January 22, 21

Everything You Need to Know About Natural Deodorants and Antiperspirants

If you’re anything like we were before starting Akt, you may not know there’s a difference between deodorants and antiperspirants. You may have even used a product that’s an antiperspirant deodorant — so it’s… both? So what’s the difference? And why does it matter? 

The main difference between the two is their intended purpose. Deodorants do what they sound like they would - deodorize. While antiperspirants are also similarly self-explanatory; they keep you from perspiring (sweating). Some products are also labeled as antiperspirant/deodorants, and are intended to address both the sweat itself, and its fun effects - like body odour. 

Back to antiperspirants. How do they keep you from sweating? Well, most of them rely on a chemical compound called aluminium chloride, which is a type of aluminium salt. This active ingredient works by blocking your sweat ducts, keeping it from getting onto the surface of your skin. It also helps block odours.

So what’s the real risk here?

The jury is still out on whether aluminium carries any proven health risks. But our goal isn't to solve health problems with our deodorant, we’re definitely not doctors! We just feel more comfortable using natural, healthy ingredients that we know how to pronounce.


Ingredients 101 - what’s actually in this stuff?

Many people find our Akt formulas to be less harsh than other natural deodorants and/or traditional antiperspirants they’ve used in the past. We don’t use any aluminium salts (which tend to clog pores and cause irritation), parabens, or ambiguous “fragrance” which can often contain synthetic ingredients and fillers. 

As we mentioned above, antiperspirants actually block sweat from exiting your pores, which is how they keep you feeling dry. 

Instead, we crafted our natural deodorant balms to act kind of like an antiperspirant (ensuring you don’t feel sweaty), without blocking your pores. 

We’ve done this by creating something called Deo-Barrier Complex™ - which is a blend of natural, powder based ingredients engineered to keep you feeling dry while sitting invisibly on your skin. This special formula does contain a small amount of Sodium Bicarbonate (sometimes called baking soda, bicarb etc.). And when we say small, it’s actually the smallest amount we could possibly use and still ensure your pits stay dry and comfy. 

We’re hoping to create a “Sensitive Skin” specific version of our deodorant balm in the future, but for now, we are hopeful that the small amount of bicarb will work for almost all skins. Our formulas were created with sensitive skin in mind, but please be sure to test a small amount before a full application if you’re worried about a potential reaction. 

Here’s what else we use to nourish and protect your sensitive underarm skin: 

  • Calendula Oil: extracted from marigold flowers, this oil has antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties
  • Coconut Oil: contains fatty acids that may help heal and soothe inflamed skin 
  • Vitamin E: Antioxidant that protects and repairs skin

“But natural deodorants don’t work for me.”

Efficacy is obviously extremely important if you’re looking for a new deodorant. When you’re dealing with body odour, excessive sweating, and your overall health and wellness, you need something you can be confident in.

If you’ve been on the hunt for a natural deodorant for more than five minutes, you’ve probably encountered the common claim that they simply don’t work for people who sweat excessively, are more active than the average person, or currently use a clinical strength product. 

Whilst everyone’s body chemistry is different, the misconception that natural ingredients aren’t as “strong” or effective is one we’ve set out to disprove. Being natural doesn’t mean we’re less effective. Actually, we think natural ingredients can often do a better job than chemicals or other synthetic ingredients, and they’re much better for you. 

Here at Akt, we don’t think you should have to  sacrifice efficacy for clean, natural ingredients. Though it took us 3+ years to develop, our formula is both safe AND super effective.

Akt is a cruelty-free, vegan UK deodorant

They both sound good, but what exactly does being vegan and cruelty-free entail?  Being vegan means we don’t use any ingredients derived from animals. While you’d obviously never find something like meat in a deodorant (gross), some natural options contain things like beeswax, lanolin or glycerin, which are not vegan. 

We’re also a UK based cruelty-free deodorant, which means that we don’t test any of our products on animals. In fact, they’re tested on real people, 1000’s of which are performers, fitness professionals, dancers and artists. That gives us a much better (and far kinder) idea of how our balms perform on real humans, and harms zero animals in the process.

Still have questions? Get in touch!

We’re might be little biased, but we think Akt is “the balm.” It’s an incredibly effective cruelty-free, paraben free, natural, recyclable and plastic-free deodorant.

If you still have questions (or feedback), please feel free reach out to Aaron at customer@aktlondon.com. Our inbox is always open! 

See our FAQ page here for more info.