Do You Really Need to Detox from Your Deodorant?

I'd like to kick things off by saying I'm pro natural. Natural remedies? Big fan. Natural talent? Thumbs up from me! Natural selection? What's not to love—it's probably what saved us from being menaced by dragonflies the size of cats. (Just google "Meganeura.")

But when it comes to natural deodorants, I've always been a skeptic. I sweat. Not enough to require a doctor's help (and my heart goes out to those who do), but definitely enough to get some awkward looks from people who go in for a hug after I've been walking outdoors for any period of time longer than a Kim Petras song. For that reason, I'm ideally suited to an antiperspirant: The active ingredient—typically an aluminum salt—forms a plug that pretty much blocks your sweat gland, cosmetic Perry Romanowski tells me.

But the whole idea of these products, fueled by fears that aluminum may be linked to certain forms of cancer and Alzheimer's disease, makes some people uncomfortable. Because of that, the market for "natural" alternatives is thriving. For the record: No conclusive link between antiperspirant use and the development of breast cancer or Alzheimer's disease exists, and the active ingredients are regulated by the FDA as over-the-counter drugs and generally considered safe for use.

Natural deodorants claim to do what all deodorants do: absorb perspiration, mask odor, or a combination of both. Proponents profess that when you switch from a conventional formula to a natural one, you may be forced to suffer through a "detox" period, during which time you smell worse until your body "adjusts" by purging all of the chemicals built up from your years of antiperspirant use. And that brings us to the question at hand: Is a deodorant detox a real thing—and if so, necessary? I went to the experts to break it down:

First, your skin isn't a "detox" organ.

Read the full story on Oprah Daily: Do You Really Need to Detox from Your Deodorant?