Can a Bumpy Start Lead to True Love? Yes (and sometimes no).

If you’re making the leap to natural deodorant and ditching the chemicals, you’d expect your pits to be grateful. After all, this is going to be the start of a beautiful relationship.

But what happens when your underarms are downright ungrateful for the good stuff you’re applying to them? It might be after the first application, or after a few weeks of Deo bliss, but itching or irritation is never a party you want to be invited to. What gives?

First of all, there’s hope that a permanent split doesn’t have to be in your future. No one can predict how you will react to a natural deodorant when you first try it. One big reason is that your skin type and body chemistry are uniquely yours. While we all love being one-of-a-kind, your particular combination may lead to some irritation when you use a natural deodorant. The vast majority of Kala users will experience only great smelling underarms, but a small number may develop irritation.

There are a couple of reasons for this:

Adjustment Issues

How long did you use your old commercial antiperspirant? Chances are, it’s been a few years, and in that time, your pits have been used to those ingredients. Going straight from something like Aluminum Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex GLY to a product with natural ingredients can be a shock to your delicate skin. Rather than switching back right away, try taking it more slowly.

To help ease the transition, giving your pits a break from all products for a few days can help your skin return to its natural state. It’s always a good idea to start with a very light application. After all, why use more than you need to? Usually a transitional period of about 2-4 weeks will do the trick, and the lovefest can resume.

Baking Soda Sensitivity

We love baking soda for its ability to neutralize odor-causing bacteria while allowing your body to perspire naturally, but sometimes the love isn’t mutual when it comes to your underarm skin. The fact is that the skin under your arm is one of the most sensitive areas on your body, and some people experience a reaction to the baking soda. Why is that? Simply put, your skin’s natural pH is generally lower than baking soda. Sometimes that difference means irritation, especially when you first use a product that contains baking soda.

But before you decide natural deodorant isn’t for you, consider this. Most people use much more product than they need to. Try using a “less is more” approach and only using one or two swipes. You really don’t need much. To help you, we’ve tucked a great instructions card in with each Deo we sell. Many of our users have told us how helpful this little card was in guiding them through the transition to natural deodorant.

The Close Shave

We know. You’re in the shower, and it’s so easy to just grab your razor and give those underarms a good swipe or two. Then you jump out and throw on some deodorant. Here’s the problem. Even if you don’t feel or see them, shaving will usually make tiny cuts (the kind you can only see with a microscope) in your skin, which means you have lots of tiny open wounds. Those little cuts create lots of additional opportunities for your Deo to bypass your natural skin protection and cause irritation.

Fortunately, there’s a pretty easy fix to the close shave. Save it for later. Shave before you go to bed and apply your deodorant when you get up. That gives your pits a chance to recuperate and be ready to face the day with you in the morning.

But let’s say you’ve done everything you can, and your unique skin type and chemistry just isn’t into your natural deodorant?  Sadly for a few, it just wasn’t meant to be. The important thing is to listen to your body and discontinue using it if that’s what it’s telling you. We’ll understand.