Many deodorant products are effective at eliminating or covering body odor, but plenty of them are also terrible for sensitive skin because of it. They can clog your pores, prevent you from sweating, and lead to long-term negative side effects that cause frequent rashes or other skin irritation.
But if you have sensitive skin, there’s still hope! In fact, there are plenty of deodorant products perfect for sensitive skin if you know where to look and what ingredients to prioritize. At Green Goo, we have just the deodorant for folks with sensitive skin who want to get rid of body odor without clogging pores or having to experience uncomfortable rashes or skin redness.
How Does Deodorant Work and Why Does It Bother Sensitive Skin?
There are two main types of deodorant: those that try to deodorize you by covering up body odor with another odor and those that try to deodorize you by blocking your skin’s pores, also known as antiperspirants.
Basically, body odor comes about when we sweat. Our apocrine sweat glands located primarily in our armpits and groin release sweat when we get hot or when we’re stressed, but it’s not sweat itself that smells bad – in fact, in a vacuum, sweat would only smell like saltwater.
Instead, we experience body odor because the bacteria on the surface of our skin can use the salt and other components in our sweat as fuel. The bacteria then divide and multiply, feasting on the nutrients contained in our sweat and producing the body odor we all recognize.
As you might imagine, blocking your skin’s pores is never a good idea. Most commercial deodorants that do this utilize aluminum in order to block your pores, preventing your skin from producing as much sweat as it would otherwise. While this can result in less body odor since the bacteria can no longer use the minerals in the sweat for themselves, it can also lead to a lot of extra side effects.
Blocking your skin’s pores can lead to skin irritation and inflammation, not to mention that you shouldn’t be trapping sweat underneath your skin. Long-term health effects are also possible; there is some evidence to suggest that aluminum-based deodorant products are linked to increased risk of cancer.
Many types of deodorant affect sensitive skin because of the aluminum. People with sensitive skin also often experience side effects even more severely since their skin is already primed for irritation and inflammation. By packing aluminum into your pores, you can trigger a severe reaction in your skin.
In general, sensitive skin or not, deodorant products that cover up body odor instead of blocking your pores are much better choices.
Deodorant for Sensitive Skin
This being said, there are some great deodorant products that can be used for sensitive skin. As you might expect, these are deodorants that seek to cover up body odor rather than eliminating sweat emission entirely.
The best deodorants for sensitive skin will often use top-tier ingredients that can provide soothing effects to the skin while covering up odor with a fresh, natural scent. This leads us to the importance of all-natural ingredients.
All-Natural Deodorant Ingredients
At Green Goo, we’re always focused on providing effective products made with the best all-natural ingredients. Ingredients are of chief importance when creating deodorant for sensitive skin, especially since many types of sensitive skin aren’t compatible with synthetic perfumes and fragrances.
Many of the best natural ingredients in deodorant for sensitive skin include:
- Arrowroot powder, which can help to neutralize body odor and subtly dry the skin without drying it out too much
- Coconut oil, which can moisturize the skin and add a pleasant, all-natural aroma
- Shea butter, which can provide a layer of moisture to prevent it from drying out over the course of the day
- Vitamin E, which is a vital skin-supporting nutrient on top of being soothing and moisturizing
- Aloe vera, which has tons of vitamins and antioxidants that help smooth the skin and keep it moisturized, in addition to its natural soothing effects
- Sunflower, which is a powerhouse full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fatty acids to cleanse, soften, rejuvenate, calm, and smooth skin
Green Goo’s Gel and Solid Deodorants
Green Goo offers both solid and gel deodorants. Both are prime choices for those with sensitive skin.
Our solid deodorant products come in a wide variety of scents, including unscented, lavender thyme, lemongrass sage, and rose geranium. Note that while our unscented deodorant doesn’t have a specific aroma, it still smells a little herbal because of its botanical ingredient composition.
Our solid deodorant not only works to combat odor, but it also nourishes, soothes, and moisturizes sensitive underarm skin, helping you to stay fresh and smell great, no matter what kind of adventures your day brings you.
On the other hand, Green Goo’s Gel Deodorant is a great pick if you have sensitive skin that also tends to be drier than average. The ingredients that we use in our deodorant is nourishing and moisturizing and can help your armpits stay properly hydrated even while they sweat (an unexpectedly skin-dehydrating process).
Like the solid deodorant, our gel deodorant comes in a wide variety of scents, including apricot lemongrass, charcoal bergamot, icy tundra, lavender, pure spice, wild rose, and more. We also have an unscented version of this gel deodorant, with the same caveat that it actually smells a little herbal versus having no scent at all. Plus, the gel makes this deodorant glide on smoother than ever.
Ultimately, both deodorants are perfect picks if you have sensitive skin and don’t want to mess with your body’s natural sweating efforts.
Summary
Sensitive skin can be difficult to live with if you can’t find products made with all-natural ingredients designed to minimize irritation. Luckily, Green Goo’s all-natural solid and gel deodorants are great choices that can fight body odor while also bringing moisturization, soothing, and a ton of other skin-healthy benefits thanks to the rich nutrients found within each plant-based ingredient.
Want to learn more about what all these plant powerhouses can do? Check out our Ingredients page to learn all about the different benefits each ingredient we use has to offer.
Otherwise, if you and your sensitive skin are ready to explore a whole new world of all natural skincare and personal care products, check out Green Goo’s Everyday Skin Care Salves and our Soaps and Personal Care line for all-natural goo that will keep your sensitive skin happy.
Sources
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sweating-and-body-odor/symptoms-causes/syc-20353895
https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2019/june/deodorant
https://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/features/antiperspirant-facts-safety