Over the last few years, there has been growing concerns with health as it pertains to beauty. Information that has once been hidden from consumers is right out in the open thank to social media. Some consumers are taking notes and acting accordingly. One essential product that has been under the spotlight is deodorant—namely, aluminum-based antiperspirants/deodorants. Over the years, these deos have been loosely linked to Alzheimer’s Disease and Breast Cancer. Though studies haven’t entirely confirmed aluminum causes these diseases, many people are still taking the safe route by switching to antiperspirant derived from natural ingredients.

As with any beauty product that you may try, there are pros and cons of leaping natural deodorant. To help you better decide whether to make the switch, we listed out some pros and cons of natural deodorant! These may be deal-breakers that can ultimately help you make your decision.

Pro: It typically takes a few weeks for your body to adjust to the natural deo, meaning you get rid of a lot of toxins caused by aluminum deodorant.

Con: This also means it may be a period where you may have to fight the funk (literally) because you may give off an odor as your body adjusts to the formula. 

Most people who make the switch from a regular deodorant to natural report that for a few days to weeks, your pits may go through a detox period where you may have quite an odor. Regular aluminum deodorant blocks sweat by essentially blocking your pores. When you switch to natural deodorant, all the stuff that aluminum deodorant has been blocking is released, including odor-causing bacteria that grows on sweat. 

Pro: Compared to a few years back, there are a variety of scented natural deodorants that you can choose from. 

Con: There are not nearly as many scented natural deodorants on the market as regular not-so-clean deodorants. Also, the scents usually aren’t intense.

Do you love catching a whiff of your fresh-scented deo throughout the day? If so then adjusting to natural deo may take quite some time for you. The scent of natural deos is rarely as intense as the non-natural stuff out there. 

Pro:  Natural deodorant can be found in a variety of price ranges.

Con: Natural deodorant may not be as affordable as the aluminum stick deodorant that you’ve been used to. However, it’s relatively inexpensive if you put quality before quantity.   

As the phrase states, “you get what you pay for”. In the case of natural deodorant, brands put more resources towards adding in quality ingredients into the products, so it may be a bit more pricey relative to regular deodorant (typically about twice the price). However, the health benefits may be worth the price tag.

Pro: There are a growing number of retailers that carry natural deodorant and more brands emerging every day.

Con: All in all, natural deodorants are not as accessible as their aluminum deodorant counterparts. 

Without a doubt, you can count on everything from major retailers to mom and pop stores to carry regular deodorant. Natural deodorant on the other hand? Not so much. While I do foresee natural deodorant becoming more widely accessible, for the time being, you may have to research where you can get it in your area or online if you’re making the commitment to switch.