Life

Dove Has Released An Aluminum-Free Deodorant Line, & It's A Pretty Big Deal

I'm not a big brand-worshipper. I'm fine with any syrup for our pancakes and waffles, I can pick any toilet paper that's on sale, and I don't mind which half-and-half I have in my coffee. But when it comes to my deodorant? I've been a firm Dove user since high school, which is why it's been hard to hear that aluminum might not be so great for us — TBH, I really didn't want to think about switching. But lucky for me, and all who love and use the brand, aluminum-free Dove deodorant is officially here, and you're going to love it.

For a few years, many people like me have been concerned with the safety of aluminum in antiperspirants. According to the American Cancer Society, however, most of those claims — like aluminum being absorbed through the skin and increasing your risk of breast cancer — are largely untrue. There's "no clear link" between the aluminum present in your antiperspirant and an increased risk of breast cancer. In fact, Teen Vogue reported that all the rumors about aluminum in your antiperspirant potentially causing cancer or Alzheimer's disease have been debunked by science. But that doesn't mean many, including myself, aren't looking for cleaner beauty products. While Teen Vogue noted that aluminum is the only "FDA-approved active ingredient" in antiperspirants to keep you from sweating, the aluminum-free Dove deodorant is as effective as it is clean.

It's important to note that antiperspirants and deodorants are different. According to Dove, both products help with body odor, but only antiperspirant controls the flow of sweat thanks to aluminum compounds. Deodorants themselves simply use scent and other ingredients to keep your armpits fresh throughout the day. But with Dove's new aluminum-free line, you can have a product that works for you exactly how you want. You can trust a brand with cleaner ingredients, but still feel fresh and clean, too.

The new Dove line features 0 percent aluminum and 0 percent alcohol, and contains Dove's famous 1/4 moisturizer so you can feel soft and smooth, too. The line comes in cucumber and green tea (my personal favorite), coconut and pink jasmine, blue fig and orange blossom, and pomegranate and lemon verbena scents. According to Dove, the products retail for $5.99 for a 2.6-ounce package, and the line is available in most major retailers and drug stores.

A real-life look at the line in Allure found that while the person using the deodorant still felt sweaty, the "dreaded mid-day stench" never appeared. So if you're looking for a cleaner, more natural product that still helps you to feel and smell fresh, it seems like Dove's new line might be just the one for you. Nearly every day I see people asking for aluminum-free deodorant recommendations, and I'm so happy that a trusted brand has jumped into the pool — even if that Facebook message chain about your current deodorant giving you cancer is bogus. But cleaner ingredients never go out of style, and it seems like Dove has nailed the perfect combination.