• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Whole New Mom
  • Resources
  • About
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • Recipes
  • Natural Remedies
  • Healthy Home
  • Wellness
  • Clean Beauty
    • Beautycounter
  • Gardening
  • Essential Oils

Home » Is Your Deodorant Toxic & Primal Pit Paste Review

Is Your Deodorant Toxic & Primal Pit Paste Review

by Adrienne 207 Comments Published October 28, 2014 Updated: Nov 27, 2020

This post may contain affiliate links from which I will earn a commission. Learn more in our disclosure.
274shares

Find out why you should switch to a natural deodorant plus enter the Primal Pit Paste Giveaway and get a coupon to boot!

I've been trying for a long time to get our home care and personal care products as natural as possible in order to get toxins out of our home and off of our bodies.

I make my own eye makeup remover, window cleaner, shower cleaner, hairspray, body wash, and more. But ridding our home of conventional deodorant has been a little more difficult.

When I was a teen, I used those standard store brands that smelled great and had antiperspirants built in.
Not a good thing.

The Dangers Lurking in Antiperspirants & Deodorants

Antiperspirants stop you from sweating and deodorants mask your body odor. What's wrong with that?

Your body is sweating in order to cool you down, and with that, toxins are being removed in the sweat. Some say that no toxins are removed in sweat, but this article claims otherwise.

Now, we all know that having wet underarms is NOT attractive, but look at what price you might be paying to have dry pits:

-Aluminum salts in antiperspirants might be linked to breast cancer (Source)

Plus other ingredients in antiperspirants and deodorants are simply not good for you.

Ingredients in a popular brand of antiperspirant / deodorant:

Aluminum Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex Glycine Complex (there's the aluminum I was talking about)
Cyclopentasiloxane (rated 3 on EWG's Skin Deep for persistence, bioaccumulation, organ toxicity and more)
Stearyl Alcohol
C12 15 Alkyl Benzoate
PPG 14 Butyl Ether
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Petrolatum (rated 4 on EWG for organ toxicity and more)
Phenyl Trimethicone, Talc (rated 3 due to organ toxicity)
Cyclodextrin
Fragrance (rated 8 on EWG due to Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), and Ecotoxicology
Mineral Oil (Paraffinum Liquidum)
Behenyl Alcohol

I was convinced of all of this sooner than my husband was, but finally I got him to stop using antiperspirants.
But what he switched to was a deodorant with triclosan in it.

Also not a good thing.

Triclosan is a common antibacterial ingredient that, when combined with water, will form chloroform, a probable carcinogen. YIKES.  I really needed to get this out of my house and fast. (Source)

Our Move to Natural Deodorant

The switch to natural deodorant for us, and especially for my husband, took awhile. The reasons for the delay were the following:

1. No one wants to stink
I wanted to be more natural, but I didn't want to stink--and neither did my husband.

2. Many products just didn't work
Some of the natural products just didn't work, and some had toxicity issues associated with them (like the crystal deodorants. They can have aluminum in them in the form of potassium alum, also known as potassium aluminum sulfate. This might act as an endocrine disruptor. (Source)

3. Money
At certain points in our marriage, we were on a very tight budget, and when we saw the stuff he liked on clearance, we stocked up. And it's hard for me to throw things away--even when they're toxic :).

We tried a few natural products over the years, but not many. The crystal deodorants, and this "Easiest" Homemade Deodorant, that really is sort of ridiculous. My DIY version worked pretty well, but sometimes it stung. I actually don't remember what I was using all those years while I tried to get my husband off of his toxic pit product.  Maybe I was just going au naturale and hoping I didn't smell too bad :).

I thought about making my own deodorant, but I kept reading reports about people having staining issues and wasn't keen at all on having stains under my arms and couldn't find a recipe that looked promising enough for me to take a run at a DIY deodorant. Well, after awhile I did try making a baking soda based roll on and it worked pretty well (I'll share the recipe at some point), but it wasn't quite enough on the more stinky days for sure.

Enter Primal Pit Paste

I'd seen Primal Pit Paste around the internet, and it seemed to be quite popular so I was pleased when they contacted me to review their product.

And I'm happily using it still today.  And so are many other Primal folks.

Primal Pit Paste's Natural Ingredients

Baking soda - natural odor-blocking ingredient
Arrowroot powder  - absorb moisture and soothes the skin
Coconut oil  - moisturizes and soothes
Fair Trade Shea Butter - moisturizes and soothes
Organic Essential Oils  - for fragrance
Beeswax  - for firming (found in the stick forms)
Kaolin clay -  for odor-absorbing. In the Happy Stick version only for those sensitive to baking soda.

Primal's Products

Primal Stick
Primal Pit Paste Regular
Primal Pit Paste Strong
Primal Pit Paste Light
Primal Pit Paste Kids

You use the stick as you would any stick deodorant, and use just about a pea-sized amount of the paste for each underarm. You can apply with a stick or your finger.

I personally started with the Primal Stick but needed to move to the strong Paste in the summer months, though I haven't been perspiring that much lately. Just not sure why. I have sensitive skin, but the Pit Paste Strong didn't irritate my underarms at all.

My husband has mainly used the Primal Stick and has been really pleased. I was really surprised about this because I considered his "stink" issues to be more significant than mine, but he hasn't even had to use the Strong version.  I bet there's an interesting reason for that.....curious, huh?

And so thankfully, I ended up donating the rest of our "discounted triclosan deodorant" to a charity. I just couldn't throw it out :).  I know, it was hard to think that I was giving someone else these toxins, but I figure they were likely going to buy it anyway.

Find out why you should switch to a natural deodorant plus enter the Primal Pit Paste Giveaway and get a coupon to boot!

How to Choose Your Primal Pit Product

1. Decide if you want a stick or jar. I like the glass jar but prefer the stick for ease of use. If you want the strong version you will be using the jar.

2. Pick your deodorant strength.  It's best to start with Regular strength. I did that in the summer and ended up needing the strong, though I didn't consider myself to be very "stinky". Now, as the weather gets cooler, I am using the regular and am very happy with it. If you have sensitive skin, you might with to try the the Light option with less baking soda, of the Happy Pits with kaolin clay.

3. Do you have sensitive skin? The baking soda can irritate extremely sensitive underarms, so that’s why Primal Pit Paste offers the Happy Pits stick here. It contains a blend of mango butter, shea butter, arrowroot powder, beeswax, magnesium, essential oils and kaolin clay. The kaolin and magnesium helps control odor without irritating the skin.

4.  Have more questions? Reach out to the company.

Need a Baking Soda Free Deodorant?

These days, a lot of people are finding out that they can't use deodorants that have baking soda in them. Contrary to what many natural people say, getting a rash under your arm when using a natural deodorant isn't a sign that you are detoxing. It means that you shouldn't be using that product.

It's a hard thing to find a deodorant that works that doesn't have baking soda in it, but here are a few options that I really like:

Miessence

Miessence is a fantastic company that has super clean, mostly organic products that are top notch.

I mentioned them in this post about probiotics--they have several fabulous fermented superfood products.

They have 2 deodorant roll-ons. One is baking soda based and the other is milk of magnesia based. We like both of them. Actually, my husband has become sensitive to baking soda so he uses the Milk of Magnesia one and it works well for him.

NYR Organic

NYR Organic is a company with stellar sustainability and organic ethics. They have a spray deodorant that works well for me in spring, fall, and winter, but in the summer I need to either use a different deodorant or apply NYR's Tea Tree Body Powder on top of the spray.

 

What kind of deodorant do you use?
Have you found a natural deodorant that you like?

274shares
Struggling to Eat Healthy?
Get My 5 Secrets to Make Healthy Eating EASIER
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Join our subscribers who get content directly to their inbox.
Invalid email address
Thanks for subscribing! Please check your inbox for an email from me!

Come join our Healthy Living Community on Facebook

Join our Facebook Group

Related Posts

Powdered Sugar in a Bowl - How to Make Powdered Sugar
Powdered Sugar Substitute | How to Make Powdered Sugar
DIY Serving Tray
30 Homemade Mother's Day Gifts
Come find out Why I Don't Use Moisturizers from Stores--and What I Use Now! Includes my Favorite Recipe for Whipped Shea Butter Body Lotion.
Why I Stopped Using Moisturizer from Stores--and My Favorite Homemade Lotion

About Adrienne

Adrienne Urban is the Founder and Owner of Whole New Mom. She has a background in research, journalism, insurance, employee benefits, financial markets, frugal living, and nutrition. Seeking a better life for herself and her family, she uses research and consults with many physicians and other practitioners to find solutions to the variety of issues they have dealt with including life-threatening food allergies and thyroid and adrenal concerns. WholeNewMom.com is the result of her experiences and knowledge gained throughout the process. Posts are reviewed and verified by the Whole New Mom team.

Previous Post: « The Gut-Brain Axis | 4 Tips for Gut / Brain Health
Next Post: Easy Homemade Sauerkraut {aka Homemade Probiotics} »

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




     

  1. Noelle

    December 19, 2014 at 1:19 pm

    Thank you so much for introducing us to this and for the coupon code. I just ordered my first order today.

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      December 19, 2014 at 2:12 pm

      You're welcome! I love this product!

      Reply
  2. Melanie Hawk

    November 07, 2014 at 12:31 am

    Hello Hello.... I am so excited about this product and excited to see who the winner is of the fabulous Primal Pit Paste contest.

    Reply
  3. Danielle F

    November 06, 2014 at 6:15 pm

    Who won?

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      November 07, 2014 at 12:13 pm

      I'm working on verifying the winners. One so far didn't follow directions. Thanks!

      Reply
    • Adrienne

      November 14, 2014 at 12:35 pm

      You are NOT going to believe this. I had so many people who didn't do what they said - like LIKE me on FB, and subscribe to newsletters, etc. So YOU finally won!!!!! Yee hah and thanks for your patience! I will pass your info on to Primal Pit Paste! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Danielle F

    November 05, 2014 at 5:57 pm

    Who won? 🙂

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      November 22, 2014 at 11:33 am

      Did you get your gift certificate from the company?

      Reply
  5. J Allen

    November 03, 2014 at 11:49 pm

    Hope I win!!

    Reply
  6. Karen

    November 03, 2014 at 11:46 pm

    Pit paste, actually I was just looking at there products last week... 😀

    Reply
  7. camille lopez

    November 03, 2014 at 11:34 pm

    The sensitive primal paste and the body powder look awesome! Also the one for kids....

    Reply
  8. Jodie

    November 03, 2014 at 11:31 pm

    Strong paste

    Reply
  9. Noelle Collins

    November 03, 2014 at 11:25 pm

    I am really interested in trying a natural deodorant. I have been thinking about this for quite some time. I have heard that some can attribute to breast cancer, especially in women.

    Reply
« Older Comments
Please note: these comments do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of Whole New Mom.

Primary Sidebar

adrienne author of whole new mom blog

Welcome! I'm Adrienne, and I'm here to show you that Healthy Living Doesn't Have to Be Hard! Here, you'll find basically everything you need to make healthy living doable--healthy & easy flexible recipes, tips for clean beauty and a natural home, essential oils, beginner gardening tips, and more. Learn more about me here.

Struggling to Eat Healthy?Get My FREE EASIER Healthy Eating Tips!
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Join our subscribers who get content directly to their inbox.
Invalid email address
Thanks for subscribing! Check your inbox for your guide!

POPULAR POSTS

This Egg Roll in a Bowl has all of the great flavor of Egg Rolls, but it's an Easy One Pan Meal without the grain wrapper!

Egg Roll in a Bowl - low carb, whole30, keto, paleo, AIP

healthy fudge on white parchment paper with knife in background

Adaptogenic Phat Fudge Remake

Need a delicious, quick and healthy meal? Try this Easy Baked Homemade Chicken Nuggets Recipe. They taste like you spent a TON of time in the kitchen, but they come together in a flash. Grain & Egg Free (with AIP and THM:S options) and they freeze well too!

Easy Baked Chicken Nuggets {gluten free with paleo option}

gluten free chili mac in white bowl with spoon

Gluten-free Chili Mac (dairy-free & keto option)

<script>

Disclaimer

Cookie Policy

HTML Sitemap

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2021 Whole New Mom on the Foodie Pro Theme

274shares
  • 132
x
Get My Easier Healthy Eating Guide
No spam here (ick!). You can unsubscribe anytime (no hard feelings!)
Invalid email address
Welcome! Check your email for your Guide!
x
Struggling to Eat Healthy?
Try My EASY Healthy Eating Tips!
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Join our subscribers who get content directly to their inbox.
Invalid email address
Thanks for subscribing! Please check your email for further instructions.