After being questioned by someone new to veganism if I used deodorant or if I was “stinky” I felt it my duty to educate the non-vegan masses about vegan deodorants as well warn those about potential risks associated with certain types of crystal deodorants.
A Note on Stinkiness
Research has shown that some people with body odour have problems in their personal and social relationships and it is no laughing matter for those with this embarrassing problem. Solving the problem of “stinkiness” will not come from antiperspirant and deodorant sprays that only mask the problem. If people find that despite regular bathing and wearing clean clothes they are still suffering from body odour they should take a good look at their diet and health in general.
Research at the Imperial College in London has shown that some people with body odour have bacteria imbalances (which can occur through use of antibiotics and steroids in particular or a diet high in fat, sugar and red meat). Caffeine and can stimulate the nervous system, which regulates sweating making you possibly sweat more. Strong spices and foods such as curry, garlic and onions is excreting through sweat and can create a strong body odour. I assume a healthy vegan diet without intoxicants is less likely to result in a body odour problem!
Please remember it isn’t necessarily sweat that creates a smell, it is the bacteria on the skin feeding on the sweat that leads to unpleasant odours. Rather than focusing on stopping sweating a long term solution addresses the bacteria through diet and deodorant.
Mineral Salt Crystal Deodorant
Dr Mercola is completely against the use of alum in deodorants and suggests limiting contact with aluminum altogether (especially in antiperspirants). In his article Aluminum Lurks in Crystal Deodorants he makes a good point that aluminum is not needed by the body and therefore it does no harm to prevent exposure. However people exposed to large amounts have been seen to develop Alzheimer’s Disease and even cancer.
So Why Does the Health Food Store sell it?
Faith in Nature was launched more than thirty years ago by Rivka with an aim to produce products from natural sources which are kind to the environment and the user too. Faith in Nature do not conduct animal testing and are on the BUAV list (Leaping Bunny Standard). It is understandable why a consumer would trust this brand and buy a deodorant without worrying about safety issues. Faith in Nature describe their solid crystal deodorant as eliminating odour-causing bacteria and “allows perspiration without body odour”. The deodorant is vegan and has the Vegan Society logo, and is made from pure ammonium alum. Interestingly it is marketed as a natural product free from toxins.
What is Ammonium Alum?
I was not aware until recently but ammonium alum has had a lot of controversy. Faith in Nature’s Stand on Ammonium Alum After contacting Faith in Nature about their reasons for using alum I was delighted to get a reply, yet I was concerned at the quality of response:
“Our ammonium alum is a nature identical form of the natural mineral rock, We understand that it has a very good safety performance. Whilst it is not natural as such, but is a man made product. There is no waste material that goes into the crystal and all .the ingredients are of top quality, made under Good manufacturing practise.”
Eeek well spelling and grammar aside they haven’t actually answered my concern in relation to safety and their personal ethics in providing products that are both natural and completely safe for consumers.
Deodorants vs Antiperspirants
Antiperspirants are supposed to work by both constricting and blocking your sweat glands. The aluminum used in antiperspirants (not deodorants) are absorbed into your body and broken down, releasing the aluminum. The aluminum in deodorants (usually potassium or ammonium alum) lies on the skin in a thin layer and makes it alkaline stopping bacteria from growing and creating bad odours. It is likely that limited exposure to alum will not cause harm yet is it really worth the risk?
In the United States the FDA has required a new label on antiperspirants saying that people with impaired renal function (who have trouble shedding environmental toxins) and children should not use these products. Many in the industry are complaining due to lack of scientific evidence, but someone at the FDA seems to believe in “prudent avoidance”!
Is Ammonium Alum Safe?
A 2007 Daily Mail article has Dr Exley suggesting caution with natural deodorants:
“There are some non-aluminium- based antiperspirants but they don’t work as well. Myth and legend tells us aluminium is safe but reality shows us not that it isn’t safe but that we don’t know. Not knowing is not a reason for assuming safety.”
Dr Exley said manufacturers used aluminium in deodorants because it was very effective in preventing sweating.
The Vegan Alternatives
There are no peer reviewed studies as of yet that prove or disprove the safety of aluminum alum and so it pays to be cautious. I think for now I would suggest staying away from ammonium based deodorants and antiperspirants.
Safe options for vegans include Aromaco and Aromarant from Lush and High C Roll-on Deodorant from Aubrey Organics. Brace yourself for new reviews on deodorants…
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Hi everyone:
Body odor is usually caused by candidiasis (Candida yeast overgrowth). Candida albicans can mutate from a yeast to a fungus and in the fungal state can cause many ailments such as allergies, eczema, lack of energy, lowered immune response, etc. and can bring about what we would call ‘bad breath’ and ‘body odor’.
Anyone that has taken an antibiotic or eaten antibiotic “treated” meat or eggs AT ANY TIME IN THEIR LIVES will develop this problem. Doesn’t sound like you? Well, even drinking tap water and some bottled waters (because most bottled water IS TAP WATER) they are finding more antibiotics and even this can cause Candida fungus to develop. Think over what an antibiotic is. The word “ANTI” means “AGAINST” and “BIOTIC” means “LIVING THING”). You may think that means “AGAINST BACTERIA” when it’s more like “AGAINST ALL LIVING THINGS”.
The truth is, most of us have some degree of Candidiasis (ranging from mild to severe) and our bodies are constantly trying to eliminate the problem through underarm or bodily sweat and other means of purification. This is why heavy meat eaters tend to smell quite “fragrant” while vegetarians are more “mildly fragrant”. Vegetarianism or Vegan-ism (is that a word?) does not solve the problem, only minutely. We will get into solutions in a second.
Because nearly all of us suffer from Candida overgrowth nearly all of us are looking for some type of “Deoderant” to deal with the problem. What we need to be interested in is not the odor itself but the root cause of the odor. Ok, well maybe some of us need to deal with the ODOR ASAP, and if you do, find an all-natural aluminum-free product to use temporarily.
Deodorants only deal with the problem on the surface level and because Candida is an “intelligent yeast” it knows how to proliferate in the harshest of conditions. It can even live without feeding itself for weeks, even months at a time. So simply not eating certain foods will not solve the problem. Candida is necessary to the body, but only works when it is in ‘balance’ with bodily systems, intestinal flora, etc.
Solution:
The body cannot get rid of candida, therefore Candida can only be BALANCED. This can be done with certain Candida protocols or “detoxes”, but beware of faulty claims, the best Candida detox I have found has been The McCombs Plan by Dr. Jeff McCombs. This plan can take up to four months, but every month you are on it you will feel better. There are a few more good ones out there but I wouldn’t trust the bigger companies to make a quality candida detoxification protocol for you and I. Also FASTING and eating the right foods, believe it or not, will correct this problem does help but it must be done correctly. Most people fast incorrectly and they end up hurting themselves in the process.
Hope this helps!
Alexa, use crystal body deodorant. Its very effective! Try it now and it will solve ur problem of how many years.
Use Chlorophyll tabs daily from the health food store–it saved the life of dear loved ones who were suffering. You may need to adjust the recommended dose according to the relief you need. Start with the label suggestion.
I can just say from my research/experience that I have skin tags on my under-arms from traditional deodorants. One shaving cream caused boils/cysts to develop on my neck and cheeks, and to imagine that it took me many years to realize the connection. The company had removed the shave creme shortly after that, so you see, they are not ignorant. They know who their test rats are. I know that a lab report I received once warned that aluminum “throws a wrench” into the Kreb’s Cycle (energy cycle) of your cell metabolism, and with myself being chronically fatigued, I do not want to take a chance. I also have 5 years of experience of working with metal machining. I touched aluminum every day in every way. Now I am very aware of it, and just because the FDA, EPA or deodorant manufacturers cannot detect the danger, I try to keep myself from being vulnerable. Here is another tip. I found a very good treatment for Candida albicans, and afterward have suffered very little body odor. It seems that the toxins I was absorbing from the yeast and dysfunction were exiting my skin, which is good sign of yeast or intestinal infection. Lung discharge is, likewise, a good sign, as we know from colds/flu. Since that cleansing I have had little lung phlegm, sinus problems and no colds. It is like I have a new immune system.
This may be anathema to you because it’s technically chemical, but it is definitely vegan: put rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol on a cloth, sprinkle with pure baking soda, and rub it on the entire armpit area. Alcohol kills off bacteria and the salt of the baking soda prevents bacterial growth. This was a trick my mom used when she ran out of deodorant. You still sweat but you smell better.
You could try washing with a soap and detergent free product such as sorbolene. I have heard that washing with soap or detergent based products strips the skin of most bacteria resulting in an imbalance. However, if you wash with sorbolene after a few weeks the bacterial balance will be restored and you will smell sweet
An ex-partner of mine used sorbolene and never had body odour, however he also used crystal deodrant because he thought it was aluminim free, which as it turns out it is not. I was using an aluminium free deodrant and getting a bit stinky, have just started using the crystal deodrant and now am odour free. What a dilemma…
Even i m sufering from the same problem, my underarm smell very bad, inspite of vegetarian…please guide me . I m afraid now after reading above article about the side effect of alum , as i was using crystal of alum for sweat smell.. please guide and help me for the better solution.
Hi Alexa. The perfume I use is great as a deodorant, it is a blend of spices. You rub a little into your armpits and as you sweat the scent is released. I guess it smells different on everyone, as it reacts with your own body chemistry, but it might be worth a try. It is called “Scent of Samadhi” by Sensitive Planet. I also use MiEssence deodorant (an Australian brand), it is based on bicarb soda and aloe vera and is 89% organic. Good luck!
Hi there. I would suggest looking at the types of food you eat, as well as seeking advice from a doctor. Body odour in rare occasions are linked with certain conditions. You may find this article useful: http://www.suite101.com/content/how-to-get-rid-of-body-odor-a336678
Thanks!
hi, regarding the first paragraph I want to tell you that I’m ovo-lacto-vegetarian for 9 years, but I rarely eat eggs and dairy products. I also rarely drink coffee. but still, I have a body odor that I can’t get rid of. I shower in the morning, then I go to work, and a smell that I can’t sense because I’m used to it surrounds me. I see it by the people’s reaction. I don’t know what to do about this problem. I always have it. even when I wasn’t vegetarian. I can’t see any improvement on this matter in the last 9 years. do you have any solution?