Irritation With Underarm Deodorants

Deodorants contain a variety of chemicals to enhance effectiveness, shelf life and scent. According to Today's Parent, an online parenting magazine, allergies can occur at any point in your life and may develop suddenly. If your underarm deodorant is causing irritation, it may be a result of the ingredients. If you suspect ingredients in your deodorant are causing irritation, you may want to consider choosing a deodorant without those ingredients or using a natural deodorant.

Fragrances

Fragrance is commonly added to underarm deodorants to give a fresh scent to the body and to mask odors. If you are allergic to fragrance you are considered to have a chemical sensitivity. Dr. Doris J. Rapp, author of "Our Toxic World: A Wake-Up Call," indicates 74 million Americans are believed to suffer from chemical sensitivities. Your allergy may be a mild skin irritation or be as serious as causing respiratory issues.

Aluminum Chlorohydrate

Aluminum chlorohydrate is an antiperspirant agent and is designed to stop your body from perspiring. Perspiring is the body's natural way of ridding toxins from the body and blocking the pores with an antiperspiring agent increases your risk of irritation and rash. The Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances lists aluminum chlorohydrate as a skin irritant.

Propylene Carbonate

Propylene carbonate is another ingredient you may find in your deodorant. The European Union has classified it as an irritant and the Environmental Working Group's Cosmetic Safety Database indicates it is a human irritant when it comes in contact with eyes or the skin.

Butane

Butane is used as a propellant for aerosol products, allowing the product to be propelled into the air. The European Union restricts its use in cosmetics, and the Canadian Environmental Protection Agency's Act has flagged it for further attention. The Cosmetic Safety Database lists butane as an irritant when it comes in contact with eyes or skin. If your deodorant is in an aerosol can, check the ingredients to see if butane is listed as the propellant agent.

Alternatives

You can first look at choosing a fragrance-free deodorant to see if your irritation gets better. If it is fragrance allergy you have, then it is likely the fragrance in deodorants are causing your skin irritation.

There are also natural deodorants on the market that do not have chemicals in them. Some natural deodorants are in liquid or spray form, while others are solid sticks of crystals that you wet and apply to your underarms.