The 6 Most Dangerous Ingredients That Might be Hiding in your Deodorant- From The Founder Of FATCO

My name is Cassy and i’m the Founder & CEO of FATCO! I started FATCO six years ago because at the time, I couldn’t find any personal care products on store shelves that fit my strict criteria for cleanliness. So, I started developing my own personal care products in my kitchen, and FATCO was born!

In the beginning, one of the top offenders that I focused heavily on was my deodorant. I kept reading article after article on the dangers of conventional deodorants and antiperspirants! I was blown away to learn that many commonly used ingredients could affect your hormones, were linked to breast cancer and in the long term, they could affect a women’s fertility. At the time, I had numerous girlfriends who lived very healthy lifestyles (ate healthy foods, exercised, and took care of their bodies) but they were STRUGGLING to get pregnant. Making this connection between my health and the personal care products that I had been using for the last 32 years of my life scared the shit out of me.  And I decided then and there that I would become more educated and use only safe products on my skin.

So, let’s talk about deodorant & antiperspirant, and why it’s so bad. Many people don’t realize that the products that you put ONTO your skin are just as important as the foods that you put INTO your body! Your skin is your largest organ and it absorbs everything that you put onto it.

Did you know that the EU has banned over 1,400 ingredients used in personal care products while the US has banned just 11? That’s right...in the US, the personal care category is a free for all….The Wild Wild West….anything goes! If you’re selling your products in the US, you can use Anything you want, no matter how harmful that ingredient may be.

Now, most brands don’t add these nasty ingredients just to harm you. Many of these ingredients serve a purpose, like helping the product to absorb more quickly into your skin, or to make it “smell pretty”, or to preserve it, allowing it to sit on a store shelf for 3+ years.

But while these ingredients might appear to be harmless, they are quite the opposite. And this is most definitely the case with most conventional deodorants + antiperspirants.

*I’d like to take a moment to explain the difference between Deodorant and Antiperspirant. Deodorant makes you smell good, while Antiperspirant makes you not sweat. Remember which goal you’re trying to accomplish when purchasing a product. 

Let’s go over some of the top offending ingredients:

Aluminum

May appear on a label as: Aluminum chlorohydrate, ammonium aluminum sulfate, potassium aluminum sulfate, aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex gly

Health Concern: Breast cancer, increased risk of Alzheimers.

Parabens

May appear on the label as: Propylparaben, Isopropylparaben, Butylparaben, Isobutylparaben

Health Concern: Birth Defects, breast cancer, hormonal disruption, leading to early puberty in children

Propylene Glycol 

May appear on a label as: 1,2-DIHYDROXYPROPANE, 1,2-PROPANEDIOL, 2-HYDROXYPROPANOL, METHYLETHYL GLYCOL, PROPANE-1,2-DIOL, and PROPYLENE GLYCOL

Health Concern: Can be damaging to the nervous system, liver & heart.

Phthalates

May appear on a label as: phthalate, DEP, DBP, DEHP, BBP, DiDP, DiNP, DnHP, DnOP, MBzP, MBP, MiBP, MEHP, MEP and “fragrance”.

Health Concern: Birth Defects, reproductive toxicity, breast cancer, hormonal disruption, leading to early puberty in children.

“Fragrance”

May appear on a label as: Fragrance, perfume, parfum, aroma, Acetaldehyde, Benzophenone.

Health Concern: Cancer, reproductive toxicity, allergies and sensitivities.

Triclosan

May appear on a label as: Triclosan (TSC) and triclocarban (TCC)

Health Concern: Classified as a pesticide by the FDA, and a probable carcinogen by the EPA. Endocrine disruptor, meaning it can mimic hormones or interfere with hormonal signaling. Environmental toxicity.

Now, some of this might not sound all that bad, right? WRONG. Hormones play a key role in how your body functions. So if you read that an ingredient is a hormone disruptor, this is a BIG DEAL! Your hormones need to be able to function properly, as they control many different systems in the body. 

A few things to remember when making the switch to a natural deodorant:

When it comes to “natural”, Baking Soda is NOT the enemy!

I’ve heard it a million times before: “I’ve tried every natural brand on the market, and they all make me break out! I can’t use anything that contains baking soda!” This my friends is Fake News! Baking soda is not the problem. But what IS the problem is, A) the amount of baking soda that other brands use, and B) the lack of moisturizing ingredients in their formulas.

Our Stank Stop deodorant contains A) less baking soda, and B) tons of nourishing Tallow, Shea Butter and Coconut oil to help soothe and heal your sensitive underarm skin.

Many FATCO customers have told us that our Stank Stop is the first natural deodorant that works (ie, fights odor) AND that doesn't break out their pits! Can I get a Hallelujah!?!?

Sweating is Good!- While it might not be super sexy, sweating is your body’s natural mechanism for detoxification! It’s how your body gets rid of the junk that it’s accumulated! Sweating is normal and natural and necessary for your body to function properly.

Give your body some time to adjust! 

If you’ve been using a conventional deodorant and/or antiperspirants, it may take your body some time to adjust to a natural alternative! We typically recommend allowing 2 weeks for your body to adjust. 

Still Stinky? It might be something else.

While a small amount of body odor is normal, severe body odor can often be a symptom of a deeper health issue. If you’re experiencing awful, debilitating BO, you might want to dig deeper into your hormonal health. Reach out...we know people!

I started FATCO because I believe that all consumers should have access to natural products, that are made using clean ingredients (that they can actually pronounce), and that aren't full of a bunch of junky chemicals!

Give our Stank Stop Deodorant a try today! Check out “What Makes Our Deodorant Different” page!  Not convinced that it will work for you? Take a moment to read thousands of 5-star reviews from current FATCO customers! 

And remember, Your Skin is your Largest Organ. Treat It Well!

XOXO,

Cassy