The Environmental Benefits of Natural Deodorants

Natural deodorants are more than just good for your body; they're better for the environment too!

This article is going to take a look at all of the wonderful benefits of using natural deodorants, for you and for the planet.

For you:


Natural deodorants such as crystal rock deodorants are very safe to use. Natural deodorants are free from chemicals and other ingredients that may cause allergies and skin irritation. Natural deodorants are often recommended by many health professionals to those with sensitive skin, children with body odour and breast cancer patients, thanks to their gentle and kind nature.

There has long raged a debate about the safety of conventional deodorants and antiperspirants and it has been suggested for quite some time that the regular use of antiperspirants could be linked to an increased risk of breast cancer and Alzheimer's disease. However, it is important to note, that while this is the view of some medical professionals, as yet, no studies have conclusively proven that these products are dangerous to use.


Natural deodorants are extremely effective at combating body odour. Many natural deodorants contain antibacterial ingredients, such as tea tree oil or mineral salts to actively prohibit the formulation of odour-causing bacteria. As you may already know, sweat itself is not the cause of body odour. Rather, bacteria feeding on the sweat and breaking it down is responsible for that distinctive smell. Natural deodorants are often more effective than some conventional deodorants because they do not simply mask the smell of body odour but they help to prevent it from occurring altogether.


Crystal deodorants are very economical and if used as directed can last from 6 months to a year! This is friendly to your purse and our planet, since it cuts down on the amount of packaging used and waste thrown out compared to deodorants that last only a month or two.

For the Planet:

No Chemicals

The use of all-natural ingredients in natural deodorants means that no harmful chemicals are making their way into our eco-systems, both in production and use. Some chemicals are known to release carbon emissions during production such as Mineral Oil. Other chemicals are damaging to wildlife and plant-life when they enter the environment; triclosan and formaldehyde for example.

When chemicals are used in deodorants they often make their way into the environment during the production process and they continue to leak in to the environment when they are being used. Aerosol canisters for example propel chemicals into the environment around us, but the real problems occur when we wash. Showering or bathing flushes any chemical residue from deodorants and any other cosmetics from your skin, down the drain and into the marine environment, where they have been known to cause a great deal of damage. Below we expose just two of the culprits:

Aluminum Chlorohydrate - Is the active ingredient in many antiperspirants, and works by clogging pores under the armpit to stop sweat. It is a known water pollutant and can damage the ecosystem and its wildlife.

Triclosan - An antimicrobial agent used in many cosmetics. Over the years, this chemical has been continuously accumulating in our streams and rivers.
Other chemicals include parabens, formaldehyde, diethanolamine and mineral oil.

Recyclable Packaging

Conventional deodorants are often stored in aerosol canisters - the metal of which is often not recyclable. In the UK we get through millions of bottles of deodorant a year, so that is a lot of packaging that could potentially end up rotting on the landfill heap.

Fortunately, many companies that produce natural deodorants are eco-friendly minded. As such, much of the packaging used by these companies is recyclable as they use packaging that is made from plastic that can be recycled; HDPE. Other companies choose to use alternative recyclable materials, such as cardboard, to store and transport their goods. If you want to be sure that the deodorant you use is truly eco-friendly, you can contact the company directly to check out where and how they source their packaging.