Over the past few years I’ve heard many things about aluminum-based deodorants and antiperspirants that made me want to stop using them. That’s when I started experimenting with making my own aluminum-free, completely natural deodorant. Almost immediately after making the switch to what would later become Korina Natural Deodorant, I could feel an intense cleansing effect. In the first few days after switching, my armpits were especially sweaty. But it was only a few days until this subsided and my body had regulated itself. Of course, I still sweat sometimes, but I’m happy knowing that I’m no longer clogging my pores with a toxic ingredient — I was odor-free and aluminum-free and it felt great!
But what, exactly, are the benefits of aluminum-free deodorant? Let’s look at these benefits one at a time:
Benefits of using an aluminum-free deodorant:
1. Avoid a potential breast cancer risk
While there’s a lack of no conclusive evidence that aluminum-based deodorants are directly linked to an increased risk of developing breast cancer, I’d rather be safe than sorry — especially if I don’t need the aluminum just to smell nice. The jury is still out and more clinical tests need to be done to know the direct link between breast cancer and using aluminum deodorant.
Here’s more on aluminum deodorants and the potential link to breast cancer, from the American Cancer Society (emphasis mine):
“A study published in 2003 looked at responses from questionnaires sent out to women who had breast cancer. The researcher reported that women who were diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age said they used antiperspirant and started shaving their underarms earlier and shaved more often than women who were diagnosed when they were older. But the study design did not include a control group of women without breast cancer and has been criticized by experts as not relevant to the safety of these underarm hygiene practices.”
The few studies that have been conducted have been inconclusive. Still, to me it’s a simple decision to remove as many potentially risky chemicals from my daily regimen as possible.
2. Keep your underarm pores clear
Everyone knows that clear pores are better than clogged pores. The latter of course can lead to acne and other dermatological problems. But wait a minute, that’s exactly what aluminum-based antiperspirants are designed to do: clog your pores! Aluminum-based antiperspirants “work by forming a chemical reaction with the water in the sweat to form a physical plug… which is deposited in the sweat duct, producing a blockage in the areas that it’s applied,” David Pariser, MD, a professor of dermatology at Eastern Virginia Medical School, told WebMD in an interview. Wow, who really feels comfortable clogging their pores with toxins on a daily basis? Meanwhile, aluminum-free deodorants don’t clog your pores at all — I’d call that a benefit!
3. Allow for healthy sweating
You underarm pores were designed to excrete sweat. In addition to removing excess heat, such as when you’re exercising, sweat helps rid the body of toxins, including those you consume and environmental pollution that attaches to your body. When you block your pores from sweating with aluminum-based antiperspirant, you aren’t doing yourself a favor. Just like you need to breathe, so do you pores.
4. Avoid irritation from aluminum
When my husband was fighting hyperhidrosis — a condition where your sweat glands are overactive, causing you to sweat much more than the average person — he was given prescription-strength anti-perspirant. The medication contained four times the amount of aluminum chloride found in standard over the counter anti-perspirant and caused him extreme pain in the hours following application. Considering the directions indicate this stuff needs to be applied at night, just before bedtime, you can imagine how uncomfortable he was, trying to get to sleep while his armpits were burning! Now, he uses Korina aluminum-free deodorant, and has no irritation and no sweat! (Read more in “Our Story.”)
5. Beat odor with natural ingredients
When you have an effective natural deodorant that really works using natural essential oils and bacteria fighting ingredients, like coconut oil and beeswax, there’s no need to use aluminum to stay odor-free!
Think you’re ready to give aluminum-free deodorant a shot? Shop for Korina Natural Deodorant and see what you think. We’ll give you a full refund if you don’t love it!