THE DARK SIDE OF FRAGRANCE IN DEODORANTS
Fragrance is often the cause of skin irritations, yet it is used in so many of our daily products! As a result, more people are turning to natural alternatives to avoid synthetic fragrances and other harsh ingredients.
However – contrary to popular belief – natural doesn’t always mean gentle. Many natural deodorants, for example, are formulated with very high levels of essential oils that can be just as irritating as synthetic fragrances.
With your underarms being one of the most sensitive parts of your body, it’s important to be cautious of using highly scented products in these areas to prevent issues like an armpit rash or, as some call it, a chemical burn.
How to Tell if a Product is Using Too Much Fragrance
Whenever I’m in a store, I always find myself browsing the deodorant and antiperspirant aisle to see what’s new. As many marketers know, fragrance helps sell products – but some brands take it too far. Most chemists will tell you that high fragrance levels in deodorants can be problematic, especially since the underarm area has thin and moist skin – creating the perfect environment for bacteria. Adding a heavy dose of fragrance on top of that is just asking for irritation!
What you can do:
Do the sniff test. If you open the lid and the scent is overpowering (sometimes you can already smell the deodorant with the lid on), you can assume the fragrance levels are far too high.
You can double-check this by reading the ingredient label. If fragrance appears anywhere other than the last few ingredients, it’s likely present at a higher concentration. Pro Tip: Look for ingredient labels that clearly list the specific essential oils used – this way, you know exactly what’s in the product. Avoid products that simply list 'fragrance' or 'parfum', as these vague terms often hide what is actually in the blend.
Be Careful of Painful Armpit Rashes
Don’t get me wrong, I love fragrance as I believe it is truly an integral part of my life. I want natural fragrance blends, and only at low levels. Just enough to give you the experience when you are applying it. This is especially important with deodorant, as it’s used in such a sensitive area. Armpit rashes are often the result of over-doing the fragrance in a deodorant, so be careful!
Although scent is very important in a deodorant, I paid very close attention to the levels of natural fragrance used in the takesumi detox® deodorants. Our scents are 100% natural and derived from essential oils, and are blended at very low concentrations to help protect our consumers from irritation and potential armpit rashes.
At Kaia Naturals we believe in disclosing all of our fragrance ingredients, so check for our essential oil blends at the end of the ingredient list.
The Bottom Line
Both natural deodorants and antiperspirants can cause skin sensitivity and irritation if formulated with high levels of fragrance – whether synthetic or natural.
We would love to hear your experiences, please leave a comment below!
