5 Dangerous Ingredients in Your Deodorant!

There are few things more annoying than body odor. I hadn't realized how pungent body odor can be until my oldest son started to produce some of his own over the past couple years. If you have a teenage boy you can probably attest to what I am talking about.

Of course, our first reaction was to get him some antiperspirant and deodorant. 

But why do we smell? 

Our bodies have two different types of sweat glands. One type of sweat glands, the apocrine glands, are mostly located in areas of dense hair and associated with body odor. These glands secrete fluid into the hair follicles which when combined with bacteria leads to body odor. This happens because bacteria thrive in warm and moist environments such as the armpits. The products of these bacteria are called thioalcohols. These chemicals are responsible for the smell.  

So what makes body odor worse?

For me personally, I notice increased body odor and sweat when I am consuming more carbohydrates or when I am stressed. I generally have very little body odor when I am eating a very low carbohydrate diet.

Some of the major causes of body odor include:

1. Anxiety: Increased levels of cortisol increase the release of sweat.
2. Medications: Some medications may increase sweat production like NSAIDs.
3. Food: Various foods like onion, garlic, curry and meat may change body odor.
4. Carbohydrates: Foods high in sugar may affect body odor.
5. Deodorant/Antiperspirants: These may actually increase the number of bacteria living under your arm.
6. Hair Growth: The more hair in the underarms the more potential for body odor. 
7. Medical Conditions: Several conditions like diabetes, thyroid problems, and obesity can affect body odor. 

To combat body odor our first reaction is often to reach for antiperspirant or deodorant.

But are there potential risks for using traditional deodorants?

The answer is definitely yes. I personally cannot use either traditional deodorants or anti-antiperspirants with either Aluminum or alcohol. I get horrible rashes and irritation. My symptoms only resolved when I found high quality products that don't contain these chemicals. 

The ingredients of these products may even penetrate the skin and be found in your blood. 

So what are 5 of the most common potentially hazardous chemicals in these products?

Aluminum
Aluminum helps block your sweat glands and reduce the amount of sweat your secrete. Aluminum has been potentially implicated in breast cancer. 

Parabens
These chemicals are used as preservatives. Parabens are associated with changes to the productive of estrogen and other hormones in your body. This may increase the estrogen effects in your body. 

Phthalates
These compounds make these products sticky. These compounds may effect androgen function in the body. 

Triclosan
This chemical is used to kill bacteria. It may also be associated with hormonal abnormalities. 

Fragrances
Some people may develop allergic reactions to certain fragrances. 

So what options are available to fight body odor?

There are various options available. Some treatments like rubbing Lemons or Limes in your armpits may kill bacteria. Vinegar, Hydrogen Peroxide, Tea Tree/Coconut Oils may also kill bacteria. Odors can be neutralized by baking soda. 

Besides these natural options I have found a couple products that work well for me and are completely free of the potentially dangerous toxins that I listed above. One of these products that can be purchased by anyone at my practice is Schmidts 100% natural deodorant. There are many different natural scents available with this brand and it works very well to eliminate odors and I have had no side effects with the use of this product like I get with other products that I get from the grocery store. 

For those that want a natural option feel free to reach out to me for more information. See the products below.