Vegan and cruelty-free deodorants are keeping our armpits and the environment smelling sweet.

Keep in mind vegan, and cruelty-free deodorants might not be aluminum-free or still contain harmful chemicals. So how can you know if deodorant is vegan? With all the beautiful scents, minerals, and plant extracts Mother Nature offers, natural deodorants can vary in their ingredients list. However, all vegan deodorants must be formulated without any animal products.

Many deodorants (more than you would expect) are not vegan because they contain animal products like lanolin, animal glycerine, squalene, beeswax, honey, and static acid. However, it's not just the animal by-products you need to worry about. Many deodorants are also formulated with a slew of chemicals like parabens, triclosan, and artificial fragrances. The best vegan deodorants are made using natural ingredients that fight off armpit stench without posing a health risk.

Check out some of the reasons why going vegan (when it comes to your armpits at least) is beneficial for your body & the environment.

#1. It's Safe & Healthy for Sensitive Skin

If you have sensitive skin, natural vegan deodorant is a great option. Vegan deodorant is made without harsh and toxic chemicals that can lead to some pretty uncomfortable armpit situations - itching, redness, sensitivity, all the fun things. Also, unlike traditional deodorant, vegan deodorant is often made with organic ingredients that help soothe delicate underarm skin.

Be on the lookout for plant-based deodorant made with skin-loving ingredients like coconut oil and shea butter to moisturise your pits while working to rid odour-causing bacteria from your underarms.

#2. Reduces Chances of Allergic Reactions

Rubbing abrasive chemicals on our sensitive underarms raises several health concerns.

Conventional deodorants are packed with skin-irritating ingredients like perfumes, parabens, lanolin, and propylene glycol. Propylene glycol is a synthetic liquid substance that absorbs water which studies have shown to trigger allergic reactions and lead to skin irritation. These ingredients can provoke allergic reactions causing inflammation and rashes. The best vegan deodorant is formulated with gentle, soothing ingredients. Worry less about allergic reactions, skin flare-ups, and burning pits.

#3. Better for the Environment

Like many of the products you use every day, your deodorant impacts the world around you. Vegan deodorant is safer for our planet. From the materials used in packaging to the actual chemical ingredients, almost every stick or spray can of deodorant leaves a mark on our planet. Here's how:

• Air Pollution: Every time you apply spray-on deodorant and antiperspirants, you're releasing toxins into the air around you. Deodorants that come in spray cans usually contain a high concentration of human-made chemicals called volatile organic compounds. These compounds lead to smog formation - a major source of pollution in our atmosphere. In addition, the compressed gases that are used in spray cans harm CO2 emissions. Did you know the UK alone uses roughly 600 million aerosol cans per year? That's a lot of toxins released into the environment!

• Water Pollution: A lot of standard deodorants are made using an antibacterial chemical called triclosan. Triclosan helps reduce bacteria to prevent body odour. The issue with triclosan (aside from a slew of potential health problems) is that it travels down your shower drain and into the waterways when it is washed off your body. When triclosan sits in surface water, it poses a threat to aquatic life and can break down into potentially damaging chemicals toxic to algae. We're drastically cutting down food sources for the creatures in our waterways depending on algae for dinner
• Bye-Bye Yellow Stains: Have you ever noticed yellow stains on the armpits of your white shirts? These pesky marks are caused by the interaction between the sweat on your underarms and the aluminum from your deodorant. Strange, right? The good news is that most vegan deodorants don't contain aluminum salts. So, in other words, vegan deodorant without aluminum means no more yellow armpit stains (among a bunch of other health benefits)!

• Better Odour Protection than Antiperspirants: Deodorants with aluminum may be great for blocking sweat, but they're not exactly created to eliminate the odour. The thought is that by blocking body sweat, the moisture can't mix with the odour-causing bacteria on our armpits. On the other hand, vegan deodorant and deodorant without aluminum don't block the body's natural perspiration system. Sweat is a great cooling system, it's totally natural, and there's no need to hide it! That being said, we get wanting to smell your best.

Remember when we spoke about triclosan in the water earlier? Well, triclosan can also disbalance hormones. It interferes with important hormone functions, meaning it can mimic hormones or interfere with hormonal signalling. This can lead your body to feel off, causing some funky smells along the way.

While there may be plenty of vegan deodorants on the market, vegan antiperspirants are usually a lot harder to come by. Deodorants mask body odor, while antiperspirants prevent or reduce sweat. Antiperspirants work by plugging the sweat pores in your armpits.

You may be familiar with the controversial claims against antiperspirants. Several health risks have been linked to aluminum in antiperspirants. The thing is, some deodorants labeled vegan can be made with aluminum salts. In most cases, even vegan antiperspirants will be formulated with aluminum because they prevent sweating. So it's something to consider if you want to put aluminum salts on your skin.