No one likes to worry about their body odor. It’s hard to feel cheerful and confident when you’re afraid to raise your arms due to noticeable odor and wetness. Unfortunately, conventional antiperspirants can be harmful to your body and can even hurt the planet with their toxic ingredients. Read on to find out what to look for and what to avoid when selecting a deodorant.

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Bad Ingredients

Most commercial antiperspirants have unintended and unadvertised side effects, such as hormone disruption. Your skin can absorb a lot of substances, so you wouldn’t want to put harmful things on it, right? Here are several ingredients you should definitely avoid when shopping for an antiperspirant:

- Aluminum compounds
- Mineral oil
- Diethanolamine (DEA)
- DMDM hydantoin
- Formaldehyde
- Imidazolidinyl urea
- Diazolidinyl urea
- Triclosan 
- Parabens
- Bronopol
- Propylene glycol
- Quaternium-15
-Steareths (such as steareth-15)

Good Ingredients

Take the time to look for natural deodorants that are made with safe, eco-friendly ingredients like:

- Sage, witch hazel, and other natural astringents
- Clay minerals like bentonite and kaolin
- Mineral salts (potassium alum, ammonium, etc.)
- Cornstarch, arrowroot, and other natural powders

General Tips

Avoid aerosol spray deodorants. They contain non-renewable fossil fuels like propane and butane, which are bad for the environment and not so great for your health either. They also tend to come in non-recyclable containers. Avoid antiperspirants. These generally try to stop your body from sweating, which can be unhealthy. Sweating helps the body naturally detoxify itself.

Look for certified organic deodorants. These are regulated to ensure they have no harmful chemicals, which makes your search for natural ingredients that much easier.