Anybody else remember busting out some dance moves to C+C Music Factory? “Come on let's sweat (sweat sweat) baby…. Everybody Dance Now!”
They had right idea. Getting your “sweat on” has its benefits, and it isn’t something we should be stopping with aluminium filled antiperspirants.
Fun Sweaty Fact #1 – Your sweat doesn’t actually smell. What causes BO (body odour) is the bacteria that start munching on proteins in the sweat. They break down the proteins into acids and that’s what smells.
Why we should we sweat with pride
Sweating is normal and healthy. These are just some of the good things that sweating does for your body:
- Cooling you down and preventing overheating
- May help to expel toxins such as BPA, phthalates and heavy metals
- Kills bacteria and viruses than can’t live in temperatures above 37C
- Keeps pores clear
- Reduces your chance of kidney stones
- May help to fight skin infections
So it is pretty cool stuff, and it makes you think “why you would want to stop it?” Especially if you could sweat without the fear of stinky-ness.
Fun Sweaty Fact #2 – Women have more sweat glands than men. But the men’s are more active and that is why they sweat more.
Deodorants vs Antiperspirants
Deodorants and Antiperspirants are not the same thing.
Antiperspirants use aluminium salts to either block, close or clog your pores to prevent you from sweating. In Australia they are classed and regulated as therapeutic goods because they alter your body’s normal function.
Deodorants don’t interfere with you pores or glands. They still let you sweat. Deodorants work by creating an environment on your skin that prevents bacteria from having a wild party stinking up the joint.
Fun Sweaty Fact #3 – Stress sweat smells worse than exercise sweat. This is because it comes from different glands where the sweat has a higher percentage of proteins and fats compared to exercise sweat. The bacteria go nuts for the extra protein and fats and gorge on it like its Christmas dinner.
The problem with aluminium salts
Aluminium chloride, aluminium zirconium, aluminium chlorohydrate and aluminium hydroxybromide are all commonly used in antiperspirants. Aluminium is not normally found in your body so a big red flag is raised when researchers find it in our tissue. It shows that our body absorbs aluminium.
Aluminium is a neurotoxin and it has links to some serious health concerns. The jury is still out on this research, but we'd rather be safe than sorry. Aluminium has also been found to disrupt your endocrine system by mimicking the hormone estrogen, which is more cause for concern.
It’s also the culprit for staining your clothes yellow!
So as you can see, it’s important to embrace the sweat and ditch antiperspirants.
But we understand that no one wants to go around smelling like you have been camping for a week without showers. That is why we have created a 100% natural deodorant that's aluminium free but still obliterates odour all day.
The problem with bicarb soda in deodorants
When it comes to deodorant pastes irritated skin is a big concern because bicarb soda can really be uncomfortable for some. Bicarb is amazing at stopping B.O. (the dreaded body odour) but too much leaves you with red, itchy armpits. We don’t wish that on anyone.
The reason bicarb soda can be such a problem is because of its very high pH, meaning it's very alkaline. Your skin is slightly acidic with a pH of about 5, so no wonder bicarb can irritate - it's upsetting your skin's pH balance, which means it loses its protective barrier.
Lucky we're incredibly clever and have worked out a way to use bicarb soda without causing irritation, even for sensitive souls. Woohoo!
Woohoo Urban is pH-adjusted which means that even though we've used bicarb soda in the formula it's still gentle enough for sensitive skin. If you're SUPER DUPER sensitive you might prefer to wear bicarb free Woohoo Mellow, but we've heard from LOTS of people that they can't wear deodorant from other brands but that Woohoo Urban has changed their life. No exaggeration!
Fun Sweaty Fact #4 – Anthropologist Louis Leakey suspects that our body odour comes from our ancient defence system to stop animals from eating us.
Directions
Using a spatula or clean, dry fingers, collect to a pea sized amount of deodorant and warm it in your fingertips. Rub it under your arm until it disappears (just like you would a moisturiser).
P.S. If you’re used to using an antiperspirant, please remember that this isn’t one! This deodorant works by neutralising odour and keeps you dryer by absorbing moisture, but it DOESN’T block your pores with aluminium to stop you from sweating. It can take a couple of weeks for your body to adjust to this type of deodorant but it’s worth the wait!
Ingredients
- 100% natural
- Vegan
- Toxin Free
Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Manihot Esculenta (Tapioca) Root Starch, Sodium Bicarbonate, Kaolin Clay, Isoamyl Laurate, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera (Candelilla) Wax, Triethyl Citrate, Zinc Oxide, Silica, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Cedrus Atlantica Wood (Cedarwood Atlas) Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Cymbopogon Martini (Palmarosa) Oil, Rosa Damascena (Rose) Oil and Vanilla planifolia (Vanilla) Extract.
*Certified Organic Ingredient
