"What did the romans ever do for us?" If you’ve ever watched the film “The life of Brian”, you’ll probably remember the scene where the Jews argue over the list of things the Romans gave to society.
The one thing the Romans were obsessed with was bathing. Like the Victorian adage “cleanliness is next to godliness”, the Romans pioneered running water and public baths following which they would smear scented olive oils on their bodies. However, it wasn’t until the 20th century that the discovery of hydrogenated fats led to a revolution in the production of soap.
It is widely agreed that the best way to “eliminate” body odour is to regularly take a bath or shower, washing with soap to remove the offending bacteria from the skin. Odour comes from the action of bacteria. Regular bathing and the use of a natural antibacterial deodorant such as Wild4men’s range of moisturising deodorants keep you clean, moisturised and able to fight those pesky bacteria. Using naturally antibacterial essential oils such as lime, cedarwood, and pine are great ways to combat underarm odour without the use of harsh chemicals.
Over the last few years there has been a big debate with arguments on both sides of the debate about the safety of aluminium containing anti-perspirants. Whatever you believe, the fact that many of the major brands such as Sure, Dove, Nivea and Soft&Gentle have either switched or have products which are free of aluminium. You might argue they are just adjusting to consumer pressure or trying to ensure they maintain/grow their market share, but clearly consumers are voting with their feet and the market for anti-perspirant/deodorants free of aluminium continues to grow.
At Wild4Men, we’ve gone a step further. We simply don’t believe in anti-perspirants. Why? Anti-perspirants containing aluminium salts work by forming a plug in your sweat glands and physically blocking sweat from reaching the surface of your skin. You don’t sweat less, but your underarms don’t get so wet. Blocking the natural process of sweating is not good for the body. Sweating is your body’s way of controlling and maintaining temperature. Also, the bacteria which create body odour are still present.
Beware. A number of anti-perspirant/deodorant manufacturers have resorted to “hiding” the content of their products. When alum is mentioned, you should note that Alum is the general name of a class of double sulphates formed by the union of aluminium, iron, chromium, or manganese sulphate with the sulphate of some other metal, commonly an alkaline metal or ammonium. All these metal sulphates have similar properties as an anti-perspirant agent – blocking your pores. So whether you believe the health questions of aluminium or not, you should ask yourself why manufacturers see the need to “hide” the content of their products.
Also beware of products positioned as “organic”. For example, take a look at the ingredients in a leading “Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Deodorant” stated as being “Natural, Vegan, Cruelty Free, Paraben & SLS Free and Aluminium Free”, where the only organic claim is that the Argan oil is organic, and you really need all these ingredients?:
Ingredients
Aloe barbadensis leaf juice, Aqua, Zinc ricinoleate, Triethyl citrate, Lauryl glucoside, Polyglyceryl-2-dipolyhydroxystearate, Glycerin, Glyceryl caprylate, Cetearyl alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 stearate, Sodium stearoyl lactylate, Sodium bicarbonate, Isocetyl palmitate, Argania spinosa (Argan) kernel oil, Citrus aurantium dulcis (Orange) peel extract, Eugenia caryophyllus (Clove) leaf oil, Pelargonium graveolens (Geranium) oil, Citrus limon (Lemon) peel oil, Pogostemon cablin (Patchouli) oil, Aniba rosaeodora (Rosewood) oil, Mentha arvensis (Wild mint) herb oil, Citrus nobilis (Mandarin) peel oil, Vanilla planifolia fruit extract, Mentha spicata (Spearmint) herb oil, Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Cinnamon) leaf oil, Cetraria islandica (Icelandic moss) extract, Hibiscus sabdariffa flower extract, Kigelia africana fruit extract, Adansonia digitata (Baobab) fruit extract, Glycyrrhetinic acid, Tocopherol, Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) seed oil, Chondrus crispus (Carrageenan) extract, Benzyl alcohol, Dehydroacetic acid, Xanthan Gum, Sodium phytate, Citric acid, Sodium benzoate, Potassium sorbate, Citral, Citronellol, Limonene, Eugenol, Geraniol, Linalool.
At Wild4Men, with our moisturising deodorants we truly believe in a unique way of helping your body deal with underarm body odour. It won’t stop you sweating. It won’t eliminate body odour. But it will help both moisturise your body and fight bad odours with completely organic oils, where natural essential oils have been shown to have the ability to fight the proliferation of bacteria by attacking their cell walls (see this US National Institute of Health publication - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3873673/ ). The best way to combat body odour is to wash thoroughly and regularly with a good natural soap such as our “Naked” soap bar, and then moisturise with natural plant essential oils.
Decide for yourself whether you want to steer clear of man-made chemicals and rely on nature to maintain your body’s health.
Love your skin!
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