Updated: 4 days ago
Sweat and body odor is natural. Your deodorant should be too.
Before I went vegan I would just grab any "Extra Strength" deodorant from the store. But then I started hearing about some of the nasty chemicals in deodorants that can actually mess with your hormones, so I started looking into more natural options.
Why Should You Care
It's important to remember that anything you put on your skin will be absorbed into your body. For years, we have been marketed products that we assume are safe, yet how many of the ingredients in every day products can you even pronounce properly, let alone know what they are and what they do?
Ingredients to Watch For
Some common ingredients that raise a red flag in deodorants include:
Aluminum: often found in antiperspirants, aluminum can affect estrogen and breast tissues, which is thought to lead to breast cancer.
Pthalates: also known as plasticizers, pthalates are a chemical that can damage internal organs, affect the reproductive system, and mess with hormones. They have been linked to many other issues and have even been banned in some products.
Triclosan: this is a chemical antibacterial that can mimic hormones and is a suspected carcinogen. It has been banned in soaps but is still approved to be used in other products like deodorant.
Parabens: chemical preservatives that mimic estrogen and can interfere with hormones. Parabens have been found in breast tumors, though it is unclear if they actually cause breast cancer.
Diethanolamine (DEA): interacts with other ingredients and becomes a known carcinogen. Can affect internal organs like the liver and kidneys. Banned in some countries.
Triethanolamine (TEA): known carcinogen and can affect internal organs like the liver and kidneys. Banned in some countries.
Propylene Glycol: gives deodorant its consistency, but may cause skin irritation if you have an allergy to it, and has been linked in some studies to cancer and nervous system issues, though it is considered generally safe by the FDA in the United States.
Isobutane: used in aerosol deodorants, isobutane has been linked to cancer and can affect the reproductive system, though it is considered generally safe by the FDA in the United States.
Fragrances: considered "trade secrets" by the FDA, many companies do not need to list the ingredients in their fragrances, which can be composed of all different kinds of chemicals.
Vegan Deodorants
Vegan deodorants tend to be more on the natural end, and are cruelty free so they are not tested on animals. I have tried many of these brands below (but not all of them), and all that I have listed are completely cruelty free and vegan, so no need to worry about checking labels!
Herban Cowboy
This was the very first vegan deodorant I tried when I started dabbling in switching to cruelty free products, and it worked so well. Available in fresh scents for men and women.
Pacifica
You all know how much I use Pacifica products. I've been using their deodorants for awhile and absolutely love them.
Alpine Provisions
I personally use Alpine Provisions products and absolutely love the clean, earthy scents. They offer 3 different types of vegan and cruelty free deodorants which include charcoal, magnesium, and aluminum-free sodium bicarbonate. Alpine Provisions also uses eco-friendly and sustainable packaging.
Rustic Maka
I found this brand through The Vegan Warehouse and have been using their Naughty Butter natural unscented deodorant and absolutely love it. Other lines include a magnesium deodorant, charcoal deodorant, and a prebiotic deodorant.
Native
This brand is vegan and cruelty free and offers all kinds of natural deodorants in different scents, unscented, and now has a line with plastic-free packaging.
Spirit Nest
The Naked Moon deodorant was the second vegan deodorant I've tried. Spirit Nest offers tons of other vegan beauty products and even some accessories, clothing, and home and altar stuff for my fellow witchy folks.
Schmidt's
Offering up both deodorant sticks and jars in unisex scents, Schmidt's uses plant-based formulas and has a line for sensitive skin. Schmidt's is vegan, natural, sustainable, and has won plenty of clean beauty awards.
Habitat Botanicals
Sustainable, vegan, cruelty free body care products with a deodorant line available in 2 fresh scents. Habitat Botanicals is actually owned by Pela, the sustainable phone case company!
Happy, healthy shopping!
-Kat
