In recent years, the world has become more aware of the effect of using certain products in conjunction with their own health and the planet. Gone are the days of picking up your trusty antiperspirant or roll-on - now, there are dozens of retail stands of choice. 

Whether you want anti-white marks, a fresh-smelling scent or protection for 24 hours plus: there is a deodorant out there for everyone. However, people are now starting to raise the question “is this healthy to use on my skin?” This is where Proverb Natural Refillable Deodorant comes in.

Deodorant Ingredients To Avoid

Within your everyday deodorant or antiperspirant, there is a range of “nasty” ingredients that you should watch out for and try to avoid. Have a look at the back of your deodorant can and see if you can find any of these.

Aluminium in Deodorant

Aluminium is used to plug the sweat glands in your armpits and block them and it does this very successfully. In the ingredients list on your deodorant it will list as one of these:  Aluminum chlorohydrate, Aluminum zirconium trichlorohydrex glycine, Aluminum hydroxybromid, Aluminum sulfate or Sodium aluminium chlorohydroxy lactate. 

There has been much medical discussion about Aluminium having potentially harmful risks on your health, especially as it is being sprayed into a lymph node filled armpit. It has been linked heavily to endocrine disruption and breast cancer, with some oncology departments telling you to avoid it and some saying it isn’t a problem at all. Though these are very mixed messages, but if you don’t want to take risks, the healthiest deodorant to use should not have any aluminium, which is why Proverb’s natural deodorant doesn’t.

Butyl, Ethyl, Methyl & Propyl Paraben

Preservatives are used to extend the shelf life of products and are widely used in the beauty industry. An increasing number of studies have shown a risk of skin rashes and in the worse case that they are a potential carcinogen. So keep an eye out for these harmful deodorant ingredients: Butyl, Ethyl, Methyl & Propyl Paraben.

Fragrance and Parfum

Fragrance/Parfum is the ingredient most likely to cause sensitivity and skin irritation, which is why it is part of our list of toxic skincare ingredients. Legally you don’t have to declare all your fragrance ingredients and can just put ‘Parfum’, which means this one word can be used to hide 20-100+ ingredient parts. If your aim is to purchase a healthy deodorant than avoid ‘parfum’ at all costs.

Good Ingredients in Deodorant

We know conventional ingredients in deodorants are not the way to go, which is why Proverb’s Refillable Natural Deodorant uses only natural, organic and vegan ingredients. This means you will not find aluminium, parabens, propylene glycol, petroleums, aerosol gases, alcohol or artificial fragrances. When creating the deodorant, our chief formulator, Kirstie, wanted to make sure that the ingredients used… you could technically eat! So, here goes - all of the good ingredients in deodorant used by the healthiest deodorant:

1. Chia & Broccoli Seed Oil

To help support delicate, easily irritated skins. Chia, the richest plant source of omega 3 is a powerful anti-inflammatory while Broccoli seed oil has a highly impressive omega fatty acid and vitamin C content to deeply moisturise.

2. Candelilla, Carnauba & Bayberry Wax

One of the good ingredients in deodorant is plant-based waxes. These are vegan alternatives to beeswax that we use at Proverb to create the deodorant stick. They also help soften the skin and make it glide on easily. Bayberry wax is an aromatic green vegetable wax. It is removed from the surface of the fruit, from the bayberry shrub - smelling beautiful (a bit like a forest) and is part of your wax stick structure.

3. Tapioca Starch

From the root of the Cassava plant, tapioca starch is crucial in helping you feel dry. Only the deodorants in our active range include a small percentage of baking soda to neutralise body odour, we opt for a combination of other ingredients including tapioca starch to help those with sensitive skin too.

4. Cornflour & Arrowroot

A kitchen staple but also a natural, safe alternative to absorbing the moisture that gets trapped on the skin. Cornflour is used in all our core range of deodorants but not the sensitive ones where we use Arrowroot instead. Both help ensure you stay dry all day long.