If you’ve ever taken one of our rides, you know good and well how grateful one can be for a perfectly working deodorant in such sweaty classes.

The question you should ask yourself, though, is: “Is my deodorant really working for me?”

Not to put a damper on your DO, but there are several pitfalls when it comes to ‘normal’ deodorants and antiperspirants. Those being skin irritation, possible health risks, and even making perspiration worse.

Don’t worry. We have the answer to the above problems, and it’s simply: natural deodorants! Here’s a list of reasons why you might want to make the switch to a natural deodorant:

Sweating is actually healthy!

It is our body’s natural way to control the temperature. However, conventional products don’t allow the body to properly release the sweat necessary to cool down the body and release toxins. The amazing thing is that it’s not actually our sweat that makes it smelly. Sweat is simply a mix of water and salt. What smells is when our sweat comes into contact with the bacteria that live on our skin. But don’t sweat it, that smell can easily be prevented with natural deodorants.

Conventional deodorants often cause skin issues and irritation...

Antiperspirants work by closing the pores to prevent perspiration, but this means that sweat builds up beneath the skin. This can cause bumpy skin and painful irritation. If you get bad razor burn or irritated armpits, definitely consider making the switch!

…and can actually make things worse.

The buildup of sweat beneath the skin also comes with a buildup of the good bacteria that actually digests sweat, limiting the ability your body has to digest any bad bacteria, making your sweat smell even worse. Furthermore, the aluminum compounds can cause an acidic reaction to fabric, which is what makes those gross sweat stains on your white t-shirts.

But lucky for us, there are great alternatives.

Not only does the use of only natural ingredients in deodorants limit the skin issues and diseases possible from their non-natural counterparts, but they also provide many benefits themselves. Natural deodorants don’t block pores, so that good bacteria keeps working, meaning less odor even when you’re not wearing any deodorant. An irritation-free armpit results in a closer (and longer-lasting) shave, and you can forget about worrying over your white t-shirt getting yellow pit stains. Some ingredients used in natural deodorants (like witch hazel) can also shrink pores and smooth razor burn. Now if that isn’t a win-win situation, I don’t know what is?!

Our absolute favorite natural alternatives are Girl Smells and the deodorant cream from Soapwalla. Don’t believe they work just as good as their non-natural counterparts? Come into the studio and try them out before your next sweaty workout. And if you're strapped for time after class, skip the shower and rely on these beauties to do the trick!

Article written by Julia Stein

Why Switch to a Natural Deodorant