Most of my life, I haven’t put too much thought into deodorant- I went to the grocery store, picked a scent I liked, and went on. It never occurred to me that my deo might not be good for me. Not until my husband was diagnosed with lymphoma. 

Finding out your spouse has cancer is life changing. Suddenly the life we were building had another possible outcome. At the time of his diagnosis, my daughter was only three months old and I had to face the possibility of raising her alone. To say that this was devastating is an understatement. I was terrified and distraught. However, we were the lucky ones, and after 6 months of chemotherapy, my husband’s cancer was gone. 

It’s been two years and things are pretty much back to normal, but some things have changed. I feel the need to be so much more aware of what goes into our bodies. I’m far from perfect and we do eat processed food here or there but am much more aware of what is in those foods and the need to limit them. What I was not considering though, is what we have been putting ON our bodies. Thus, the research began. 

It turns out that many store bought deodorants contain quite a few harmful chemicals- I was only aware of the risks associated with aluminum. According to Organics.org there are seven possible harmful ingredients in commercial deodorant - in addition to aluminum- which is linked to breast cancer and Alzheimer's.

There are also parabens in most store bought deo’s. Though common in cosmetic products parabens (Listed as butyl, benzyl, ethyl, methyl, and propyl) have also been linked to breast cancer. Parabens can disrupt our natural hormone levels and mimic estrogen in our bodies. Triclosan, another ingredient, is also a possible carcinogen. In addition to cancer risks, it can also cause skin irritation as well as kill off the good (and the bad) bacteria in our bodies. The FDA actually classifies triclosan as a pesticide. 

Another chemical is propylene glycol. Propylene glycol is considered a neurotoxin. It can actually damage your kidneys and liver as well as cause delayed allergic reactions. After doing my research I found myself grabbing my deo from my medicine cabinet to see what was in my deodorant! My (very popular) deodorant had 5 of the 7 chemicals in it! Time for a switch!!

I decided it was time to give natural deodorant a try but I had a few things to consider. Was a natural deodorant strong enough to keep me from smelling? This was my main concern. I decided to try natural deodorant for a week and see how I felt.

I picked Meadowlark Botanical's Organic Charcoal Deodorant in the scent of rosemary and tea tree. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised at how smooth and soothing it felt. I almost expected it to feel oily, but it was quite the opposite and  felt velvety soft on my underarms. I also really enjoyed the fresh clean scent of rosemary and tea tree as well!

The first day I wore this natural deo, I was very happy with the results. It was an average day with limited strenuous activity and the deo held up great. I felt a very slight wetness when I would start to get sweaty but the deo kept it under control and I never smelled any odor.  

As the week went on, I didn't really notice a dramatic difference in efficacy between the natural deo and my regular. For the most part, it worked the same. What I really noticed in moments of high activity (like exercise) I would feel a slight wetness. Not enough to make me self conscious or be noticeable though. I looked at it as a trade off since natural deo is obviously not an antiperspirant. The wetness never lasted long though and I never grew stinky.

One of the other big perks of using this deo- it soothed my underarms. My underarms tend to get irritated from shaving but the natural deo was so calming, I noticed I didn't get razor burn half as often and my underarms are smoother and softer. 

I am so glad I made the switch! Natural deo was just as effective and I feel so much better using this! Both I and my underarms are happy. 😊

-A special guest posting by our friend, Jessica Barber