One of the most frequently asked questions we get is, “What differentiates Each & Every from all of the other natural deodorants on the market?”. And one of the biggest differentiators is that we don’t use baking soda (aka sodium bicarbonate) in our formula. If you’re new to natural deodorant or haven’t had issues with natural deodorants you’ve used, you may be wondering why. On the surface, it doesn’t seem like baking soda would be of concern, but there are a few important reasons why we choose not to use baking soda in our formula.
- It can cause skin irritation: Skin irritation is very common when people switch to a natural deodorant, and baking soda is the most common culprit. Here’s why: Your skin is naturally acidic and maintains a pH of 4.5 - 6.5. Baking soda is very alkaline (a 9 on the pH scale). So when you apply a deodorant with baking soda, it raises the pH of the skin. When your skin’s pH rises above its normal levels, it can cause irritation such as dryness, redness, itching, and painful rashes.
- It's very water soluable: Baking soda is a good odor fighter, but it’s also very water soluble. As a result, when you perspire, the baking soda is solubilized (dissolved). This means that once you sweat, you’ve effectively lost your odor protection for the day. Ultimately, for many people baking soda doesn’t have the staying power that they need throughout the day - especially in high temps or during activity.
- It can cause staining: Everyone has had an experience with those annoying white deodorant stains on their clothes. And the most common culprit is white powders in the deodorant formula. Baking soda can often cause these stains, especially if there’s a high concentration of baking soda in the formula.
All of the above reasons led us to explore a formula that did not include baking soda. We’re proud that we created a formula with safe, non-irritating ingredients that has staying power. To learn more about what we use instead, you can view our post on active ingredients.
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