You've decided to switch from an antiperspirant containing hazardous ingredients to an all-natural deodorant, but you're not happy with how it works? Doesn't it provide any protection, or maybe even provoke skin irritation? Why doesn't the product that others sing the praises of, work for you?
Don't worry, you're not alone - disappointment when switching to a natural deodorant is quite common. But you should understand that the lack of the desired effect has a reason. The reason is your personal physiology. Let's figure out together why deodorant doesn't work and whether it's worth giving it a chance.
Why do we "smell"?
Body odor is determined by a variety of factors: nutrition, genetics, hormones, lifestyle, climate, mood, and wardrobe. This explains why the same deodorant can work perfectly for one person and be useless for another.
The human skin is covered with a microbiome - trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that help the immune system and play an important role in protecting the skin from various infections. The apocrine glands that produce sweat are especially abundant in the armpits. Stress, excitement or anger - and your apocrine glands are already working at full capacity. Sweat is composed of fat and protein and is odorless. But it is food for bacteria that break down the fat and protein that make up sweat. The broken down molecules have the same specific odor of sweat that we smell.
The odor formula
Sweat + bacteria = unpleasant odor. That's the secret to sweat odor. The underarm microbiome is as complex and diverse as the gut or oral microbiome. According to a scientific study, people who use antiperspirants have a greater number of bacterial species in their armpits than those who do not use deodorant or use a natural version of it.
At the moment of switching from antiperspirant to a natural analog, the microbiome begins to change. In other words, the bacteria that used to inhabit the armpit are replaced by other bacteria. Different bacteria means different odors. That is, odor is the result of the type and number of bacteria that inhabit the skin of the armpits. As the composition of the underarm bacteria changes, so does their odor. Usually, the biome change takes 2 to 4 weeks.
How is the transition going?
The first week - you may not notice the difference between antiperspirant and natural deodorant. Sometimes people are happy to change the product, thinking it works perfectly.
The second week is the beginning of an active change in the microbiome. There is an increase and change in odor. When switching from a sweat-blocking antiperspirant, a temporary increase in sweating may be noted. The increase in sweating and/or odor is directly related to the change in the microbiome. If you stop using natural deodorant at this stage, your body will have to adapt to antiperspirant again.
Tip: special detox products or skin-friendly antiseptics can help you go through the biome restructuring stage and reduce the appearance of unpleasant odor.
The third week - the microbiome of the armpits is as close to normal as possible. At this stage, odor and sweat are usually normalized.
Fourth week - there is a complete change of microorganisms in the armpits. Gradually, people notice that the natural deodorant really works and begin to feel comfortable.
Do you have irritation? Look for the causes.
There are several possible reasons why you may experience irritation when using natural deodorants.
Improper application. Do not rub the deodorant too intensively, apply it to wet skin or in excessive amounts. This may cause irritation.
Irritation after shaving. Shaving causes microtraumas on the delicate skin of the underarms. We recommend shaving in the evening, when there is no need to use deodorant immediately. The skin will heal overnight, and using deodorant in the morning will not cause irritation.
Dry skin. Dry underarm skin is prone to irritation. Try applying a small amount of high-quality oil (olive, coconut, jojoba) to the skin before going to bed. Jojoba oil also perfectly heals micro-cuts after shaving.
Wearing synthetic clothing. Polyester and other synthetic fabrics do not allow the skin to breathe, which leads to the development of bacteria, excessive sweating, and unpleasant odors. This is another reason to choose natural fabrics.
Be patient and give your body time to adapt. Don't give up on switching to natural deodorant halfway through. Your body will thank you later.
