OMG Digital Magazine OMG Issue 306 26th April 2018 | Page 30

OMG Digital Magazine | 306 | Thursday 26 April 2018 • PAGE 30
Do Natural Deodorants Really Work? We Asked 3 Experts
By Jihan
Thompson
There's a whiff of skepticism about
whether eco-ingredients can
really take care of your underarm
issues. We asked the experts for the
lowdown.
Q: Do natural deodorants stop sweat?
A. Eh...not really. In standard antiperspirants, aluminum
plugs up glands to stop the drip, but it's missing from
natural deodorants. However, you can find products,
like those from Schmidt's or Kaia Naturals, that contain
activated charcoal. This ingredient can help absorb
some moisture, says Paris Kharbat, a functional-medicine
physician at the Cleveland Clinic. Clay may also sop up
wetness.
Q. What about odor?
A. Here, again, aluminum is conventional deodorant's main
defense. By keeping skin dry, it creates an unappealing
environment for bacteria, explains Dee Anna Glaser, MD,
a dermatologist at St. Louis University. And few natural
ingredients are as effective at dampness control as
aluminum. Instead, some natural products contain baking
soda to help neutralize odors; others have their own
(pleasant!) fragrance.
Q. Are natural deodorants a healthier choice?
A. The American Cancer Society has determined that
there is no link between aluminum and breast cancer.
Then again, "it's a difficult task to work out what these
chemicals do when mixed together and when a woman
puts them on her body every day," says Philippa Darbre,
PhD, a biochemist at the University of Reading in the UK.
She stopped using antiperspirant 20 years ago, she says,
and "no one walking into my office has yet complained."