Here’s Why Your Natural Deodorant Gave You a Rash

Sara Coughlin
·6 min read

If you recently started using natural deodorant and then developed a rash or some other kind of skin reaction, you’re not alone. People make the switch to natural deodorant for all sorts of reasons, from concerns over specific ingredients to an appreciation for essential oils. But for a subset of people, it can also lead to some unpleasant results, like a rash, sensitivity, redness, or acne. That’s particularly true for people with sensitive skin.

That’s because, despite their “clean” marketing and aesthetics, natural deodorants are just as likely to cause irritated skin as any other product. “Many people are surprised and dismayed when they develop a rash after using a natural deodorant,” Maral K. Skelsey, M.D., clinical associate professor of dermatology at Georgetown University, tells SELF. But, she explains, “natural and nontoxic don’t mean side-effect-free.”

First, a word about what we mean when we say “natural deodorant” in the first place. The term natural doesn’t actually have any kind of regulations around it, but typically when people think of natural deo, they’re thinking of deodorant that’s aluminum-free and usually coconut-oil- or baking-soda-based. As SELF has previously reported, there’s no reason to worry about or avoid using a traditional deodorant or antiperspirant containing aluminum (a common, yet thankfully unfounded, fear).

All that said, there’s nothing wrong with giving a natural deodorant a try if you’re curious, even if you do have sensitive skin. But before you do, here are a few things you should keep in mind if you want to avoid a natural-deodorant-induced rash or other type of skin reaction.

Natural deodorants can actually contain several common irritants.

First, natural deodorants often contain baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, to help neutralize body odor, but its alkaline nature, which is more basic than the skin’s natural pH, can easily prompt a skin reaction, says Neelam Vashi, M.D., associate professor of dermatology at Boston University School of Medicine and director of the Boston University Cosmetic and Laser Center at Boston Medical Center. It’s such a known irritant, in fact, that some natural deodorant brands, whose regular formulas include baking soda, now offer baking-soda-free products for sensitive skin.

That said, baking soda isn’t the only ingredient in natural deodorants that can cause irritation. Essential oils like lemongrass, tea tree, lavender, peppermint, cloves, and sandalwood are used as fragrances in natural deodorants, but many of these oils are common irritants, especially among people with sensitive skin. If you know that certain fragrances or botanical ingredients make you break out in a rash, proceed with caution and always check the ingredient list before buying anything new, Dr. Skelsey says.

Finally, coconut oil, which usually acts as a skin conditioner in natural deodorants, also may cause allergic reactions thanks to the surfactants and emulsifiers that are added to it, Mayra Maymone, M.D., researcher at the University of Colorado dermatology department explains. She adds that lichen extract is a lesser-known plant-derived ingredient that may offer antibacterial benefits, but can similarly lead to skin irritation.

These are the types of reactions you should watch out for.

If your skin reacts to a natural deodorant, it’s most likely a case of contact dermatitis, Dr. Skelsey says, adding that any of the ingredients mentioned above can trigger this reaction. It generally looks like a red, itchy rash that scales or peels, and there are two types of contact dermatitis to be aware of.

Allergic contact dermatitis occurs when your skin comes into direct contact with something you’re allergic to, while irritant contact dermatitis results from a damaged skin barrier. Essential oils, for example, are a common allergen, but they can also irritate skin that’s already been broken or cut from shaving. So, even if you’ve used a certain essential oil elsewhere on your body without issue, there’s still a chance that it could cause contact dermatitis in your armpits.

Dr. Maymone says that anyone can develop contact dermatitis from a natural deodorant, but people with sensitive skin or chronic skin conditions like eczema are more likely to have an adverse reaction, because their skin is already more prone to inflammation and irritation.

In addition to dermatitis, acne isn’t out of the question, especially if you’re using a deodorant that contains coconut oil or another type of vegetable oil. These ingredients, Dr. Vashi says, are occlusive, meaning they form a protective barrier over the top layer of the skin. On one hand, coconut oil’s occlusive properties make it a great moisturizer; on the other, they make it highly comedogenic, or pore-clogging. And when pores get clogged, breakouts can easily follow. If you’re acne-prone and trying a natural deodorant, it’s certainly possible that you’ll encounter a rogue armpit pimple.

Here’s how to deal with a reaction once it’s happened—and how to prevent one in the future.

If you end up with irritated armpits after trying a natural deodorant, don’t panic—Dr. Skelsey says that these reactions will usually go away on their own after a few days once you stop using the product. She adds that applying a hydrocortisone cream to the area may help the rash resolve faster, but if things don’t start to improve, talk to your dermatologist. Similarly, armpit pimples will go away like any other pimple (just resist the urge to pick at them), but, again, if they don’t go away or if they become swollen, tender, and warm to the touch, reach out to your dermatologist, Dr. Skelsey says.

Even if you successfully treat your dermatitis or armpit acne on your own, it’s a good idea to get in touch with your dermatologist for a professional patch test (if not now, thanks to social distancing, then sometime in the future when we’re all moving about a bit more). An at-home patch test, where you apply a small amount of a new product to your inner arm to see if any reaction occurs, will tell if you an entire product is irritating or not, but an in-office patch test can distill which ingredient is the specific source of the reaction. You may find that baking-soda-based deodorants are actually fine for you to use, as long as you avoid certain essential oils, or you might discover a sensitivity to lichen extract.

There’s nothing wrong with giving a new underarm product a try, but it’s always helpful to be aware of the potential side effects (and how to handle them if they arise) ahead of time. That way you can hopefully find a deodorant that not only keeps your B.O. at bay but makes your skin happy too.

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Originally Appeared on SELF