Over the last few years I’ve tried many different natural (Aluminum-free) deodorants. Some of them haven’t worked at all, some have been decent, and some have smelled terrible. Here’s the results of my experimentation thus-far.
First: Setting expectations:
This is important- if you don’t have the right expectations you’re not going to be happy with any of these options. It’s kind of like going dairy-free. If you eat vegan cheese and expect it to BE cheese, you’re just going to be really sad. If you go into it knowing that it’s not real cheese, but it might be good in it’s own way anyway, then you open yourself up for a world of possibilities.
“Normal” deodorant like Secret is both an antiperspirant and deodorant. Not only does it make you smell better, but it stops you from sweating. Natural deodorants (like below) are just that- deodorant. They do not stop you from sweating. If you expect them to do that, then you’re looking for cheese.
The Natural Deodorants:
Current Winner: Native Deodorant!
Pros:
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Smells great, not overbearing *cough*Smidt’s*cough*
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Not goopy
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Comes in a stick
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Works well
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You can get a free travel/sample sized stick with your first order using this link
Cons:
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Not available on Amazon 🙁
Notes:
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Their website uses pictures like this one, but each order is for one stick, not two. I think this is a little misleading, personally, but I still love the product.
Runner Up: Piper Wai
Pros:
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Does a great job on pit smells
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Not goopy
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No overbearing smell
Cons:
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Comes in a jar, so kind of gross to apply
Naturally Sourced
Pros:
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Does a good job with pit smells
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No overbearing smell
Cons:
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Comes in a jar, so kind of gross to apply.
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Got a little crumbly toward the end of the jar, making it harder to apply.
Notes:
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I was a little worried about the Silver in it, but Ag appears to be poorly absorbed by the skin (ref).
Schmidt’s
Pros:
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Available in a stick
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Some of the smells are nice (Lavender), though they are generally strong
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Does an okay job on pit smells
Cons:
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Not as effective as the others on smelly pits (in my opinion)
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Their scents are really overpoweringly strong (Rose, oh how I wanted to like you!)
Primal Pit Paste
Pros:
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Available in a stick (although, it’s a little softer than above, so harder to apply)
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Scents are nice and not too strong
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Does an okay job on pit smells
Cons:
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The consistency is a bit gooey-er than the rest, so I remember thinking it was kind of hard to apply (even in a stick). It also melts easily if you leave it in your car.
Totally Gross: Ozone Layer Deodorant
Pros:
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I couldn’t smell my B.O. over the weird ozone smell
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Went on easily
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Small, local-ish (North Carolina) Business
Cons:
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The Ozone smell is SO weird, guys. I just couldn’t do it. I’m not sure if it worked on the body odor or if it was just impossible to smell anything over that smell.
Note: The links in this article are called “affiliate links”, so if you buy something from my link I will get some kind of a commission. It’s probably like $0.03, but I figured what the heck, I’ll use them.
Now I want to hear from you! Have you tried any natural (Al-free) deodorant? Do you know of a good one that isn’t listed here?
Finding on puzzle piece at a time,
