Natural Organic Health is important to me, because I’m determined to get the most out of life, and feel and look the best that I can while I’m doing it. However, not being smelly is equally important to me so one of the only products that I still buy from the supermarket is my deodorant. I use Dove, it does the trick and the smell takes me straight back to a holiday I had in South Africa with two friends a few years back.
However, we all know that there are bound to be all sorts of nasties in there which contradict my organic lifestyle. Then, recently I had a phone call with my niece who is a teacher and had phoned me to chat about my new venture with Neal’s Yard. Turns out that someone had left a Neal’s Yard deodorant at her house and she had been using it ever since. Bingo, someone with first hand experience of whether it worked. Apparently, the smell is lovely and it does feel kind to your underarms. She wears it on a day to day basis with no issue but she said if she is doing anything more physical she will revert back to the supermarket brands. So, I don’t think I’m unusually sweaty and this conversation has given me some of the confidence I need to make the change but first of all I thought I would just check what we’re up against in terms of the toxic ingredients hiding in deodorants. This is a bit of an eye opener and if you have no intention of changing to a more natural deodorant then it may be best that you don’t read on as you will never feel the same about what you regularly spray on your underarms!
- Parabens – no big surprise there. We’ve been here before but just to recap – parabens disrupt our delicate hormonal balance which can lead to things like early puberty in children and an increased risk of hormonal cancers. It has also been linked to birth defects and organ toxicity.
- Aluminium – linked to breast cancer in women (and maybe some men I know!!), prostate cancer and an increased risk of Alzheimer’s.
- Phthalates – this has been linked to a higher risk of birth defects and may disrupt hormone receptors increasing the likelihood of cell mutation.
- Propylene Glycol – can cause damage to the central nervous system, liver and heart.
- Triclosan – this has been classified as a pesticide by the FDA and as a probable carcinogen by the EPA.
So, I compared this to the deodorants sold at Neal’s Yard and was pleased to see that one of my favourite fragrances that they do was offered in a roll on. Rose and Geranium which is aluminium free and clinically proven to protect for 24 hours. It claims to naturally guard against odor and wetness and contains cleansing shikimic acid and moisture absorbing bamboo powder. Sounds better right? But what about those days when I’ve worked up a sweat vacuuming the house from top to bottom? Am I going to want to dump the above list of chemicals on my delicate pits? Then I see that Neal’s Yard also offer a product called Lavender and Tea Tree Body Powder for after sports. Vacuuming is a sport right? This claims to freshen you up and is enough to make up my mind, I’m going in!
So, if you’re reading this and you know me, then make sure you give me a heads up if you’re finding me a bit whiffy in the next few days because as soon as my products arrive, I’ll be taking the plunge.
Remember, the reason we embark on this is to make our lives better so I’ll be sure to report back and let you know how I get on so you can make an informed decision on whether or not you want to join me. Wish me luck!
Organic Health & Beauty 