Magnesium Hydroxide, Mg(OH)2, is a safe and naturally occurring compound used, at a pharmaceutical grade, in natural deodorant products as an alternative to aluminum, baking soda and other ingredients that are potentially irritating, ineffective, or hazardous.
What is Natural Deodorant?
Modern deodorants come in many forms, including roll-on solids, sticks, gels, and sprays. Most deodorants on the market today are made using various aluminum compounds as their active ingredient. These compounds serve as an antiperspirant by blocking the sweat ducts in the skin and contracting the surrounding pores.
Natural deodorants substitute the aluminum compound for safer, more naturally occurring ingredients that seek to eliminate the underlying cause of odor - microbes and bacteria on the surface of the skin and attached to hair follicles.
Magnesium Hydroxide Deodorant
Because approximately 60% of chemicals applied to the skin can be absorbed directly into the body, carefully considering the contents of topical products, like deodorant, is essential to personal health. Studies have shown that Magnesium Hydroxide does not absorb into the skin. Instead, its main purpose in a natural deodorant is to counteract any odor-causing bacteria on the surface of the skin without impacting the dermis – the layer of skin where sweat glands, pores and hair follicles are contained.
Safer than Aluminum
Researchers have determined that sweat itself does not necessarily possess a scent; bacteria clinging to hair and skin are the cause of unpleasant odors in the underarm area or on other regions of the body. Because the clogging of sweat ducts can lead to irritation, acne, infection and other dermatological issues, Magnesium Hydroxide is a beneficial alternative as it kills bacteria without blocking the pores or stifling the surrounding skin.
In addition, scientists have discovered a direct link between high aluminum levels and several diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Correlation between use of aluminum deodorant and breast cancer are also being investigated. Pregnant and nursing mothers are often advised by healthcare practitioners to switch to an all-natural deodorant as a precaution for neonatal health.
Better than Baking Soda
An ingredient commonly utilized for natural or aluminum-free deodorants is baking soda. Baking soda, also called sodium bicarbonate or NaHCO3, is found in many household products, including those used for cooking, cleaning and self-care.
Although it effectively neutralizes bacteria, baking soda is alkaline, contrasting with the acidity of skin. As a result, baking soda strips the natural moisture barrier, causing irritation, dryness, and discoloration. There is also potential for allergic reaction. Magnesium Hydroxide, found in soothing products such as Milk of Magnesia, balances the body’s natural pH while killing odor-causing bacteria without reducing skin moisture or causing skin damage.
Producing Natural Deodorant
Garrison Minerals is the premier industrial supplier of pharmaceutical-grade Magnesium Hydroxide. Offering ultra-high purity materials that meet the USP Food Chemicals Codex and the European Directive 2000/63/EC, Garrison Minerals provides the raw materials currently utilized in antacid preparation, mineral supplements, natural deodorants and other food/pharmaceutical applications.
Contact Garrison Minerals to discuss your natural deodorant production requirements or other pharmaceutical-grade magnesium hydroxide needs.
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