If you are trying to live a more sustainable life, you may have heard that conventional deodorants are bad for the environment. Let’s find out why.
Since deciding to change my lifestyle to become more sustainable, I have learned a lot about how the things we use on a daily basis are harmful to our planet. So it didn’t really come as a surprise when I found out that deodorants are bad for the environment too.
Like with so many things, the environmental impact of deodorants is manifold, which means it isn’t just one thing that makes them bad for the planet.
For many people, including me, using deodorant every day is a must. After all, you don’t want to be smelly, right? But at the same time, we don’t want our environment to suffer. So, I want to find out what it is that makes conventional deodorants so harmful. Why are deodorants bad for the environment?
This will help me to make the right choices going forward. In this article, I will share with you what I have found out during my research, so you too can make the right decision for yourself and the planet.
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The Ways Deodorants Impact Our Environement
Let’s get down to it and find out why deodorants are bad for the environment. As I have already said, there is more than one reason:
- Use of petrochemicals
- Water pollution from ingredients
- Plastic waste from packaging
- Air pollution from aerosols
We will look at each of these environmental impacts in detail to give you a good insight into why conventional deodorants are bad for the planet.
Use Of Petrochemicals
Like so many products, traditional deodorants and antiperspirants that you can buy contain petrochemicals. These are chemicals that are made from crude oil, which is a fossil fuel.
We know that our use of fossil fuels contributes immensely to global warming and climate change, the biggest threat our environment faces.
A study by Welsby et al. from 2021 has found that unless we leave any remaining fossil fuels in the ground, we won’t be able to keep the earth’s temperature below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, let alone 1.5°C.
This means that we need to switch to renewable energy sources. But it also means that we have to find new ingredients that aren’t based on fossil fuels. So the use of petrochemicals isn’t sustainable, which makes conventional antiperspirants and deodorants also not sustainable.
The other issue with petrochemicals is that they are synthetic. The processes to create these man-made ingredients use a lot of energy, which isn’t good for our planet either.
Many of the petrochemicals used aren’t biodegradable, which means that they will persist in our environment for a long time. This leads us neatly to our next point.
Water Pollution From Ingredients
When we use deodorant or antiperspirant, the ingredients stick to our skin. Then, when we shower or wash, these ingredients get washed away and make their way down the drains with the waste water.
While some of the chemicals are stopped during the water treatment process, some will make it through and enter our waterways. Once there, they can have a major impact on aquatic life.
And as we have said, many of the ingredients aren’t biodegradable, so they will persist in the environment for many years.
Let’s look at the various ingredients in deodorants that can cause harm to our environment.
Fragrance Chemicals
One major ingredient in deodorants are fragrances. After all, we use them because we want to smell fresh and lovely. But these are among the most harmful chemicals used in many products.
Phthalates are a group of chemicals that are used to bind fragrance chemicals together. This helps to make the product smell lovely for longer. However, these phthalates are nasty chemicals indeed.
Not only are they bad for us, they also harm wildlife. Studies have shown that they are endocrine disruptors. This means they play havoc with the hormone system of humans and animals.
A study by Marlatt et al. from 2021 has found that endocrine disrupting chemicals, such as phthalates, can negatively affect reproduction of wildlife. That’s bad news.
But fragrance chemicals themselves aren’t any better. A study by Bonato et al. from 2023 found that many of the commonly used fragrances are toxic to aquatic organisms.
So as you can see, chemicals in conventional fragrances are harmful, even toxic to our environment.
Parabens
These are preservatives that are used in many products, including many deodorants. While preservatives are necessary, because they will ensure that your product lasts longer than just a few days, parabens aren’t a good choice.
While there aren’t that many studies about how parabens affect the environment, it’s generally thought that they are harmful.
A study by Wei et al., from 2024, showed that parabens in the water had a huge impact on zebrafish. The parabens had an endocrine disrupting effect as well as disturbing the zebrafish’s metabolism.
It’s highly likely that parabens will affect other aquatic life in similar ways.
Triclosan
Many deodorants and antiperspirants also contain antibacterial ingredients to stop odour-producing bacteria. Tricoslan is often used for this purpose, not only in deodorants.
It also acts as a preservative, which is why it’s a popular ingredient. However, it has been shown that it isn’t a safe ingredient to use for the environment.
There is a reason why it’s no longer allowed to use triclosan in handwashes and body soaps in the UK. However, it’s still allowed to be used in many other personal care products, such as deodorants.
A study by Costa et al., from 2020, looked at the impact triclosan had on clams. It found that the chemical affected the antioxidant defences of the clams.
And it’s likely that this nasty substance also causes other harm to aquatic life.
As you can see there are many ingredients in conventional deodorants and antiperspirants that will cause great harm to our environment.
Plastic Waste From Packaging
Another way traditional deodorants can impact the environment is through their packaging. Many are packaged in plastic, which might not always be recyclable.
For example, black plastic often can’t be recycled, and many deodorants aimed at men are packaged black.
But the plastic cases in which many deodorant sticks come also often consist of various different plastics. This makes it very hard to recycle.
And not all of these components are recyclable either. But even if the plastic packaging can be recycled, that doesn’t mean it will be.
First, knowing what plastic you can put in your recycling bin can be confusing. With no consistency between different councils and generally vague guidance on what can be recycled.
Besides, only 12% of plastic waste is recycled in the UK anyway, with 25% going to landfill and almost half being burned to generate energy, according to Statista.
This contributes to plastic waste, which is already a huge problem for our planet. We all know what havoc plastic causes in our environment, with it not being biodegradable and needs hundreds of years to break down.
And even if your plastic deodorant case is recycled, it will be made into a lower quality product and likely not recycled again. That’s because plastic can’t be recycled very often.
What this means is that every time you buy a deodorant with plastic packaging, it was made with virgin plastic. And with 90% of plastic being made from fossil fuels, this is bad news for the planet.
But what about the metal aerosol cans? Well, those are recyclable and are accepted by most UK councils in their kerbside recycling programmes.
But that doesn’t mean that aerosol cans are the solution.
Air Pollution From Aerosols
According to a study by the National Centre for Atmospheric Science and the University of York, aerosol cans contribute to air pollution.
Aerosol sprays, including deodorants, contain chemicals that are harmful pollutants. They are called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and can turn into toxic smog.
The researchers have found that 6.1% of all UK VOC emissions now come from aerosol products, such as deodorants. This is more than all cars on our streets together.
When these compounds are released inside, they are a risk to our health. They can cause lung irritation, headaches and are even linked to some cancers.
That’s bad enough, but if they get outside, they can combine with nitrogen oxides, a secondary pollutant, and form photochemical smog.
And this smog can cause harm to people, animals as well as plants. It’s estimated that we use over 25 billion aerosol cans per year worldwide, many of which will be deodorants.
Find out more about why aerosol deodorants are bad for the planet in our guide.
Taken all these things together, you can see why conventional deodorants are so bad for the environment. But what can be done?
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Eco-Friendly Deodorants
It’s never nice to find out how bad a product you use every day is for our environment. But once you know why, you can switch to more eco-friendly alternatives, because you know what to look out for.
And the good news is that there are alternatives out there that will be better for you and the environment.
So here is what you need to look out for.
Natural Ingredients
To ensure that you don’t use a deodorant that uses harmful ingredients and petrochemicals, look for deodorants that use natural ingredients.
While they don’t need to be necessarily organic, look out for companies that offer deodorants that use plant-based or plant-derived ingredients. These will be free of petrochemicals.
Keep away from the nasty ingredients we have listed above:
- Synthetic fragrance chemicals
- Phthalates
- Parabens
- Triclosan
Because the recipes for most fragrances are seen as trade secrets, it’s very difficult to know if a brand uses harmful fragrance chemicals.
To be absolutely certain, choose a fragrance-free deodorant. Alternatively, look for products that contain essential oils or that state that they don’t contain synthetic fragrances.
There are many UK-based companies that offer eco-friendly deodorants, including Wild and LiveCoCo.
Plastic-Free Packaging
As we have seen, plastic packaging can contribute to plastic waste. So look for deodorants that don’t come wrapped in plastic.
Many eco-friendly brands offer deodorant sticks in cardboard tubes, which can be recycled. Or even better, opt for refills.
You buy a plastic-free reusable deodorant case and compostable refills. There is no waste, which is great for our environment.
Many eco-friendly brands do offer these refill options, including Wild.
Stay Away From Aerosols
Finally, stay clear of aerosol cans. While they are very convenient, they are also very harmful to us and our planet, especially given that we use them on a daily basis.
Opt for deodorant sticks or roll-on ones. That way you avoid these nasty VOCs that have such an impact on our environment.
Given that they are now causing more air pollution than cars, it’s about time that we make the switch. This is true for anything that comes in an aerosol can, not just deodorants.
But your deodorant is a good starting point.
So now that you know why deodorants are bad for the environment, let’s make the switch. Choose a deodorant that is better for you and our planet.
