6 Deodorants with activated charcoal to leave you fresh as a daisy
Have you ever been hot, sweaty…and smelly? Most of us can relate to this situation. Mainstream deodorant retailers promote clean, refreshing products to tame (or mask!) your smelly underarms. Unfortunately those products often contain ingredients that are toxins your body would be better off without. We’ve pulled together a list of 6 top rated deodorants with activated charcoal and other natural ingredients. Activated charcoal is a welcome addition to the ingredient list for natural deodorants. It detoxifies your armpits from odor and bacteria.
One quick clarification here – we are talking about deodorants in this post. Deodorants tackle body odor by reducing odor causing bacteria that live on your skin. Antiperspirants work by clogging, closing or blocking pores to stop the discharge of perspiration. This is an important distinction.
Why are toxins in deodorant a problem?
In a nutshell, underarms have a direct route to the lymphatic system, an essential part of our immune system and our skin readily absorbs whatever we put on it. A range of harmful ingredients in deodorants have been researched with some data suggesting amongst other things, links to cancer including breast cancer, various skin irritations, dermatitis, delayed allergic reactions and some organ system toxicity.
C&B has created a diagram to steer you away from deodorants that contain commonly known toxins and to steer you towards deodorants that contain more natural ingredients in addition to activated charcoal:
How can I work out if a deodorant with activated charcoal also contains toxins?
As luck would have it, most deodorants that contain activated charcoal also contain other natural ingredients. This includes many of the ingredients in the “good stuff” above. To confirm the active ingredients in a deodorant containing activated charcoal:
- Read the labels of deodorants before buying. Check the ingredient list for the ingredients listed above in the diagram
- Check out the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Skin Deep Database to look up these ingredients and other chemicals to check for safety and health precautions
- When you are not certain of all ingredients in a deodorant, make contact with the product manufacturer
Ready to make the switch? Here’s a list of 6 deodorants with activated charcoal and other natural ingredients to get you started
Piperwai Natural Deodorant
It might surprise you to see a spatula next to this product. That’s because you grab a pea size amount of the deodorant from the pot and apply it to your underarms.
Duggan Sisters Lifestinks Deodorant
Fairly candid product name hey? This company have a range of other natural products including the equally candid name of Duggan Sisters Stink Stick.
Doc Spartan ArmPit Armour
Alaffia – Coconut Reishi – Activated Charcoal Deodorant, Refreshing Coconut
Naturally Sourced Best Natural Deodorant (Lavender) with Activated Charcoal Powder
This product gets the award for one of the weirdest ingredients – vodka. Vodka is used as a natural preservative in this deodorant. Apparently it helps to kill and prevent odor causing bacteria. Please note, some people may have an adverse reaction to this active ingredient.
Summer Hill Botanicals Natural Organic Vegan Lavender Deodorant with Activated Charcoal
Be Patient
As with all things in nature, you will need to be patient when swapping from a deodorant containing toxins to a more natural deodorant product. Your body will have an adjustment period as your armpit pores unblock. You may notice that it takes some time for your body to adapt to a more natural product. During this detox phase you may notice an increase in your odor. Don’t panic and be patient. Try to work through this transition period. Your armpits will thank you for it!! C&B