I tend to experience some disappointment when it comes to natural deodorants. Some work for a while, then don’t, some don’t work at all, and some still have some questionable ingredients in them in my opinion.

So when I received Earth Conscious’ email asking if I would like to try their Earth Conscious  Organic All-Natural Deodorant I reservedly said “yes, please”. I never want to get my hopes up, because even the ones with questionable ingredients don’t always seem to work for me…. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I’m a stink bomb or anything, I just don’t always smell as fresh as I might like to! Especially being an active person, with my Fierce Grace Yoga and Softball, I like to smell good and need a product that actually works.

These natural deodorants are available in three fragrances – Citrus, Lavender and Men’s – a Mint scented fresh deodorant. I have tried citrus and lavender, the men’s we haven’t tried, although as Mr BB barely washes there’s not much use for it in our house! 

The formula is very simple, containing just organic coconut oil (antibacterial, antimicrobial and antifungal), organic arrowroot (helps the formula thicken to make a paste and draws out toxins), sodium bicarbonate (deodoriser and alkaliser), organic shea butter (soothing and rich in vitamin A and E – making this a good option for freshly shaven armpits!), beeswax (stabiliser and antibacterial) plus the essential oils for fragrance.

Whilst there’s contradicting information on the web about whether some ingredients found in deodorants are linked to breast cancer, it can’t do you any harm to switch to a natural and organic brand such as this one, and the sad fact of the matter is that 1 in 3 of us will be affected by breast cancer at some point in our lives. 

There are three ingredients to avoid in deodorants, in my opinion –

• Aluminium – aluminium compounds are antiperspirants – closing the pores and preventing the body from sweating. Aluminium compounds have been linked to several health problems including Alzheimer’s, breast cancer,  kidney problems, dermatitis, bone disformaties and seizures.
• Parabens – these synthetic preservatives, that are also found in nature, have been linked to breast cancer, and found in breast cancer tissue. The presence of this in deodorants is concerning because deodorant is applied so close to the breasts and secondly because parabens are what are known as an oestrogenic compound. This means that they mimic oestrogen and have the ability to send the same messages in the body as oestrogen. One of oestrogen’s roles in the body is to promote the growth of breast tissue, so an excess might lead to cancerous overgrowth.
• Propylene Glycol is a neurotoxin that has been shown to cause contact dermatitis, kidney and liver damage. The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for propylene glycol by the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety warns workers to avoid skin contact with the toxic chemical, yet it’s found in tonnes of beauty products! Albeit in small quantities, but wouldn’t you rather choose a product without it?!

Have you found a natural deodorant you can depend on? Which one is it?!