I know you may be thinking…is she really going to talk about deodorant?? The answer is YES! Deodorant is something that most people don’t ever really think about. You know what you like, you buy it, use it, then repeat. How did you decide on the deodorant you use? Was it the one your mom or dad used? Did you pick it because of the smell? Do you prefer spray or stick?

I always used the one my mom used and then eventually picked a different one because it was cheaper and I liked the smell better. It wasn’t until I started working at my current job in the hospital that I ever really gave deodorant a second thought. How did my job make me question deodorant you might ask? Great question! I am an ultrasound tech. Specifically, I am a breast ultrasound tech. I have worked in the women’s center doing breast ultrasound for about 22 years. The patients I scan are there for one of 2 reasons. Either they have had an abnormal mammogram that requires further workup or they are having a breast symptom like a lump, pain, discharge, etc. If you are old enough to have ever had a mammogram you know they ask that you not wear deodorant when coming in for your test. It may seem like a strange request, especially on those hot summer days, but there is a very good reason.

Most deodorants contain something called aluminum chlorohydrate or something similarly named. Aluminum….. It’s just what it sounds like. Why would we possibly want/need aluminum in our deodorant?!? It’s a sweat blocking ingredient. The tiny aluminum flecks actually get into the pores and block the sweat. I don’t know about you but “blocked sweat glands” sounds like a malfunction instead of an intention!

The reason this is important for mammograms is because the aluminum actually shows up on the mammogram picture. The x-ray picks up the tiny metal flecks which can be mistaken for calcifications on your mammogram. Occasionally women will get called back for extra pictures of these “calcifications” seen on their mammogram only to find out that it was actually their deodorant showing up on the picture. That is a cost that no one wants, especially if it’s unnecessary! Besides being a nuisance on your mammogram, aluminum exposure has a possible link to several health issues affecting multiple bodily organs, including the brain.

There are other dangerous ingredients on the list in most deodorants. They include Parabens, Triclosan, fragrance, amongst others.

Parabens are in nearly everything. With a quick Google search you can discover the MANY reasons Parabens should be avoided whenever possible. For the purpose of our deodorant discussion, it’s important to know that Parabens are known to accumulate in the body and have been detected in breast cancer samples.

Triclosan is a known endocrine disruptor and a suspected carcinogen. It can accumulate in your fat for long periods of time, and is now detectable in human breast milk, blood, and urine samples (as reported by Scientific American). Both the FDA and the EPA are currently reviewing the safety of this chemical.

Fragrance, which is a very broad term and can encompass SO MANY toxins under just one word on the ingredient list. Fragrances are often overlooked offenders because people see it listed on an ingredient list and think…it’s just a scent, it can’t be that bad. Right?!? WRONG! “Fragrances”, also called phthalates, are considered probable carcinogens by the EPA and likely to cause cancer. Phthalates may interfere, mimic or block hormones, can interfere with the normal development of a fetus or child, and can damage the reproductive system. This is only a tiny snippet of the dangers fragrances can have on the body.

But why is all of this so important?

Our skin is the body’s largest organ. Everything applied to the skin gets a direct line straight into the blood stream within seconds. That’s why it is SO IMPORTANT to be cautious about what we put on our skin and on our hair. Our choice of deodorant is important because not only are we applying it directly onto our skin, meaning it gets into our blood stream, but we are applying it directly over a large collection of lymph nodes. The armpit area is the home to your axillary lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are small clumps of immune cells that act as filters for the lymphatic system. They also store white blood cells that help fight illness. Is this where we want to be applying the above-listed toxins every single day? Sometimes multiple times a day??

The final reason to consider your choice of deodorant is how close the application location is to the breast tissue. Breast cancer numbers are on the rise, especially in younger women. At the center I work at we’ve had multiple women in their 20’s and 30’s recently with a new diagnosis of breast cancer. Often times it’s a fast growing cancer that has already metastasized, meaning it has already spread to the lymph nodes and to other locations in the body. This unfortunately does not usually have a good outcome. Now I’m not saying that these cancers are all due to deodorant choice, although I would venture a guess that the majority of the cases are due to toxin exposure of some sort, but it could definitely play a role. And men are not off the hook!! We see men at our center with breast cancer also, so the same concerns would apply to them.

Many deodorants on the market with the word “Natural” on the label are anything but. Some of them started out as small companies with good intentions and decent ingredients but most were eventually bought out by big companies with zero ethics/morals caring only about profit. They compromised the ingredient list for cheaper unsafe ingredients but left the “natural” label on it because they knew that would help it to sell. Unfortunately there just isn’t really any policing of such things so typically the “natural” label gets left intact.

So where’s the good news?!?

The GOOD NEWS is that there IS a natural deodorant available! I have used it during workouts and on the hottest summer days while doing yardwork. It lasts!! And even better…it has ZERO of the above listed toxic ingredients!! It also contains doTerra’s grounding blend, Balance. doTerra’s website describes it best….”Natural Deodorant infused with dōTERRA Balance® essential oil features a proprietary blend of essential oils, combined with baking soda to actively protect against odor while tapioca absorbs moisture for long-lasting freshness. The warm, woody aroma of dōTERRA Balance Grounding Blend creates a sense of calm and well-being to uplift your mood and boost your confidence.”

Doesn’t that sound nice?!? I use it and I love it! Just a note, I do find that it is a bit dry when applying so I use a drop of Tea Tree oil and add to the top of the deodorant each time I’m applying it. This serves two purposes. The Tea Tree oil helps the deodorant to glide on easier AND Tea Tree itself combats odors so you’re giving it a boost! I have used it without the Tea Tree oil and it is still effective, it just didn’t glide on as smoothly. If you are someone that has a sensitivity to the baking soda in the Balance deodorant, doTerra does offer a baking soda free version!

So while I agree that deodorant is a pretty boring topic, it’s an example of a SIMPLE way we can make better choices in our daily lives while attempting to remove the toxins from our homes. Start your pre-teens out using this deodorant so that their bodies don’t begin collecting aluminum, parabins and phthalates at such a young age. We MUST begin to make better choices. Our lives truly depend on it!

Until next week,

Kimberly

As always, if you have any questions about the products or topics I discuss please feel free to drop me an email or find me on Facebook. I would love to chat with you how about you can start your family out on this journey with a FREE doTerra membership! If you don’t get my weekly newsletter you can click here to download my free guide and get added to my list!