Congratulations on making the choice to switch to a natural deodorant! It's one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself and you will reap the rewards for years to come.
When you switch from an antiperspirant to a natural deodorant, there will be a transition period. We're not gonna lie. It won’t be fun. You will not feel very fresh and clean, at first. Let us explain. Using antiperspirants, your sweat glands are blocked by the aluminum and your glands do not create sweat. For your body, that's a false positive. Chemicals in antiperspirants and non-clean deodorants create unnatural effects in your body and may carry potential health risks. Your underarm area is a direct portal to your glands and your bloodstream, so anything you put there will enter your bloodstream quickly.
What to do? Find a safe and all-natural deodorant and go for it! Identify the deodorants you would like to try and check the ingredients to ensure it is compatible with your needs. From a clean standpoint, your clean deo should not include aluminum, synthetic fragrance, parabens or talc (to name a few) as ingredients. Make sure if you have allergies or sensitivities to known irritants that your deodorant does not include those either. Lots of brands out there put water in their deodorant formulations. We're firm believers that water doesn't belong in a deodorant. Any deodorant that does contain water, will contain less of the active ingredients needed to combat odor and keep you dry. You can read Starling's entire list of exclusions here.
After you've found your ideal deodorant, we recommend a few things to get started. First – make sure your underarms are cleansed thoroughly. After using antiperspirants it is not uncommon for you to have lots of residue under your arm. Sometimes just plain soap and water will not remove it. You may need to use an astringent product. We like alcohol-free witch hazel extract. Do not use witch hazel that contains alcohol. Alcohol can disturb the barrier of your armpit and cause rashes/irritations. Get a few cotton balls, saturate with the witch hazel, and wipe your armpits a few times, until the cotton balls appear to be clean. A washcloth will do the trick too. You really want to scrub and remove any residue (not too hard though, please).
Now you’re ready to apply your natural deodorant fearlessly for the first time. You don’t need to aggressively cover the armpit area in deodorant. Three swipes each arm will be perfect. Don’t press hard, our deodorants glide easily. Pressing hard will just over deliver the product. Over-applying deodorant will only make your arms feel wet and uncomfortable.
Upon your first few natural deodorant applications, you will see your body will over-compensate; as a result, you may sweat more than usual. It’s just a sign your sweat glands are opening (which is a good thing). Don't give up if you don't like the results right away. You may need to reapply a few times a day at first to feel comfortable. Keep your deodorant with you. It’s not uncommon at first to reapply several times a day (like three or four).
It will take time before your body adjusts and the product works fully. Everyone’s body chemistry is different, and so you may need only two weeks to adjust – or you may need more like six weeks…
Once you have gotten through the transition period, you will be able to wear your natural deodorant easily and relax. You'll feel great that you are doing something that's healthy for you. Then you’ll be telling everyone they should try it too.
Learn more about why Starling's deodorant formula works so well here:
What if you're sensitive to deodorants? Read here:
Using natural deodorant and it stopped working? Read about what to do here: