Deodorants and antiperspirants are a ubiquitous product in personal care, constantly improved with ingredients that better conceal body odour and stop perspiration while remaining gentle on the skin. But this household staple also carries a host of detrimental health effects and irreparable environmental damage, discussed in full below. Though it may seem irreplaceable, a variety of organic ingredients can maintain deodorant efficacy while being not only harmless but beneficial to the skin — and reducing the industry's carbon footprint. This project builds and tests one such alternative.
Aim & Hypothesis
Aim — to create an organic deodorant that is healthy for everyone to use, and environment-friendly, given that most store-bought deodorants contain harmful substances.
Hypothesis — organic alternatives to deodorants are equally effective and have reduced negative health and environmental effects.
I. Health Effects of Ordinary Deodorants
Many commercial deodorants contain aluminium, phthalates, parabens and artificial fragrances. Aluminium salts (e.g. aluminium chloride, aluminium chlorohydrate) partially dissolve to form a temporary gel plug over the pores, preventing sweat — but research links them to skin irritation, neurotoxicity with prolonged use, and metalloestrogenic effects that mimic oestrogen, with some studies showing metastatic and invasive activity in exposed cells. Fragrance molecules such as phthalates and benzyl salicylate are linked to endocrine disruption and allergic reaction; parabens, used as preservatives, similarly mimic oestrogen and are associated with immunotoxic effects, insulin resistance, and thyroid disruption.
Choosing safer, natural deodorants is essential for maintaining personal hygiene without compromising on long-term health and well-being.
II. Environmental Effects
Most deodorants ship in polypropylene or polyethylene containers that are rarely recycled in practice, due to mixed-material pumps and roll-on mechanisms; the resulting plastic waste photodegrades into microplastics that biomagnify up the food chain. Production itself is fossil-fuel intensive. Washed-off ingredients cause further harm downstream: triclosan resists wastewater treatment and is toxic to algae at high concentration, disrupting photosynthesis and oxygen production in aquatic ecosystems, while soluble aluminium salts are toxic to plant roots and interfere with fish gill function and mollusc shell formation.
III. Materials & Procedure
Materials: cocoa butter (moisturising, texture), coconut oil (lauric acid, antibacterial base), baking soda (neutralises odour-causing acids without aluminium), arrowroot starch (moisture absorption), essential oils (scent).
Procedure: melt cocoa butter and coconut oil together in a water bath, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Once melted, add arrowroot starch, baking soda, and essential oils, and stir. Pour the mixture into a roll-on container and allow it to cool and harden. Cover with a lid when not in use.