First things first, let's get this straight; most antiperspirants can be deodorants but not all deodorants are antiperspirants. Deodorants prevent or mask body odour whereas antiperspirants clog the pores and prevent you from sweating.
If you have been wanting to switch to a natural deodorant, this recent mandate of staying at home and being six feet away is a blessing in disguise. When I switched over to my first natural deodorant from a commercial antiperspirant, my body adapted quickly and the transition was so easy. But for a friend, it turned out to be a smelly affair. It took her body a couple of weeks to adapt.
Your skin is permeable and you must be mindful of the things you put on it. Take a look at the most common ingredients used in commercial deodorants and antiperspirants,
- Aluminum - Blocks pores and prevents sweating.
- Triclosan (an antibacterial/antifungal agent) - Kills the bacteria in armpits.
- Parabens (preservative) - Extends shelf life of deodorant.
- Phthalates (plasticizer) - Aids flexibility and texture of deodorant and makes it stick to the skin.
- Fragrance or Parfum - Adds scent to the deodorant.
While long term exposure to some of these ingredients is still being researched, numerous studies indicate that some of them have critical health effects. So switching to a safe natural product like Super Deodorant takes out the guesswork and gets the job done without any side effects.
Now, let's focus on the most important question of all. Why does body odour get worse before it gets better? When you switch to a safer natural deodorant, your pores are no longer blocked. Because of this, you will sweat more than usual. How smelly you are going to be at this stage is dependent on the amount of sulphur, protein and fatty acids present in your sweat. This is mainly influenced by your diet. At this stage, the body odour causing bacteria in your armpit and your natural deodorant are new to one another. The bacteria will do its best to defend itself from the antibacterial agent present in the natural deodorant. For 99% of people, the bacteria will be defeated immediately but for the 1%, it takes anywhere between a day to a few weeks. If you belong to the 1%, be patient, have faith and allow the natural deodorant to do its thing. With everyone practicing social distancing at the moment, you couldn't have picked a better time to cross over to the other side.
Maintaining decent personal hygiene is non-negotiable. Depending on how active you are, take a shower once or twice every day. Enjoy a balanced diet and use the natural deodorant as advised and be patient. You are going to love it :)
Here is another tip that will save you some money. Sweating is your body's natural way of cooling itself. No toxin is expelled from your body through sweat. If someone recommends you an armpit detox or an underarm oil to speed up the performance of their natural deodorant, grip your wallet tight and run in the opposite direction. They don't know what they are talking about.
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