If you have read the article The Heart Governs Sweat, it should be apparent that normal sweating is an important bodily function that should not be artificially altered. The Heart channel begins at the center of the armpit with Heart 1, Jiquan, or Supreme Source. Blocking the mechanism of sweating here directly blocks the Heart channel. Furthermore, this point is the entry point to the Heart channel from the Spleen channel. Qi flows through the meridians in a set cycle, following the order of Lung – Large Intestine – Stomach – Spleen – Heart – Small Intestine – Bladder – Kidney – Pericardium – Triple Heater – Gall Bladder – Liver – Lung. Blocking the flow of Qi into the Heart channel may back up Qi into the Spleen channel. In the region of the body where the Spleen and Heart channels connect, the Spleen channel runs through the lymphatic system. Blocking the flow of Qi here can result in nodulation and sluggish lymphatic drainage.
Although deodorants do not back up the meridians directly, it seems worthwhile to say something about them. Commercial deodorants contain ingredients that kill bacteria under the armpits in much the same way that antibiotics kill bacteria in the intestines. A healthy balance of bacteria will actually reduce the odor produced by some of the organisms on the skin. The more a chemical deodorant is used, the more that bacterial imbalance takes place, and the more that odor is produced. Thus, more deodorant is needed.
In the case of both antiperspirants and deodorants, at the very least, both products tend to contain a host of known toxic and carcinogenic chemicals. In particular, there has been a good deal of discussion around two issues. One is aluminum toxicity. The other is the estrogen-like effects of certain compounds that are commonly used in these products. Both of these are especially important concerns for women. Chemicals absorb into the skin more readily when the armpits are shaved. Also, the fatty tissue of the breasts more readily stores these compounds.
There a large number of natural deodorants available. They are not as harsh as chemical deodorants, and do not cause the problems described above.