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Our skin is the largest organ in terms of surface area occupied. It’s through the skin that we perspire. The sweat produced by our skin contains water, proteins and some little fats but is odorless. Bacteria on the skin break down sweat components through metabolism resulting in bad odor or smell. Human beings have for long-sought various ways to keep up with this biological phenomenon. Everyone wants to eliminate the bad smell that comes from sweating. Deodorants are usually the most common option for most people. Deodorants are used to curb this bad smell through their application onto the skin. But we must make informed choices on the type of deodorants that have good outcomes to our health. Chemical deodorants have aluminum which blocks sweat pores from producing sweat. Natural deodorants, on the other hand, do not block the pores but instead neutralize body odor. Natural deodorants, therefore, offer a healthier way to resolve issues of bad smell.
Advantages of natural deodorants include:
PROS:
1. Are free from Aluminum: Non-natural deodorants contain Aluminum. Aluminum can be absorbed through the skin and end up into the bloodstream. Aluminum is associated with some of the diseases like Alzheimer and confusion.
2. Does not stop natural sweating: Sweating is a good thing for our bodies. It helps regulate our body temperatures. Unlike antiperspirant which halts sweating; natural deodorants only stop the metabolic action of bacteria.
3. Reduced risks for babies that breastfeed from their mothers: Applying natural deodorants will ensure that toxic chemicals are not passed to the baby during breastfeeding which protects the young child from poisoning and other deformities.
4. Does not stain clothes: Natural deodorants are aluminum free hence do not stain your clothes. It`s more difficult to wash away stains mad by deodorants containing aluminum. Aluminum stains yellow in most fabrics.
5. Reduced risks of cancer: Natural deodorants are also free from cancer-causing substances. Accumulation of carcinogenic substances around the armpits just near the lymph nodes can lead to their adsorptions resulting in cell mutations which would lead to cancer.
6. Natural deodorants are soy-free: Being soy-free those who apply natural deodorants may not encounter allergic reactions. When some skins get into contact with chemical deodorants, they might, unfortunately, exhibit hypersensitive reactions to the chemical components that make them.
7. Eliminates hormonal imbalances: Estrogenic components not found in natural deodorants but present in chemical ones usually lead to hormonal imbalances when absorbed through the skin.
8. Non-toxic: Natural deodorants contain essential oils that are sweet smelling and one that causes less harm to the skin.
9. Offers a natural aroma: Unlike artificial fragrances, natural deodorants have scents from essential oils. The aroma produced is very non-synthetic.
10. Promotes healthier skin: With the use of natural deodorants, the skin will remain of sound health without any irritation or defects.
CONS:
1. Natural deodorants do not completely eliminate sweating: Those with excessive sweating will fail to note any reduction in the amount of sweats. It`s worth noting that natural deodorants do not stop sweating but instead neutralize the bad one must cope with excess sweat that may still come along.
2. Sticky skin contacts: Due to excess sweats that natural components cannot limit one must experience some stickiness. Lemon juices are a perfect example of possible stickiness that may arise if used as a deodorant for armpits.
3. Home-made deodorants require certain mixing procedures: One must know the procedure to be followed in preparing home-made natural deodorants. All favorable ingredients must also be available.
4. Not completely free from side effects: Not all combinations of natural deodorants is good for everyone`s skin. Some people may still face challenges such as allergic reactions to certain components in natural deodorants.
5. Not always readily available: some home-made natural deodorants can require expertise in mixing different components. This is opposed to chemical fragrances and deodorants that arrive ready to be used by the user.
6. Natural isn`t completely free from chemicals: Some chemical compounds may still find their way in natural deodorants. A deodorant may thus be natural and yet contain some chemicals.
7. The market has less natural deodorants: It’s very easy for someone to find a non-natural deodorant in retail shops than it is for natural deodorants. Most of the people do not care about the benefits of natural deodorants hence they continue the use of other aluminum-based deodorants.
8. The skin is still at risk of cancer: people will still get in contact with aluminum from other fields of work. Applying natural deodorants doesn’t remove or eliminate contact with aluminum and other carcinogenic substances. Some chemical substances that may be used in the preparation of the deodorant might still be cancerous. It only reduces the exposure to these disease-causing components.
9. Some are expensive: Some natural deodorants are usually expensive to buy, make or maintain. They may also require more efforts during use.
10. Some homemade deodorants can go bad easily: deodorants made from fruit juices without preservatives may not endure longer times without going bad.