Why Aluminum Isn't The Only Ingredient To Avoid In Your Deodorant

Aluminum. The dreaded ingredient in deodorant. By now, we’re all well aware of the harmful effects it has on the health of our body + brain and to steer clear of aluminum in deodorant. Our delicate underarms are located near our lymph nodes and breast tissue, making it essential for our health to swap out an aluminum-filled antiperspirant for a non-toxic alternative.

While we’ve finally learned to avoid aluminum in deodorant, there are even more sneaky + unsafe ingredients found in “natural deodorant” that you never want to apply to your pits.

The one we’re focusing on today, and want to avoid always: Fragrance.

Obviously, the scent of our deodorant is big a deal. It’s meant to help control our own body odor and leave a lingering smell of freshness – sometimes even making us feel like we have flowers blooming from our underarms or like we just stepped out of the shower. But when these aromas are made in a lab with synthetic ingredients, that’s where we draw the line.

According to the dictionary, natural means: existing in or caused by nature; not made or caused by humankind. However, the definition of “natural” in the beauty industry has become distorted as the skincare market is saturated with “organic”, “non-toxic”, and “natural” options, with little to no regulation on what these words actually mean.

One of the most toxic ingredients you’ll find, even on “natural deodorant” labels, is fragrance. These engineered scents can contain any combination of 3,000+ chemical ingredients (insert gasp here) and are linked to numerous health issues including hormone disruption, respiratory problems, allergies, skin sensitivities, kidney damage, birth defects and disease.

What’s almost more shocking than the damaging effects of synthetic scents on our bodies, is the reality that the FDA actually allows companies to cover their chemically engineered scents with the term “fragrance” on ingredient labels, all for the purpose of protecting “trade secrets.”

Let that sink in for a second.

Protecting secrets that could be detrimental to our health? Now, that should be illegal.

Not only are artificial fragrances found in almost all conventional personal care products + cosmetics (even many “natural” options), they find their way into shampoo, perfume, candles, air freshener, laundry detergent, and so many other products people incorporate into their day-to-day lives. Our bodies can handle occasional chemicals but when exposed consistently + daily, that’s when disease and health conditions become more likely to happen.

So clearly, it’s up to us as consumers to do our own research and educate ourselves on the actual ingredients + products we’re applying on our ourselves – and our families. The FDA isn’t doing it for us.

Shopping at the store? It’s as easy as turning your deodorant tube around and looking closely at the label. Shopping online? Click that ingredients tab and become a detective for the sake of your health + your well-being. What “natural” ingredients are you finding? Is fragrance among them? If so, it’s time to toss it in the trash and continue the search for a truly natural deodorant to avoid the dangers associated with harmful synthetic scents.

We want to help make your natural + non-toxic (notice: no quotation marks here) deodorant search simple.

Scented with only organic essential oils to help purify skin and control odor (plus, have a positive impact on your mood + mind!), you won’t find any fake + chemical-filled fragrances (even “natural” ones) in our deodorant.

Our purpose at Primally Pure? Protecting your health.

From now on, aluminum-free deodorant claims can’t be the only thing you search for when shopping for safe, effective deodorant. Instead of falling for marketing ploys, deceptive packaging and “natural” ingredients, now you’ll know you what to look for to stay healthy, fresh and fragrance-free.