How to SUCCESSFULLY Switch to Natural Deodorant (and Never Go Back!)
So you’re considering switching to a natural deodorant? You’ve heard that it's better for you, but you’re not entirely sure why or what to expect as you make the switch? You are not alone! Natural deodorant is all the rage these days, and the opinions on it span a huge spectrum – some swear by it and some swear they’ll never use it again (which makes us super sad!). The most common theme we have heard among those transitioning to natural deodorant are that they can't find a product that works and/or that they give up on the transition too soon! We are huge fans of natural deodorant and are here to help break it all down for you so that you can successfully make the transition to natural! We are certain that you will love it and will never go back!
Why switch to natural deodorant?
As with most things in life, when you're trying something new it's good to start with WHY! Many people have heard that traditional deodorants aren’t good for them, but it all seems a bit mysterious and they aren’t sure exactly why natural deodorant is better. In order to help make more sense of this, we need to clarify a few terms that are sometimes (incorrectly) used interchangeably: deodorant vs. antiperspirant. These two words may sound similar, but they do not mean the same thing! A deodorant is simply a product that helps to protect against odor, while an antiperspirant is a product that protects against both sweat and odor. It might sound like a small difference, but it’s actually a pretty big deal. Any why is that? Well, antiperspirants are pretty serious business. Did you know that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) actually considers antiperspirants to be a drug because of the way that they affect the function of the body by reducing the amount of sweat that reaches the skin? That’s pretty intense! Who knew you were buying an Over-The-Counter drug when you snagged your last stick of drug store deodorant!?
Most antiperspirants include aluminum to help reduce sweating. That might sound good on it’s surface, but there is a huge downside! Unfortunately, the way the aluminum compounds help to reduce sweat levels is actually by clogging your pores. Yikes. Have you ever heard of anything good coming from clogged pores!? This method of reducing sweat can be a huge problem because our bodies were literally designed to sweat. It’s how we get rid of yucky toxins that don’t belong in our bodies. So, when our pores are clogged, it can actually cause our bodies to work even harder to try and expel these toxins.
In addition to aluminum, many traditional deodorants also include other questionable ingredients such as parabens, perfumes/fragrances, phthalates, talc, and BHT. That's a lot of ingredients getting rolled onto and absorbed by the skin... As a general life rule, we tend to prefer clean ingredients that don't leave us wondering if there will be any negative effects from them! We knew there had to be a better way to stay stink-free than slathering on lab-made chemicals that we couldn't even pronounce! But before we jump too far ahead, let's take a minute to re-evaluate our relationship with sweat...
Sweat is not your enemy!
You may be wondering what’s a girl (or guy) to do now? You know you don’t want to be putting a pore-clogging drug on your skin every day, but you also don’t want the stench that comes with being a sweaty mess all day. Well, here’s a fun little plot twist that may help with your decision on "what to do"… Did you know that sweat itself doesn’t smell? (wait, what!?) Seriously. The reason that we sometimes associate sweat with stinking is because, well, we were all in middle school once and we ALL endured that foul teenage gym class aroma. Kids were sweating and the air was stinking! The only problem is, that traumatic time caused us to over-simplify what was actually going on. It's not the sweat that smells. The reason for the stench is that there can be an odor caused when the bacteria on our skin breaks down the acid in our sweat. Who knew!?
Now that we've established the fun fact that sweat doesn't stink, let's talk about what sweat actually DOES do. It's main purpose is to regulate body temperature, which is a pretty important job! Our bodies would literally overheat if we didn't sweat. Having sweat to cool us down when we're in hot environments has literally been vital to allowing humans to adapt and survive! Some believe that sweat also has benefits such as helping to fight off germs, clearing skin, and (our personal favorite) reducing stress!
All this time we were being so hard on sweat, but it really exists for our own good! Now that we know that sweat is actually kind of our friend and it was really the bacteria on our skin that was making us stink, we have a better understanding of our "problem" and are a little closer to realizing what our bodies actually need to function best and still smell great! If only there were a natural product out there that could help with the stinky bacteria...
Good news. There is!
deOdor Stick – All Natural Deodorant That Actually Works!
This is where our awesome natural deodorant, deOdor Stick, comes into play! deOdor Stick All Natural Deodorant is made from high-quality, natural ingredients that are super effective at eliminating body odors! We'll be honest... we had heard so much negative feedback on other natural deodorants that we had low (REALLY low) expectations when we decided to attempt to make our own. In fact, we were basically attempting to make a natural deodorant at some level expecting to fail, but at least we could honestly say we had tried!
Believe us when we say no one was more shocked than we were when our new natural deodorant actually worked! And we don't mean it worked as in "well, it's good enough". No... it passed with flying colors! More on this in the "Reviews" section below, but suffice it to say that when customers in hot & humid south Florida swear by it, you know you've hit on something!
So, what makes deOdor Stick Natural Deodorant so great? This powerful deodorant contains only the good stuff! Every ingredient is something you will recognize (and can pronounce!) Made from highly nourishing and moisturizing ingredients like Cocoa Butter, Coconut Oil, and Shea Butter, it is gentle on the skin while being hard on the stink! deOdor Stick contains 100% natural essential oils that help you to smell fresh all day! Best of all, deOdor Stick is aluminum-free and won’t clog your pores!
Here are a few reasons why deOdor Stick rocks:
- Made from high-quality, natural ingredients
- Includes incredible essential oils
- Super moisturizing
- Smells amazing
- Aluminum-Free
- Alcohol-Free
- Paraben-Free
- Gluten-Free
- Travel-Friendly
- Hand made in the USA
We have quite a few deOdor Stick options to choose from, but we highly recommend trying our Original deOdor Stick if you are new to natural deodorant! This is a great starter stick that is gentle, effective, and smells great!
What to Expect
Now that you have committed to making the transition to natural deodorant, it’s important that you are prepared for exactly what to expect! When we say that it is a transition, we mean it! Remember how we talked about your body working extra hard to make up for the clogged pores from your antiperspirant? Yeah, that’s going to come into play in a big way as you switch to natural. Your body will be spending a few weeks working through getting rid of all those built-up toxins and bacteria and it’s going to be a little smelly. But that’s ok! There is a light at the end of the tunnel! So, here’s what you are going to want to do:
- Mentally COMMIT! You’ve done WAY harder things in your life so we don’t want to build this up to be bigger than it is, but the transition will go a lot better if you mentally commit on the front end. Remember that your body is going through somewhat of a detox from your traditional antiperspirant and there are going to be some days of smelling less than your best!
- Plan to give your body at least 2 weeks to transition (it could take 3-4 weeks for your body to completely adjust, but don’t worry, your body will find it’s balance and the stink won’t last forever!)
- Carry your deOdor stick with you and be prepared to reapply throughout the day in the beginning.
- Wear loose, breathable clothing!
- Get your sweat on!! This helps your body to super charge the detox process. And it will give you some endorphins… sounds like a win-win to us!
Transition Timeline:
Although everybody is different, and everyone will experience their own journey of transitioning to natural deodorant, here are a few general guidelines of things that many people commonly experience and when.
- Week 1 – Many people find that the first week is one of the easiest. The main reason is because the mainstream antiperspirants are super effective at blocking sweat, and those effects can last for a while even after stopping use of the antiperspirant.
- Week 2 – Here is where it starts to get real! Once your body is no longer being restricted from sweating, it will start to quickly increase sweat production and you will likely notice some odor. This is a result of the bacterial colonies under your arm.
- Week 3 – You may still experience a level of odor, but during this week your bacterial microbiome will be starting to balance out which should result in decreased odor and perspiration!
- Week 4 – By this week your body should be well adjusted to your new natural deodorant! You did it!
Reviews
As always, we never want you to take our word for it when it comes to our products. Nothing matters more than what our customers are saying! Check out what Rinse customers are saying about our deOdor Stick!
“I’ve always been completely satisfied w/all the products I’ve ordered from Rinse Soap—I recommend to family & friends! Because we live in SWFL, I was skeptical of an all natural deodorant! Trying to be more conscientious of chemical-free products, I decided to give this a try! I wasn’t disappointed—a little goes a long way, tube looks small but is deceiving, it lasts a long time! Now my husband & my daughter-in-law both love it! If it works in our hot & humid climate, it will work anywhere!” – Cbel
“Only deodorant I will use! I love this product. I’ve been using it for over a year now. It’s the only deodorant I will use. It’s so wonderful to have a natural, nontoxic deodorant that makes me feel fresh and smell great all day long. Fantastic product!!” – Jessica B.
"Amazing, I have it sent from USA to Australia as not available here yet and is the best of the natural deodorants I have found!!! Love!" – Jacqui S.
"NEW FAVORITE! This is BY FAR the best natural deodorant I have ever used! I absolutely love the smell, it works wonders, and goes a long way. I work in an Intensive Care Unit, so stress sweat is inevitable, but my sweat does not smell with this deodorant!" - Emily
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deOdor Stick - Lemongrass Bergamot
