There’s nothing like holding an extended downward dog to make your pointedly aware of your own underarm scent. A strong whiff can put a crimp in your practice, or your partner’s practice, but for those of us who need a little assistance to keep ourselves smelling fresh it can be tough to find a deodorant that actually works and doesn’t require slathering on a bunch of chemicals. Many people have stories of working their way through a host of natural all-natural deoderants before giving up and going back to their same old conventional deodorant.
Here at DoYogaWithMe, we’d prefer you spent your time practicing rather than hunting for that elusive underarm charm, so we decided to write this article. We’ll help you understand why it's important to find a natural deodorant that provides effective odor control without compromising your skin’s function or unnecessarily exposing you to toxins, and introduce you to a list of natural deodorants curated by our very own founder, David, and his wife Stacy.
Let Your Skin Sweat
Your body relies on perspiration to regulate its temperature, something that’s vital when you’re working your way through a difficult sequence or holding a demanding pose! It stands to reason then that you would want to preserve this function during your yoga practice, but some deodorants, called antiperspirants, prevent odor by clogging pores and effectively blocking perspiration. This makes no sense for yogis, and can also cause buildups of sebum, an oily substance naturally excreted by the skin, leading to acne and other annoying skin problems. This is why we recommend letting your skin continue to do its job and avoiding antiperspirants that get in its way!
Avoid Toxic Additives
Many of the ingredients in conventional deodorants like aluminum, triclosan, parabens and propylene glycol are absorbable through the skin and can be dangerous. At high doses, aluminum has been linked to nervous system deficits in humans, triclosan has been linked to hormone disruption in rats, parabens have been shown to detrimentally mimic estrogen, and propylene glycol has been linked with central nervous system disruption in humans.
It is important to note that none of the studies we read in preparing this article found that conventional deodorant use alone led to absorption rates exceeding generally accepted safe thresholds of these substances, but we at DoYogaWithMe tend to take a conservative approach to potentially harmful chemicals. We note that long term low-level exposure to these substances is difficult to study, and that even low levels of absorption might be significant when added on top of background chemical exposure we experience simply by virtue of living in the modern world. The EU seems to share this conservative outlook and has banned several varieties of parabens and limited triclosan in cosmetic products.
We figure, why put toxins, even tiny amounts of toxins, on your skin when there are viable natural alternatives? And, luckily, there are viable natural alternatives!
Our Favorite All-natural Deodorants
The natural deodorants below check all of our three requirements: they work, they let your skin do its thing, and they are paraben, triclosan, propylene glycol, and aluminum free. They also happened to be made by people who care about our planet, which is always a plus! !
Routine deodorant is ethically crafted in Canada and contains only healthy, wholesome ingredients. It is soft and creamy, doesn’t melt in the heat, doesn’t get hard or stiff and is extremely easy to apply. And it works - really well! They are a family business that supports (and donates a percentage of sales) to multiple positive community initiatives, and they are the only company to have a refill program! All you need to do is bring in an empty jar! Talk about sustainable!
For more information about routine, check out their
FAQs or
About page.
*Use the code 'DOYOGAWITHME' to receive 10% off your order!
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BDirty is a grassroots company based in British Columbia, Canada. Their name comes from the fact that they use honey in their deodorant because it’s an effective antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant and preservative. Their all natural deodorant is created by a yogini and former urban professional who lives on an organic homestead that is dedicated to holistic living - and best of all, it’s really effective!
For more about BDirty, check out their FAQs, About page and their list of ingredients. *To receive 15% off, use code 'DOYOGAWITHME15' during purchase.*
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Nezza Naturals is a operated by a 15-year old company operated by a father and daughter, based out of Galiano Island, British Columbia Canada. They have spent years researching and formulating high quality, genuinely natural products so that we can keep both our bodies and the planet healthy. Their deodorant is also very effective! Nezza Naturals produces a variety of other products, including items for aromatherapy, face, body, hair and home.
*Enter 'YOGA10' to get 10% off when purchasing these Nezza items!
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In Conclusion
We hope this article has helped you steer a course towards the right underarm deodorant, but we know it’s a big world out there and you might have found some great products we missed. Let us know if you have any favorites in the comment section below, and be sure to check out some of our other pages that will help you navigate the complex world of sustainable, natural, and ethical products. This one, for example, will give you some ideas for setting up the perfect yoga space, and this one will guide you in finding the ideal yoga mat.
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