Puberty. Body odor. Hormone overload.

The unwelcome guests you’ve dreaded as a parent have finally pushed their way in and are making themselves quite at home with your son or daughter. Maybe you thought you had several more years before having to face these changes or you’ve counted your lucky stars for such a late bloomer. Either way, the changes have arrived, and body odor might just be the most offensive intruder.  The time has come to learn more about the best deodorant for kids.

You may be asking yourself, “when do kids start wearing deodorant”? Though it’s different for everyone, body odor usually begins with the growth of underarm hair and those can sprout up as early as eight years old. However, it is possible for your child to have little to no underarm hair and still emit a new bodily stench. But odds are you won’t need a signal like underarm hair to know it’s time to get deodorant for your kid. You’ll know it just as surely as if it’s a glowing neon sign directing you to the deodorant aisle.  

Now comes the important part: choosing the best deodorant for kids. What do we mean by best? Safe and effective (we’ll talk more about what those mean) There have never been more choices for underarm protection than there are today, so understanding the difference between all your options will help you choose the best deodorant for kids.

Deodorant v antiperspirant

A deodorant does what it says: it deodorizes or eliminates the smell caused by underarm sweat, not the sweat itself. That’s what an anti-perspirant does: stops sweat without necessarily eliminating the smell. However, since many believe sweat is often the cause of body odor, many people opt for an antiperspirant. Of course, you can find products that both eliminate odor and sweat. A win-win, right? Wrong. The concern is that the ingredients used in antiperspirants to stop sweat — aluminum chloride or aluminum zirconium — may lead to health issues down the line. The effects of aluminum in antiperspirants can be dramatic, and they’re definitely something you want to avoid. You can learn more about the differences between these options here. The best kids’ deodorant has to be one that’s a safe deodorant for kids. That may sound obvious, but with so many choices vying for your attention, it’s easy to get distracted by all the brands promising sweet smells and no sweat. But if it’s not safe? It shouldn’t even be considered.

Natural or not

While the evidence linking aluminum to medical problems is troubling, many parents would rather be safe than sorry. We believe that choosing the best deodorant for kids means choosing a safe deodorant — a gentle, yet effective, all-natural solution that is free of aluminum, parabens, sulfates and other harmful, unnecessary ingredients. Products like Prep U Natural Deodorants for teenage boys, or Native Teen Deodorant for boys and girls, offer kids’ deodorants that will safely prevent body odor, not sweating. It’s important to remember that every child will react differently to natural deodorants, so if after a few days his or her body odor doesn’t seem under control, give it a few more days. If you smell no noticeable difference after a week or more, try a different natural brand before swearing off natural kids’ deodorants altogether. It may take a few tries, but you’ll get there, and you and your kid will both be happier for it.
 

Charcoal for Children

One of the newest ingredients across deodorant options for both kids and adults is activated charcoal. Proven to absorb underarm moisture and draw out odor-causing bacteria, activated charcoal is not only effective, but also free from harmful chemicals and toxins making it another safe deodorant for kids.

Ultimately, choosing the best deodorant for kids comes down to what makes you and your son or daughter most comfortable based on their individual needs. Navigating body odor is one of many new territories you’ll be entering as a parent to a pre-teen or teenager, and while we can’t guarantee his foray into puberty will be easy, choosing the best kids’ deodorant is going to be significantly easier now that you’ve turned to an all-natural solution.

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Information on this site is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Any information on this site is not intended to make claims to any unique individual and/or experience.