits helps draw out impurities that contribute to body odor. This practice may help you control body odor especially during the transition period.

  1. Stick To Natural Fabrics

sweating girl

Synthetic fabrics, nylon, polyester, and rayon, are not ideal for people who struggle with body odor. These fabrics are water-repellent so they keep sweat inside. This is not only uncomfortable for you, but also makes your body the breeding ground for odor-causing bacteria. Natural fabrics, such as cotton and linen, help control body odor since they allow the sweat to evaporate.

Make The Switch!

Natural deodorants are the antithesis of antiperspirant deodorants commonly available in the market. Natural deodorants may have received a bad reputation because of the transition period, but it is a much better, healthier way to combat body odor. You will still sweat, but you will definitely smell fresh. Visit Utama Spice for more information on our natural deodorant

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63 Comments

  1. Love the fact it contains all natural ingredients with strong anti-bacterial properties that work.

  2. I think they do, however deodorants in general are not long lasting need to be reapplied few times a day.

  3. That’s an interesting read. I was part of one of the biggest selling deodorant companies in Australia. The natural products are only a tiny portion of the market back then. It’s great to see the natural products are now making a go of it in the market place

  4. This was so interesting to read, thanks for sharing! I have never used a natural deodorant before but now I want to.

  5. I’ve been a long time user of natural deodorant and am convinced it works! The antiperspirants clog my pores and I don’t like the idea of all that bacteria being ‘stuck’ inside! informative – thanks!

  6. I’m excited to try to Utama Spice’s natural deodorant. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and was advised to use a deodorant without aluminum. I’m buying these for her, me and my daughters. I also love how there’s a his and hers option!

  7. I’ll have to give natural deodorants a try. I think it will be better for me overall. Natural is better!

  8. Love this, haven’t tried natural deodorants so far but want to now that I’ve read this article!

  9. I haven’t used an Antiperspirant in 15 years. I have had good results with natural deodorants. I also do not sweat a lot.

  10. I know there was some concern in medical circles about exposure to aluminium being linked to Alzheimers disease, so avoiding in deodourants could only be a good thing.

  11. I don’t think I’ve ever had natural deodorant before. Now I definitely need to.

  12. I’ve never used natural deoderant and have been considering it for some time now. This article is definitely swaying me towards going natural, it just sounds better

  13. I have never used a natural deodorant before because I wasn’t sure they worked.but I will look into them.

  14. Thank you! Great informative article! Yes natural deodorant is so much better for you then the ones with chemicals.

  15. This is so informative! I never knew exactly HOW natural deodorants worked, I guess I just assumed it was a different version of the commercial stuff.

  16. I like that this blog has practical information. I didn’t realize that there would be ‘purge’ period and probably didn’t give the last product time to work. I would be willing to try it again.

  17. I was always afraid to try them because of the excessive sweating myth. Purging makes perfect sense to me and I will give them a try!

  18. Hmm, very interesting sounds a lot cleverer to neutralise the bacteria & thus the odour rather than the sweat itself – which helps cool the body down. Will have to give it a shot & hope it works for me.

  19. Initially I was sceptical – now i recommend to all – fresh and natural is definitely best

  20. I have tried natural deodorants a couple of times, and they did not work well for me. I sweat a lot though, so I may just be an exception.

  21. Thank you for the detailed information. I started using natural non aluminum deodorant because my shirts armpits were turning yellow. I knew it couldn’t be good for me. Now I know it is the bacteria to fight. Not the sweat.

  22. Natural deodorant is not something I’ve ever considered or even thought about for that matter. This info has given me some insight as to whether I might want to try it so I appreciate the information.

  23. I’m still on the fence about it. But I’d try it to see. Just antiperspirant, I don’t like. Your right it don’t let you pits sweat. Causes me to have, like pimples in my arm pits. They hurt like a !@$^!× =/÷&<+. I don't mind a mix of the 2. But prefer just deodorant.

  24. After reading this article, I definitely want to switch to a natural deodorant. I didn’t know that anti-perspirants trap sweat in your body. That doesn’t sound healthy so I think I will try a natural deodorant in future.

  25. I’ve thought of using a natural deodorant before, but admit, I have been afraid of excessive sweating.

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