Floraesthetics asks…After reading your blog post about scare tactics, I decided to try my hand at homemade deodorant. I looked at all kinds of recipes, and I created one based on the available ingredients I had in my kitchen. The result was amazing! I was so excited to have created a natural, “aluminum-free” deodorant that worked. Then, I researched a little more and realized that the clays I was using have aluminum content. I went back online and noticed that many natural deodorants contain clays that have aluminum. Can you help me figure out if it can be called aluminum-free if it contains bentonite clay, for example? Also, how does this type of aluminum fit into the neurotoxicity issue?
The Right Brain responds:
First a little background about the different kinds of aluminum in Antiperspirant/Deodorant products.
How is Aluminum used in APDs?
Antiperspirants
Ingredient: Aluminum zirconium tetrachorohydrex glycine
Function: These ingredients are designed to interact with the pores of your body, creating tiny gelatinous plugs that reduce sweating. Best research shows no connection to Alzheimer’s disease.
Deodorants
Ingredient: Bentonite, Kaolinite
Function: These are naturally occurring clays that are used as thickeners because of their ability to gel the solvents typically used in deodorants. We have not been able to find any reference linking these to the Alzheimer’s controversy.
Can you legally claim aluminum-free?
Unfortunately we’re not lawyers (although we do like to watch them on TV) so we can’t really advise you of the legality of making such a claim. You’re certainly free to make such a product for your personal use, but if you plan on selling your own deodorants we recommend consulting an attorney. Regardless of what legal council tells you, would this claim really pass the “red faced test” for you? In other words, if you really don’t believe the scientific consensus that says aluminum salts in APs are safe, then can you in good conscience add aluminum containing ingredients to your deodorant? If science says their safe, they should be safe in both cases.
Image credit: www.marieclaire.com
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve been using an aluminum and scent free deodorant(and you won’t believe what it is) for nearly 10 months now. My skin is sensitive and no matter what deodorant I used(even the ones for sensitive skins) I would break out on my underarms. Then I found a natural, gentle deodorant that WORKS.
Milk of Magnesia.
That’s right, you read it right, the laxative. It works incredibly well AND as a nice side affect, it lightened the skin on my underarms. My mom uses it too on her underarms and feet(her feet sweat bad) and it worked for her too.
Hope this helps!
xoxo
That is a problem for a lot of people. I want to have a deodorant that won’t darken under my arms. I’m already prone to hyperpigmentation, I just want to have less areas that darken so much.
Milk of Magnesia works great! I’ve been using it for years.