You’re a grown man now. You make your own decisions. You eat wheat bran from time to time. So why are you still using the same body spray you used in high school as deodorant? Seriously, it’s time to protect yourself (and others) from your adult-sized pheromones and grab a deodorant that actually works.
We’re not here to take your body spray away from you; body spray definitely has its place (in your gym bag).
But for your day to day, you need protection that body spray simply isn’t designed to give you. Body spray and deodorant are not the same.
If you aren’t convinced, we can help. We’ll help you understand the differences between deodorant and body spray, why you shouldn’t use body spray as deodorant, and help you find a deodorant that doesn’t contain harmful ingredients that could be dangerous to your pit health or stain your shirts.
Body Spray vs. Deodorant
It’s confusing. Both body spray and deodorant are usually located on the same aisle. Sometimes they’re even made by the same company and in similar packaging. We’d be lying if we said we hadn’t accidentally mistaken one for the other.
The two products, however, are very different:
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Body spray. This aerosol gem exists to make you smell sexy. That’s it. It’s essentially less-potent (supposedly) than cologne, but a little stronger than deodorant. It comes in handy if you can’t grab a shower after gym, or if you have to transition from work to a dinner date without heading home.
Body spray has somewhat of a cult following, with dudes addicted to their “secret” scent. It isn’t inherently bad, it’s just usually overused, oversprayed, and blatantly ostentatious.
Typically, body spray contains ingredients that are a little less than “non-toxic.” You really need to be an expert at label reading and make yourself familiar with known toxic ingredients if you want to be sure you aren’t spraying them all over your body.
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Deodorant. Deodorant is intended to protect the most funk-producing area of your body from making you funky. Deodorant goes on your armpits and helps keep you fresh, works to prevent bacteria build-up, and moisturizes one of the most sensitive areas of your body.
Deodorant, too, can contain ingredients that aren’t safe. In fact, deodorants can be one of the most toxic products you find on store shelves.
As a side note, deodorant is not antiperspirant. Antiperspirant uses aluminum to prevent you from sweating, clogs your pores, and trapping toxins in your skin. Research suggests aluminum in antiperspirants can be harmful, so we don’t include it in our ingredient lineup.
Two products that both help you battle body odor, but which one is better and can you use one for the other? Probably not. Here’s why.
Can you Use Body Spray as Deodorant?
This is more of a question of should. Can you use body spray as deodorant? Sure. You can also use paper towels in lieu of toilet tissue, but it’s just not the same.
Body spray is designed to be used all over the body; chest, back, sides and backs of arms, and even legs. You can definitely use it under your arms, but the ingredients contained in most body sprays aren’t great for spraying directly into your armpit pores.
A typical body spray contains:
- Fragrance. Because fragrance is proprietary in nature, companies aren’t required to release the actual ingredients in their blends. This leaves the door open for them to include many ingredients that could be irritating, potentially toxic, artificial, or trigger an allergy.
- Aerosols. Butane, isobutane, and propane are all aerosols that help get the product out of the bottle and onto your body. These aren’t just bad for you, they’re bad for the environment.
Most companies that offer non-toxic products, like Disco, will not allow any of these ingredients in their products.
Why are these ingredients in your products if they aren’t safe? Good question, we’ve asked the same. The beauty and cosmetics industry is incredibly underregulated, and there’s an ongoing battle for more conscientious decisions from governmental authorities about these products.
That said, you really shouldn’t use body spray on your underarms unless you’re completely certain you know what’s inside.
However, using a stick deodorant isn’t going to fix the toxic ingredient problem unless you know what’s inside.
How To Pick the Right Deodorant
One day you may be able to walk into any store, head down the deodorant aisle, and pick up any product knowing with certainty it doesn’t contain anything that’s going to harm you or the environment. Until that day, we’ve got your back.
When we created Disco, we knew we wanted to offer products specially formulated for men with some of the same high-quality, effective ingredients we found in women’s products. We also knew we wanted to ensure that our products were safe.
That’s why every Disco product is:
- Vegan. None of our products contain any animal parts or byproducts.
- Cruelty-free. Neither our ingredients, nor our products are ever tested on animals.
- Safe. We’re strict about what goes into our products and what stays out. Each ingredient in our products must have a reason to be there and a benefit to the user. No known toxins allowed. Our ingredients are all naturally derived and safe.
When you’re looking for a deodorant, then, you know there’s a few ingredients you want to avoid, like aluminum, aerosols, and unnamed fragrances. That eliminates spray deodorants right off the bat, which are loaded up with aerosols.
You still need your deodorant to actually work, which is why at Disco, we created a deodorant stick packed with safe, natural ingredients that fight odor and keep you smelling fresh all day, thanks to these powerhouses:
- Eucalyptus. This plant-based ingredient neutralizes stank on contact, leaving you smelling as fresh as a tropical rainforest.
- Tea tree oil. Tea tree oil has bacteria-killing properties that help keep your armpits from becoming a breeding ground for germs, further eliminating bodily funk.
- Aloe. You probably wouldn’t consider moisturizing your armpits. It’s cool, we thought of it for you. Aloe helps keep the extremely sensitive skin under your arms hydrated so you don’t have to worry about irritation.
Our deodorant stick works with your body, not against it, allowing it to do its thing without leaving you smelling like a sasquatch.
How To Break the Antiperspirant Cycle
It’s time to break up with your antiperspirant. Like a bad partner, it’s only causing you harm and not putting anything into the relationship except toxic energy.
As previously mentioned, aluminum is the most popular ingredient in commercial antiperspirants that actually prevents your body from sweating. Sweating is the mechanism that helps your body release toxins and keeps you cool, preventing your body from one of its most natural and necessary processes isn’t healthy.
Switching from antiperspirant to deodorant is an adjustment, but it’s one worth making.
When switching from antiperspirant to deodorant, be patient. It takes about two weeks for your body to fully “detox” from your old, aluminum-based antiperspirant to your new, natural deodorant stick.
Here’s what to expect when you make the switch:
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A little extra moisture. Your body is meant to sweat and your armpits is where that magic happens. During the first two-week period after you switch to natural deodorant, your body is going to rid itself of the toxins you’ve been stuffing in your armpit pores.
You may sweat a little more during this period, but keep in mind it’s just your body flushing out the bad stuff. It will balance out and you’ll end up keeping dry.
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Less funk. If you’re the type that sweats through antiperspirant (and most of us are) you probably notice that even when you have it on, your sweat still smells bad. That’s because it’s mixing with the toxic ingredients in your product.
Your natural sweat likely doesn’t smell that bad. Once you restore your body’s natural pH balance, the smell should easily be neutralized by your natural deodorant.
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Less shirt stains. The natural ingredients in a deodorant stick are less likely to leave pit stains on your white T-shirts that never come out. Think about it: you’re putting the same ingredients under your arms that cause permanent stains on your shirts. Gross.
Natural deodorant will leave your pits and your clothing when washed. You won’t experience product buildup like you do with aluminum-based antiperspirants.
Making the switch is totally worth your safety, and we promise you’ll be glad you switched. Our deodorant stick is specially formulated to work with your body’s perfect pH balance, and switching from antiperspirant to natural deodorant helps your body remember to return to that perfect balance.
The Takeaway
Body spray and deodorant are two different products, and the difference lies mostly in the ingredients list. For your safety and the safety of the environment, make the change to an all-natural deodorant stick.
Disco’s deodorant stick is safe, effective, and makes you smell dang good.
Sources:
https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(04)00694-1/fulltext
