Last week, on my way to meet a friend, I realized that I forgot to put on deodorant! Oops! It was too far to go back home, so I stopped at the only store before the highway, a small convenience store. I walked in looking for corn starch to use in place of deodorant, but they didn’t have any. This has always been one of my favorite natural alternatives to deodorant. I didn’t even try to look for deodorant because I knew they wouldn’t have any without aluminum in it!
So now I was desperately trying to think of what else I could buy to replace deodorant. I remembered coconut oil, but no luck of finding that there. Then I saw the apple cider vinegar, perfect! I used this and it worked wonderfully, no smell and it lasted throughout the day!
After this, I decided to write a post on natural alternatives to deodorant in case this happens to you!
Why You Should Give These Alternatives To Deodorant A Try:
Most kinds of deodorant that you find at your local store contain aluminum and many other harmful chemicals such as parabens and synthetic fragrances. These chemicals are harmful because they are easily absorbed through your skin. Many times, people shave under their arms and then apply deodorant quickly thereafter. Shaving your skin opens the pores, and even more of the chemicals in the deodorant will be absorbed into your body.
Aluminum is an ingredient in nearly all deodorants, yet it is very harmful as it is a known neurotoxin. It has also been found to be cumulative chemical as the more you use it, the more that builds up in your body. Aluminum has been linked to causing Alzheimer’s disease and DNA damage
Several studies have found that the chemicals in deodorants are related to breast cancer as they are applied frequently next to the breast area.
One study found that the breast cancer was diagnosed at significantly earlier ages in women who reported frequently shaving their underarms and applying deodorant. This is scary! So, making sure to avoid the chemicals in deodorant is very important.
The best part about all these natural alternatives to deodorant is that they’re same to consume! That’s the best way to know something is safe to apply to your skin.
Do These Natural Alternatives Really Work?
I’ve had great success with all of them. I’ve tried them all several times each experimenting throughout the past few years and they’ve always worked great. Not only are they great for every day use, but they also work comparable to store bought deodorants, even in stressful situations such as giving a presentation.
6 Natural Deodorant Alternatives:
- Apple Cider Vinegar-
Apple cider vinegar has so many uses, but did you know you can use it as deodorant? I was surprised when I first read about using it as an option for natural alternatives to deodorant. It actually is a great alternative for deodorant because it neutralizes odor.
I mix ½ apple cider vinegar with ½ water. Dip a cotton ball in the mixture and rub it under your arms. It will dry pretty quickly, about 20-30 seconds. The vinegar smell goes away after it dries on your skin.
- Aloe Vera-
Aloe vera is a great option for natural alternatives to deodorant and is especially good for those with sensitive skin. It is very soothing and gentle yet, effectively prevents/reduces odor. Aloe also has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. Did you know that the reason your underarms smell is because of bacteria? It’s true, bacteria breaks down the sweat molecules, which results in the odor. So, by using a natural ingredient that’s antibacterial you can prevent body odor or at least lessen it.
This is a great one to use, because you don’t have to mix any ingredients either. You can use fresh aloe vera from the plant, if you have one or buy a bottle of aloe vera gel. Just apply it straight to your underarm area. That’s it!
- Lemon Or Lime-
Many people love using either lemon juice or lime juice as deodorant because it is really effective at deodorizing. Lemon juice contains citric acid which has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, which helps eliminate the bacteria on your skin which causes the odor.
Just cut a lemon or lime in half and squeeze out about ½ teaspoon of juice. Use a cotton ball to apply the juice to your underarm. Or you could just cut the lemon in half and then rub it under your arm. Either way will work. I keep the lemon in the fridge for a few days to help it last longer. Just be sure to remember that it’s used for deodorant or mark it with a sticker so you don’t forget and eat it.
- Coconut Oil-
Coconut oil is always my “go to” for natural deodorant. I love how gentle, soothing, and great it works at minimizing odor. Coconut oil is antibacterial, antimicrobial and antiviral. So all those properties help fight the bacteria that cause the odor under your arms.
To apply the coconut oil, take about ¼ teaspoon or even less and rub it under your arms.
- Corn Starch-
I’ve been using corn starch in place of deodorant since I was a teenager, my mom told me about it. Corn starch is a gentle antiperspirant. It deodorizes and absorbs moisture on the skin.
You can use your fingers to apply corn starch under your arms. To get even more deodorizing benefits (if you need it to be stronger), just add a little bit of baking soda.
- Milk Of Magnesia-
This one is an excellent alternative to deodorant. It is effective at deodorizing and absorbing moisture. A little also goes a long way. So it’s a really inexpensive alternative to deodorant which is fantastic!
To use it, I pour about ½ teaspoon of liquid milk of magnesia on to a cotton ball (or you could use your fingers) and rub it under my arms. It will dry in about 30 seconds or so.