There are more and more people seeking natural methods for doing things. This is a great, and truly exciting, thing! The problem is that because we’ve been so bombarded with the unnatural and ill-informed, over the years, we find ourselves having to figure out what’s what. More and more products are being created, and numerous claims have been made. The consumer is often left confused and/or abused by individuals who may mean well, but have been misinformed, and by companies whose only interest is the their bottom line. As much as I love to see a shift toward the natural, there’s so much to be learned. So, armed with the inspiration to teach from a scientific perspective, I’m going to help those who simply want a natural and effective deodorant.
Some who use baking soda deodorant may not notice this negative effect right away, but others experience issues like mild or intense itching, formation of a rash in the area, change in color of the skin under the arms (red, blue, purple, black), and flaking and peeling skin. These are all signs of skin damage due to loss of the protective bacteria that naturally live on the skin. This causes increased risk of infection or worse.
Unfortunately, there’s an assumption that ‘natural’ or ‘naturally-sourced’ automatically means ‘safe’. This belief may have led to incorrect rationalizations being made, and promoted. Some people are telling the public that these reactions are simply part of what’s called a ‘healing crisis, meaning that you should expect things to get worse and eventually improve, or they’re saying that it’s the body detoxing itself. Neither of these things are true, and anyone making such statements should probably be avoided, in general.
Skin is about a 5 on the pH scale, which is acidic, and baking soda is about a 9, alkaline. Pure water has a pH of about a 7, which is neutral. Daily, our skin must readjust after bathing, and many of us who suffer from dry skin don’t realize that the soap they use is likely a major factor, having an alkaline pH. Add to this the use of baking soda, and the skin never has a chance to recover.
So what’s a better alternative? Something very acidic, more acidic than your skin pH but safe! Vinegar won’t work well, although it is acidic, with a pH of about 4, but lemon and lime work great! These typically have a pH of 2, which is strong enough to kill the bad bugs, but leaves the good ones.
You can simply slice a lemon/lime and apply the juice to your underarms, or you can use a virus juicer to extract the juice and use it when needed. I often keep mine in a travel-sized spray bottle. You can also use store-bought bottled juice. No matter if you use fresh slices, squeezed, or bottled, you will need to keep it refrigerated. Fresh lemon or lime juice should be discarded after 3 days.
If you’re switching over from common deodorant to a natural type, the first day or two will be touch and go, because all of the impurities that the deodorant keeps from getting out by blocking or minimizing your sweat will be coming out and your under arms may smell a bit … odd. For this reason, I suggest making the switch during a time when you’re not going to be too busy to refresh a few times throughout the day, for a couple days.
With that said, these natural deodorants won’t keep you from perspiring, and they shouldn’t. They won’t block your ducts, and they won’t introduce toxic chemicals if you’re using organic. Fruits with pesticides may irritate the skin. Washing the fruit might help, but it may not be sufficient.
Many of us choose alternatives in an effort to avoid toxic chemicals or prevent possible cancer, but we don’t want to switch to something that can be damaging in other ways. Citrus fruit is natural, AND safe for your skin. It’s a win/win!