A Review of 12 Natural Deodorants: What Worked and What Didn't
Making the switch from conventional to natural deodorant is something I feel super strongly and passionate about. It's also probably the most frustrating transition you'll ever do. There's certainly no shortage of natural deodorants on the market today. Heck, you can even mix together a bowl of coconut oil and arrowroot powder and make it yourself. But do they all work? Not quite (at least for me).
On a scale of how smelly of a person I am, I would say I'm about a 7 (10 being super smelly!). In other words, I can be a smelly human! I don't sweat too much in excess, but for some reason, if my pits happen to get trapped under a wool sweater or if I'm in the middle of a super steamy workout, the stench likes to reveal itself to the world.
More recently, it got to the point where it was a daily occurrence that my boyfriend Randy would tell me that I smell. All he would have to say are the words, "Dear, I love you, but ..." for me to know that my B.O had crept up again. It was so incredibly frustrating but by the same token, I absolutely refuse to go back to conventional deodorant. I would rather be more on the smelly side than go back to that, knowing the health risks that are associated with it.
As a result, I've tried A LOT of natural deodorants. I actually wish I kept all of the containers because it's actually a bit laughable how many I tried. But I figured, why not put the many dollars I've spent on natural deodorants to good use by reviewing them all for you so you can find one that works for you!
Keep in mind, this is entirely a personal opinion, based on what worked for me. I will note that I do have sensitive arm pits so any deodorants that contain baking soda got more of a thumbs down for me, but that's not to say they won't work for you. My intention is to give you as much information as possible so you can make the best decision for you, since you know your body best!
Before we get into it, let's first understand why I'm very much against conventional deodorant:
We have to remember that the majority of what we apply on our skin is absorbed directly into our bloodstream. To understand this better, just think of how nicotine patches or birth control contraceptive patches are used.
Whether it's the moisturizer, your make up, hair care products or deodorant; we have to understand that not all of these products are as innocent as they may seem and can actually contribute to a number of health issues in the long-term, especially hormonal-related issues for women.
For the sake of this post, we're just going to be focusing on deodorant today since it does tend to be a product that people use daily on an area that's so closely situated to breast tissue, where toxins like to accumulate.
So what's the big deal with conventional [read: the Dove, the Old Spice etc) deodorant?
Aluminum – Often found in antiperspirants, which keeps you from sweating (aka very unnatural) by blocking your sweat ducts. It's been known to be toxic to the brain in large doses and to be a hormone disruptor. It can also contribute to seizures, breast cancer, Alzheimer's Disease and kidney disorders.
Triclosan – While it's efficient in killing odour-causing bacteria, it can also build up in your tissues and is a known hormone-disruptor.
Parabens – Often used as a preservative that contains antibacterial and antifungal properties, phthalates mimic estrogen in the body and have been found inside breast cancer tumors. Their ability to disrupt hormones can also cause early onset of puberty, increase your risk of hormonal cancers and even birth defects in children.
Phthalates – This is what makes your deodorant spreadable, but it comes with a cost. They've been linked to both reproductive disorders and are a known hormone disruptor.
Propylene Glycol – This ingredient keeps things from drying out. It's also the used in cars as anti-freeze and in airplanes as a de-icer. For this reason, it's been known to be a skin irritant. Not so cute!
Fragrance – You'll often find this in conventional deodorants to mask body odour, but again, this comes with a cost, seeing as there can be up to 3000 ingredients used in the making of one "fragrance". Get this – even the scent of "unscented" on products can actually be a fragrance in itself! It's important to be a label reading pro in this case to ensure you are avoiding this harmful ingredient(s) and the hormone-disrupting, allergen-contributing nature of it.
Triclosan – This is another ingredient that is effective at killing odour-causing bacteria (as well as fungus and microbes), but it's been linked to contributing to a number of health issues including endocrine-related disorders and an increased risk of cancer.
A Review of 12 Natural Deodorants: What Worked and What Didn't (rated from what didn't work very well for me to what worked the best)
1. Tom's of Maine Long Lasting Deodorant
Overall Rating: 2/10
Price: $7.99
Sensitive Skin-Friendly? YES.
Notes: I kind of just feel like I was putting coconut oil on my pits? No bueno!
2. Dr. Mist Deodorant Spray
Rating: 2/10
Price: $14.29
Sensitive Skin-Friendly? YES.
Notes: I LOVED the easy application of this. It was jus ta quick and refreshing spritz! I found it kind of worked at first, but not long-term. It was also tricky to ensure you had good coverage.
3. Green Beaver Natural Deodorant
Rating: 3/10
Price: $7.79
Sensitive Skin-Friendly? YES.
Notes: Green Beaver was another one that would work sometimes for me, but not all the time. It's great for sensitive skin but in order to maintain coverage, you have to apply it 2-3 times a day. However, shout out to their Toothpaste. It's the only one I use and am in LOVE with!
4. Lafe's Active Deodorant Stick
Rating: 4/10
Price: $8.79
Sensitive Skin-Friendly? YES.
Notes: Nice texture that actually sticks. It reminds me of the texture of Dove's Deodorant Stick which I like because I find that natural deodorants can often be a bit too coconut oil-y. But it did not provide long-term coverage and I also found the Cedar & Aloe scent I used to be WAY too strong.
5. Consonant Skincare Dealkalizing Deodorant
Rating: 5/10
Price: $14
Sensitive Skin-Friendly? YES.
Notes: I found the texture quite dry and difficult to apply and spread. Mind you, I bought the $5 sample so maybe it was a bit more difficult to apply for that reason.
6. Crystal Deodorant Stone (Stones of America)
Rating: 5/10
Price: $7.99
Sensitive Skin-Friendly? KIND OF (not right after shaving though).
Notes: This one was interesting! The whole concept is that the crystalized natural mineral salts it's made out of would kill odour-causing bacteria. I really wanted it to work and it would for about 8 hours but if I needed to reapply, it wouldn't have covered up any odour.
You also have to wet the crystal under water first before applying which makes it a bit less convenient. Not to mention, many crystal deodorant stones, while they're advertised as natural deodorants, actually contain potassium aluminum sulfate which you actually don't want to have anywhere near your pits!
7. Leave's of Trees Deodorant
Rating: 5/10
Price: $19.99
Sensitive Skin-Friendly? YES
Notes: I only tried a sample of this, but I did enjoy it! I felt like it gave good coverage for the full day but same thing as the crystal deodorant, it wouldn't be able to save me from odour if I needed to reapply after 8 hours.8
8. Schmidt's Deodorant Stick
Rating: 7/10
Price: $12-16 (depending on whether you get the sensitive skin one or not)
Sensitive Skin-Friendly? YES, if you buy the Sensitive Skin version.
Notes: I would probably say this is one of the better stick natural deodorants and I'm giving it a higher rating for its efficacy (ability to keep me odour-free for the most part) and easy application.
If you have sensitive skin, I would strongly recommend getting the sensitive skin one which is made without baking soda. I found this one would work for most of the day before I might have needed to reapply, but what I didn't love is how the scent reacted with my natural odour. After a while, I felt like I smelt like a smelly Coconut Pineapple instead of just the fresh scent of Coconut Pineapple. But I do feel like this one holds potential for working for most people.
9. Penny Lane Organics Natural Deodorant
Rating: 7/10
Price: $9.99
Sensitive Skin-Friendly? KIND OF.
Notes: This one works REALLY well but what I didn't love is that it's SUPER dry. I would often have to wet it before applying (which they tell you to do before applying) but eventually a big chunk of it just fell off for me which was kind of annoying. I tried to put it back in and restructure it but it just became a bit of a pain in the tush. But it does work pretty good, however, if you have sensitive skin, do not apply right after shaving.
10. Joyous Health Lavender Deodorant Cream
Rating: 8/10
Price: $16.00
Sensitive Skin-Friendly? KIND OF.
Note: This deodorant has such a lovely scent and is so easy to apply! While it does contain baking soda (which typically isn't sensitive skin-friendly), it contains more arrowroot starch which works in the same way as baking soda but it doesn't cause as much redness, making it great for those that have sensitive skin!
11. Routine Baking Soda-Free De-Odor Cream (Sexy Sadie Scent)
Rating: 10/10
Price: $31.99
Sensitive Skin-Friendly? YES (if you get baking soda-free)
Notes: I would have initially been super turned off by the price of this, but after trying several natural deodorants, I was ready to pay anything just to get something that actually works. Routine was just that! The only thing that's missing that would make it perfect is if it came in a stick (which I prefer) but because of it'sclay-like texture that you need to apply with your fingers, I'm not sure if that would work. But I love it so much! It gives me coverage for most of the day and if I need to reapply, it is still effective.
The Sexy Sadie scent specifically is really nice that I'll use what's left on my fingers and put it around my neck and on my wrists as a "perfume" because it just smells so nice! A few places sell small $5 samples of this if you're looking to try it.
12. Kaia Naturals The Takesumi Detox Charcoal Deodorant (Nordic Frost Scent) + The Underarm Bar
Rating: 10/10
Price: $22 (Deodorant) + $22 (Soap Bar)
BONUS: Use "rachel15off" to save 15% off of your orders on kaianaturals.com.
Sensitive Skin-Friendly? YES
Notes: Efficient, easy to apply, refreshing and ACTUALLY WORKS! Kaia Naturals, you have won my heart (and my pits) over!
I had the pleasure of meeting the founder of Kaia Naturals, Mary Futher, at an event and I basically approached her in the most desperate state saying that I would do anything to be stink-free again! Mary is so passionate about this and has researched this to no tomorrow and actually educated me on body odour and how their deodorant specifically helps to counteract it. To put it simply, body odour is caused by the interaction of your sweat with bad bacteria. How Kaia Naturals works, is that it kills the bad bacteria with its charcoal-infused deodorant and soap.
You can most definitely just use the deodorant but I highly recommend getting the soap too. I was at the point before where I would shower and come out and my armpits would still smell (I was using castile soap at the time, which I still use, but not on my pits).
Now I use the charcoal Underarm Bar from Kaia Naturals and can apply the Deodorant right after, sensitive skin and all! I love the Nordic Frost scent and feel so fresh when applying it. Unrelated, but Kaia Naturals also makes a killer dry shampoo which I'm currently loving at the moment!
Remember, what worked for me may not work for you so I can encourage you to take this information and decide what you think is best based on your unique make up. However, I will say, once you find a natural deodorant that actually works for you, you won't want to stop throwing those hands in the air (haaa!).
Tell me about your natural deodorant journey! What's worked? What hasn't? Also if any of these deodorants were of interest to you, most of them can be found on Well.ca