Cruise the aisles of your local grocery store or pharmacy and you’ll find a number of natural deodorant options alongside natural versions of various other personal care and beauty products. They’re often more expensive than their conventional counterparts, with marketing that implies that they’re inherently safer and purer. But experts and research alike suggest scientific evidence is lacking when it comes to confirming that natural deodorant is better for you and your overall health than conventional options.

Natural Deodorant vs. Conventional Deodorant: What’s the Difference?

It’s tough to draw a clear line between conventional deodorant and natural deodorant products because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t regulate deodorant products, nor does it maintain a regulatory definition of “natural.” In fact, this descriptor can be found on a number of personal care products without much oversight.With that said, natural deodorants are typically formulated with active ingredients like essential oils, plant extracts, and minerals to help neutralize body odor. Many products prioritize ingredients that are also alcohol‐free and paraben‐free. Meanwhile, more conventional deodorant products tend to rely on a synthetic antibacterial, antifungal agent called triclosan to eliminate body odor.Neither natural nor conventional deodorants prevent sweating — they simply aim to mask the odor of sweat (sometimes with fragrance) and inhibit the growth of odor-causing bacteria.Alternatively, antiperspirants are formulated specifically to prevent sweating, using a variety of aluminum salts as the active ingredient to do so. Most concerns regarding deodorant’s impact on health revolve around these aluminum-based ingredients, despite the fact that they’re actually found in antiperspirants, a different product category that is regulated by the FDA.

Are Conventional Deodorants and Antiperspirants Harmful?

“The noise around conventional deodorants dates back to the early 1990s, with an email chain letter that circulated claiming deodorants block sweating and toxin purging and could swell lymph nodes and cause cancer,” says Jeffrey Fromowitz, MD, dermatologist and medical director of Dermatology of Boca in Boca Raton, Florida. “To date, these risks have not been shown.”

According to the American Cancer Society, no strong human subject clinical studies link breast cancer risk and the use of aluminum-containing antiperspirant, and there’s very little scientific evidence to support such claims. Similarly, no available research establishes a relationship between deodorant use and breast cancer.

“There was also concern about aluminum exposure and Alzheimer’s [disease],” says Dr. Fromowitz. “But as the science of disease has advanced, experts have dismissed this idea.” In other words, conventional deodorants and antiperspirants are safe to use, he says.

Even so, some consumers remain wary of certain chemical ingredients found in conventional deodorants, such as parabens, phthalates, propylene glycol, and triclosan. While no conclusive evidence suggests that exposure to these chemicals in the amounts deodorant contains is harmful, individuals can elect to shop for products that omit them.To date, there’s no reason to believe that natural deodorants have negative health effects either. However, as is the case with conventional deodorants, they may contain ingredients that certain people are sensitive or allergic to, resulting in skin irritation. For instance, fragrance ingredients in deodorants can cause contact dermatitis, a common skin irritation that usually appears as a rash or a patch of dry, itchy skin. If you experience itchiness or other skin problems under your arms after applying deodorant or antiperspirant, Fromowitz recommends consulting a dermatologist.

What to Look For in a Natural Deodorant

Although clinical evidence doesn’t support the idea that conventional deodorants or antiperspirants have negative health effects, some people prefer to use natural products made without artificial ingredients. Natural deodorants may also be a good alternative for people who have tried many conventional antiperspirants and deodorants and found that their skin is sensitive to them. (However, some experts say skin reactions like contact dermatitis are more common with natural deodorant use than conventional options.)

As you begin your search, remember that deodorant and antiperspirant products aren’t the same thing. What’s more, aluminum-free natural deodorants don’t prevent sweating — they just mask its odor.

If you’re looking for a natural deodorant, Jenelle Kim, a San Diego–based doctor of Chinese medicine and the founder of JBK Wellness Labs, recommends reading ingredient lists rather than simply trusting front-of-label claims like “natural” or “clean beauty.” Ideally, brands should be transparent about what’s in their products instead of just using terms like “natural fragrance” without being specific as to what ingredients that fragrance is derived from, she says.

Fromowitz also recommends paying particular attention to essential oils and other fragrances used in the products you choose because they are the most likely to cause skin irritation.

Otherwise, there’s no consensus or scientific evidence that certain ingredients in natural deodorant products are more effective than others.

If you want to go the natural route, try a few deodorants with different ingredients and decide which, if any, work best for you.

The Takeaway

• Despite marketing claims of being safer or “purer,” no scientific evidence or clinical research suggests that natural deodorants are better for overall health than conventional options.

• Experts say that long-standing concerns linking aluminum-based antiperspirants or deodorants containing synthetic chemicals to breast cancer aren’t supported by human clinical studies.

• While both types of products are considered safe, neither natural nor conventional deodorants prevent sweat, they only mask odor. Only FDA-regulated antiperspirants contain aluminum to block perspiration.

• Because the term “natural” isn’t regulated by the FDA, consumers should focus on specific ingredient lists to avoid potential skin irritants like essential oils or fragrances rather than relying on marketing labels.