Natural Homemade Deodorant: Is It Worth It?

Posted by Deodorant Guy

Brands like Mitchum deodorant for men, Jovan Musk deodorant, Nivea deodorant for men and others make up some of the top 10 deodorants for men. But as with everything else these days, there’s a push toward more natural products, organic ingredients and less consumerism. The push toward a simple life has led some people to give up many products they used for years. People are scrubbing with water and baking soda instead of bleach and scouring powder. Baking soda and vinegar have become staples of the natural home instead of things like ammonia and harsh chemical products. Some people have also chosen to go natural with their hygiene products like shampoos, makeup and deodorant for men and women.

Do Homemade Deodorants Work?

The answer to that question is a resounding yes, and a resounding no. Much of your opinion of these types of deodorants will be based on how important your current deodorant is to you. It will also depend on how much you sweat and how well your current deodorant and antiperspirant prevents you from sweating now. All that has to be balanced with how good it makes you feel to use a natural product. You might find that it’s worth any inconvenience, or you might decide that you’d rather use chemicals and purchase a commercially made product to get a better result, or at least one you are more familiar with.

Even the Best Deodorant isn’t Necessary

It’s important to remember that mens deodorant is not absolutely necessary. You will not die or become ill from not using deodorant. So, because it’s not technically an essential product, there is no specific brand you must absolutely use. Some people do not use deodorant because they have an allergy to the products, or they have other reasons for avoiding it. Chances are, they find other ways to stop body odor. That’s where natural deodorants come in. A common homemade natural deodorant is a mixture of equal parts baking soda and cornstarch. Make sure your underarms are completely dry and pat it on. When you sweat, you will most likely have a wet residue under your arms because this mixture absorbs a tiny bit of moisture while it neutralizes odor.

If your problem is the wetness of sweaty armpits, most likely the best homemade remedy isn’t going to do the job. Instead, look for an antiperspirant deodorant that contains only natural ingredients. It has to be an antiperspirant to stop the wetness as deodorant only controls odor. The problem is that even natural antiperspirants don’t work as well as those that contain aluminum salts. Aluminum salts are somewhat controversial because some researchers claim they’re linked to things like Alzheimer’s disease and breast cancer, but there is no definitive proof of this yet. There are, however, a number of aluminum free deodorants on the market.

Natural Deodorants and Sweating

Some natural deodorant for men products contain some aluminum and those will work a little better at stopping wetness. Usually, they boast that the aluminum they use is safe because it’s too big for your skin to absorb. That’s a pretty good sign it’s not going to work because antiperspirants rely on aluminum getting into the ducts that sweat travels through and swelling them shut. If the aluminum particles are too big to be absorbed, they’re essentially useless in an antiperspirant.  So, while you may be able to find deodorant without aluminum on the store shelves, you need to understand that it may not be very effective against excessive armpit sweat.

When the time comes for you to decide what the best deodorant for men in your life is, whether you choose a commercial product or homemade deodorant, make sure to test them in one small spot of your armpit for at least a day before smearing them on liberally, in case you do have a skin reaction to the products.