Your Deodorant – Is There Danger Lurking Within?

I personally haven’t used antiperspirant for years because I heard about the dangers of using it while pregnant and breastfeeding. The harmful ingredients in antiperspirants actually clog up your sweat pores. Not exactly healthy!

I mean, where’s the logic here? The FDA even considers antiperspirants a drug because they “affect the function of the body”. It should probably require a prescription! Okay, don’t yell at me, I know you love your deodorant, but think about how most brand-name deodorants have as many chemicals and preservatives in it as yout toilet cleaner… And your putting on your skin… next to your breasts… Not cool!!!

Check this out:

You just got out of the shower and reached for your favorite deodorant. You like it because it smells nice and it keeps your underarms dry and odor free. You’ve used it for a long time. But did you ever read the ingredients on the label and wonder about the safety of the almost unpronounceable chemicals listed in the too tiny to read print?

If not, you’re like most people. You don’t expect to find products on store shelves that contain harmful ingredients. But beware. The ingredients in many deodorant products could endanger your health.

Certainly, you’ve heard in the news recently about the possible association with deodorants and breast cancer. Maybe you’ve even heard about the possibility that aluminum in deodorants may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. And you may or may not know about ingredients which act like estrogen and can upset your hormonal balance.

Perhaps you’ve heard all these things and just shrugged them off. After all how could companies sell these products if they’re not safe? The manufacturers certainly must test the ingredients and the products before they put them on the market, right? Well, not exactly! The law does not require manufacturers to test their products for safety. In fact, except for colors and a few banned ingredients, manufacturers can use any raw material they want as an ingredient in your deodorant. Most of the ingredients used in deodorant and other personal care products have not been fully tested. Many have never been tested at all.

The industry, in an attempt to make it look like it’s acting in the interest of consumer safety, formed the Cosmetic Ingredient Review in 1976 to evaluate the safety of ingredients used in cosmetics and personal care products. However, in the 29 years up to June 2005, they performed safety assessments on only about 10% of the ingredients allowed in cosmetic and personal care products, including deodorants, and never evaluated one third of the 50 most commonly used ingredients.

But, you might add, the FDA wouldn’t allow companies to sell unsafe products to the public, right? Well, in theory! While the FDA urges manufacturers to conduct the tests necessary to substantiate the safety of their products, the law does not require manufacturers to test their products for safety. The FDA doesn’t approve deodorants and antiperspirants or any other cosmetic or skin care products before they reach the marketplace. The FDA can only have a product removed from the market if they can prove it harmful in a court of law.

So, what does this mean for you? Does it mean you should stop using deodorant? What can you do to protect yourself? Well, you have several options. You can discover the secret to reading ingredient labels and ascertaining ingredient safety, making yourself a master of choosing products without harmful ingredients. You can ask someone who knows to recommend a safe deodorant or antiperspirant. Or you can get adventuresome and learn how to make your own.

Now, it really isn’t necessary to go to the time and trouble of making your own, unless of course you want to. You can find healthy deodorant products in stores or online if you know how to read labels and determine ingredient safety. Once an almost impossible task for the average person, but no more. Now you can easily master the art of label reading and interpretation with the book, Dying To Look Good. It gives you the keys to deciphering the safety of the ingredients on the label of your deodorant and other personal care products as well as providing names of healthy products and where you can buy them.

To discover which ingredients to watch out for in your deodorant and to find out my top recommendation for a healthy deodorant, read “Deodorant – Top 7 Ingredients To Avoid“

© 2006 Christine H. Farlow, D.C., “The Ingredients Investigator” and author of Dying To Look Good, providing information on how to protect yourself from harmful ingredients at DyingToLookGood.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christine_Farlow

So what’s a girl to do? Don’t worry, we’re not telling you to quit deodorant all together! There are many natural alternatives that actually work!

Over the past 2 or 3 years, I’ve tried at least half a dozen natural alternatives to conventional deodorants that contain Aluminum Zirconium. Some work and some don’t. Lucky for me, (and those around me) I found a few that get the job done.

Here’s my favorites, in order…

What: Totally Pure Deodorant

This is my favorite so far. It smells great, easy to apply spray, and… it works! My favorite part is the scent… Really invigorating!

It’s a big bottle so would probably last at least 6-8 months using it every day. Plus the spray is nice to apply and won’t show up on your clothes, making it great for the fashionable woman.

The best part, it’s totally pure. That’s why they call it Totally Pure Deodorant
. The list of ingredients will amaze you!

Try it, you’ll like it…

Price: $15.00

Discounts: Free Shipping on any Origins.com order through 10.19.08. Enter code FreeShipLS.

Where: Origins.com

What: Adidas Cotton Tech Women Deodorant

This one works really well, bit it isn’t always invisible and it doesn’t smell as nice as the Origins. But it works really, really well. You can apply it once after you shower and it will last until your next shower, even if that doesn’t happen for 3 days.

Price: $4.49

Where: Amazon.com

What: Jason Deodorant Stick in Tea Tree

I started using this one because I suddenly became allergic to the Toms of Maine deodorant and developed a horrible rash that took like 3 days to go away.

This one seems gentle and effective enough, but I like the 2 above a lot more. This is my back up one now…

It comes in a couple different scents, but the Tee Tree is my favorite. Tee Tree oil is supposed to help deodorize pretty well.

Price: $3.50

Where: Target and online at Vitacost.com

Do you use natural deodorant? Share with us your favorite brand!

Uneasy about making the switch to natural deodorant? Tell us why!