Our Favorite Deodorant Comes Under Attack—Some Fact Checking
Deep breaths, very deep breaths. It appears that Julie Gabriel, a trusted clean beauty cohort, is calling out Lavanila deodorant as fake natural. Stop. The. Presses.
As many of you know, this is our go-to clean deodorant. In our tireless search for a natural one that works, Lavanila emerged as the $18 champion. But were we wrong? Is this a clear case of greenwashing, as Gabriel is claiming?
The ingredient she takes issue with is called propanediol. Lavanila says it’s derived from corn on the ingredient label, but Gabriel says it’s a petrochemical. It could be both.
So what do we think? Well, we need to do more research: So far we’ve put a call out to Lavanila as well as to Stacy Malkan from the Safe Cosmetics Database because its toxicity raring is a “1.” There is also 1,3-Propanediol which appears to be safe (at least for inhalation by rats) and 1,2-Propanediol, which may be another name for propylene glycol. Welcome to the confusing world of chemicals! We have a few more calls out to people, and we will keep you posted.
It’s also important to note that not all petrochemicals are created equal. While we don’t support their use in any products from a sustainability standpoint, not all of them are necessarily dangerous. But if Lavanila is specifically claiming not to use petrochemicals and it is, we’re gonna be pretty bummed.
We will get to the bottom of this. We’re not throwing our sweet-smelling sticks out just yet, but if the idea of petrochems near your pits is too much to bear tune in tomorrow: Siobhan will be posting about her new favorite deodorant. Look out!
there are many other really good deodorants like weleda citrus for example :)
It gave me a rash, painful and itchy. Sad but true, I’m back to using regular Degree until I can find something natural that works for me – keeps me smelling okay, without itching….
Argh! And here I was just assessing this one as seeming like the perfect combination of cute packaging and green-ness! Keep us posted. I can probably live with a petrochemical, but I do NOT like brands that market themselves as greener than they are… That is some shady business.
oh, man! i just ordered two from sephora (with their 20% off coupon as impetus). here’s hoping the news you get from lavanila is good, or that Shiobhan’s other favorite smells as good and works as (reasonably, in my experience) well as the healthy deodorant does.
thanks for staying on top of it; the sinking feeling i got when reading this post shows just how much faith i put in both of your recommendations.
I couldn’t get around this DEO b/c of its smell… I just couldn’t.
I use Sport Clear Toxic-free deodorant PEG free… it really works! smells fantastic! try it!!!
My sources say that 1,2-propanediol is propylene glycol and 1,3-propanediol can be made from corn. So it is most likely not a petrochemical, although it could be. My chemist friend offered the opinion that it would be strange if they were using the harder-to-get petrochemical instead of the readily available corn version.
Hope that helps!
Stacy Malkan
Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
http://www.safecosmetics.org
Please try Bubble and Bee Pit Putty! It’s definitely all natural and organic! Here is the ingredients list from the spearmint and tea tree one I use: Organic arrowroot powder, organic coconut oil, aluminum-free baking soda, organic spearmint essential oil, organic tea tree essential oil. It works so well! For all of you who are looking for a new natural deodorant to use, you should try this one! They make different kinds so if one doesn’t work for you, they’ll send you a different one for free until you find the one that works the best for your body.
bummed that i might be hoodwinked by my fav deodorant, but stoked that the bloodhound gang is on the case! thanks goils (and julie gabriel, too)!
p.s. i have experienced some occasional pit itch after using lavanila, but i always chalked it up to overexercising or perhaps the rogue hangover. i wonder if the two are correlated….
First – congratulations to Alexandra for a nicely-balanced article. A rare thing indeed!
I find it strange that Stacy should claim that the “petrochemical version” of propanediol is more difficult to source than the corn-derived version. Both propanediols are manufactured in many thousands of tonnes per annum, mostly from petrochemical feedstock. The situation may be different in localised areas, but not on a global basis.
And, just for the record (as an aside), many companies claim that sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate are natural. Yes, they are, but they are commercially manufactured from petrochems. I add this because a lot of people get this wrong!
I am a rather old fashioned chemist so I still call this stuff propylene glycol. I am not sure where Stacy Malkan gets the idea that petroleum derived propylene glycol is hard to get from. Industrial chemists can do all sorts of clever things and it certainly is possible to produce propylene glycol from glycerol derived from corn oil if you wanted to do so. This would be making a cheap material out of a more expensive one. I don’t see any reason to doubt this product is doing that if that is what they say they are, but they aren’t doing it the easy way.
Stacy’s intel bodes well for Lavanila. But what purpose does the ingredient serve in the formulation, I wonder? This is my favorite deodorant, which has the texture of frosting, a really clean ingredient list, and is my public service those next to me in yoga class: http://www.spiritbeautylounge.com/soapwalla-kitchen-deodorant-cream.html
I’ve been using LusciousLather’s natural deodorant (available on Etsy, but she’s also on FB) for the last two months, and love it. The ingredient list states that it contains Organic Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Cocoa Seed Butter, Corn Starch Modified, beeswax, Sodium Bicarbonate, Tocopherol, and Fragrance, and my favorite part is that there are over 40 different scents to choose from, with a lot of ‘knock-off’ fragrances from well known store brands. I think she sells unscented, too. Before trying her line, I had never found anything to put on my pits that didn’t leave me stinky and gross by the end of the day – now it not only works well as my deodorant, but people are always commenting on how nice I smell :-)
I haven’t worn deodorant in years after transitioning my body for a good month or so. One needs to know that all clean deodorants do work once you go through “withdrawal” so to speak. It is then that any natral deodorant will work as something that you go to just to feel a bit more confident and more dry. If any “natural” deoodorant works right off the bat, after you used conventional aluminum or propylene glycol based products your entire life, I would be suspect. As well on a side note to offer an $18 deodorant as your go to is a bit irresponsible. MANY people cannot afford that and from the looks of it, the cost for this product iis paying for the packaging. Natural deodorants use little and simple ingredients that do not warrant such a hefty pricetag. For a less expensive option, transition and after some time wear nothing or try a product like Miessence. Their natural deodorant is like $8-9. The packaging isn’t as fancy, but the product is right on! As well on my blog (blog.eliqueorganics.com) there is a post from last year explaining the body’s physiology of sweat and lymph and I give detailed instructions how to wean off your current product. Perhaps you can share this with your readers. PS – typed on a blackberry. Pardon any typos:)
I love my Miessence deodorant because it’s certified organic to food products. Be prepared when you change to organic beauty products you skin may have detox symptoms like itching and rashes – something I had never considered. About corn – it may be genetically modified so I’d not want any ingredients made from corn.
Has anyone tried rubbing baking soda on their underarms? I tried those expensive mineral salts deodorants which left me utterly frustrated (although judging by the number of positive reviews they get, these deodorants probably work for some people—just not for me). Since using unbelievably cheap Arm & Hammer baking soda ($3.50CDN for 2kg at a wholesale store, I believe), have had no problems at all, even when dancing in tight clothes. I’m considering powdering my feet and shoes with the stuff too, seeing as it seems to be so effective. I highly encourage you guys to try it and see how it works. Remember, it if doesn’t work out, you can always cook with it, so no money wasted. ;)
I heard this ingred was allowed under Ecocert natural certification. It’s considered a plant derived glycol and is apparently from non-gmo corn.
Anyone else hear this?
yikes! say it ain’t so. i just bought this based on the book’s recommendation, and it’s the first natural deo that i’ve actually liked and that has worked. i’m keepin’ my fingers crossed……
I’ve had really good luck with Terressentials deodorant. Only problem is you have to order it online: http://www.terressentials.com/bath.html#deo.
Ahhhh! Was just about to buy a new one and stock up while I was there. Eagerly awaiting news and alt recommendation from Siobhan.
Alexandra tried this and we ever recommend it in the book for those willing to go there. Kudos to you! Glad it works. (Just make sure it’s alum-free baking soda)
We take issue with being called irresponsible for telling people about a deodorant we like. … That being said, thanks to all for weighing in. Tomorrow we’ll post a review of a new deodorant we like as well.
This is the propanediol that most of the manufacturers I’ve spoken to are actually using these days:
http://www.duponttateandlyle.com/products_zemea.html
I’m sure it is likely GMO corn sugar derived but that is not of terrible concern to me.
Thank you, S! Love how rigorous you are with your brands.
Siobhan & Alexandra,
First, I’d like to commend you both for taking a second look at products you recommend after you learn something new or suspect about them and for digging deeper. I admire that!
Red flags went up left & right for me when they launched their deodorant last year (which is why I’ve never wanted to try it – though their PR peeps keep trying). Why I’m not getting a warm fuzzy feeling:
1). They are not disclosing all the ingredients that are in the product in their ingredient lists. They can’t be. Look at the “Ingredients” tab on every product page for the four deodorants they offer. They are ALL the same. There’s no way this can be accurate with four different scents.
2). My understanding is that they are using synthetic fragrance to scent their products. I need to dig deep in my email for this but I believe their PR rep confirmed this for me. If that is the case, then the “all natural” and “100% natural” claim is indeed false.
3). I take issue with a company stating on their website or in press materials “No propylene glycol” when they are clearly using it – no matter if derived from corn or petroleum. Neither ingredient is natural, but highly processed.
4). I also take issue with the product description boasting that it’s an “all natural” product when clearly that is not the case.
I also don’t understand Stacy Malkan’s assertion that propylene glycol made from corn is more readily available than the cheaper & more commonly used petroleum-derived propylene glycol. I think she got that backwards.
Bottom line for me: yes, of course this is a better alternative to using a conventional, aluminum-filled deodorant like Degree, but is it a “truly natural” or “all natural” deodorant?? My personal faves (that are actually natural that I have no doubt about whatsoever) are Soapwalla and Miessence. If you haven’t tried them, please do and let me know what you think :)
Propanediol (1,2- or 1,3-) is Propylene Glycol (PG).
Propylene Glycol and Butylene Glycol (BG) are derived from petrochemistry, but alternative vegetable sourcing is possible. I have heard of an “Ecocert-accepted” BG grade recently, althouth BG, as many other glycols, were not accepted by Ecocert (a green label) a few years ago.
I know it is very complicated to create deodorant stick without PG, but this may today be achieved. A formulator friend of mine was very proud to tell me in April he knew how.
PS: PG and BG obtained from alternative vegetable sources are far more difficult to find, and much more expensive, I guess. Both have been shown to be safe (their petrochemical version too).
Thanks to Spirit. I have just had a good look at this Zemea material, and it looks really interesting. It is just as well that you are not concerned by GMO issues, because looking at some patents it looks like Du Pont are making it by a biotech route using a genetically modified E.coli. Clever stuff. It is definitely big chemical company chemistry though so I am not sure it would appeal to the very fundamentalist green consumer.
@Stancie
If they are using the Zemea material that Spirit has identified then strictly speaking they are not using propylene glycol. The INCI name fof 1,2 Propandiaol is propylene glycol. Zemea is 1,3 Propandiol which has the INCI name propandiol. The two chemicals are isomers – i.e., the same molecules arranged differently – and have very similar properties indeed. I can’t think of any good reason to avoid one of them and not the the other. The two isomers are known to at least some chemists, myself included, as alpha propylene glycol and beta propylenene glycol. So the ‘propylene glycol free’ claim is probably good enough for a lawyer, but wouldn’t impress a chemist or a dedicated green consumer.
I don’t know that “irresponsible” has the right connotation in relation to the sites’ curve towards mostly advocating and recommending high-priced items. And; of course, you both are often recommending DIY homemade recipes, and very reasonably priced items, etc. Though; I think we would all appreciate a higher level of consciousness when it comes to prices of products vs craftmanship, availability, etc. Some products are very unaffordable, and often frivilous, when considering the current economy, and the “movement” (buying local, honoring craftmanship, buying from conscious companies, reducing beauty budget costs and therefore often unneccasary worries associated with “upkeep” of the modern woman), and of course, the quality of ingredients involved. We appreciate all your recommendations, of course! Keep it ALL coming! :) Also, like you both have always made clear, you are on a misson to advocate clean beauty- and when considering what ppl pay for dirty beauty? You are staying current and realistic with today’s shallow beauty industry with these high-end products you use and love (it’s up to us to decide what is worth it and what is not!). Also, you lucky ladies get to buy this stuff as work expenses! =P
@Colin
I’m a dedicated green consumer, not a chemist, so I’ll give the benefit of the doubt and take the PG discussion off the table. That said, I still have doubts & concerns (my #1, #2 & #4 points above) – and because there are amazing deodorants out there that don’t have questionable ingredients or claims, I’m sticking with brands I trust :)
Siobhan + Alexandra,
Great conversation about deodorants! I agree with a number of comments here like Stancie’s, but I will go even further to question the need for deodorants in the first place, being a minimalist. Think of it as a ‘Wabi Sabi of the armpits! (Wabi Sabi is sometimes described as one of beauty that is “imperfect, impermanent and incomplete..)
It would mean one less piece of redundant plastic container, one less piece of cardboard tossed into a landfill, and one less manufactured chemical (natural or not) applied to the body. We are so consumed by our need to consume.
Oh I know, I know. I hear it all the time. Many will claim that they *need* a deodorant to control body odor and that your daily shower isn’t enough to control the release of aromatic metabolic impurities (a daily shower is too much too, but that’s a rant for another day). However, from a completely different angle and coming from a health practitioner’s opinion, your body’s scent gives you clues to the health of your ‘inner terrain”. Your nose is anatomically placed to be abel to pick up these clues, the nostrils are pointed downward toward your body. Odor emission occurs for a very good reason, the unfettered release of metabolic impurities. Some deodorants don’t interfere with this release, but do mask the odor, a great diagnostic clue in times of need. Try a drop of lavender on a tissue a swiped under the arm, or drink a cup of fenugreek tea every so often. Less is more.
are you now having to moderate all comments? sad.
We’ve had to this whole time because we get sooo much spam! Maybe soon we will upgrade our site and not have to. For now, and since we started, this has been the deal. Thanks for weighing in, everyone!
excellent post, evan!
also (sorry for the multiple posts), i’m sort of pissed off. i totally believe in being an informed consumer, but i fell for lavanilla hook, line and sinker. (oh, and by the way, i’ve been using it for a long time now, before i read your book, so no barbs there ;) i use there perfume, too, and now i want to bag everything up and send it back to the company with a polite letter expressing my dissatisfaction. i totally agree with evan and am using this as an opportunity to use less and listen more. hello baking soda, the 8th wonder of the world!
@ Stancie,
It seems you were somehow expecting answers to your points.
I’ll give it a try.
1. ??? I haven’t seen the data, but my guess would be it is possible as long as only fragrances change and as long as no one allergen needs to be declared.
2. Cosmetic regulations do not request the full disclosure of the fragrance composition. If one of the words “fragrance” or “parfum” is present on the ingredients’ list, this doesn’t systematically mean that synthetic components were used. Many naturally-extracted components are too available and even essential oils blend may be found under both INCI (International Nomenclature of Comsetic Ingredients) designations mentioned above. If the manufacturer claims to be all natural, it’d better be that way (!) also for the “fragrance” or “parfum”.
3. I see your point, but be careful because this is all about regulations. “Propylene Glycol free” means the ingredient known under the Propylene Glycol INCI designation is absent. As Colin stated above, Propane-1,3-diol (IUPAC official designation – also known as 1,3-Propandiol) is not “Propylene Glycol” according to INCI designations. I agree this is tricky, but Colin is right, there can be no problem with this claim for these products. It is similar with the “preservative free” claim which is highly misleading. Products withour preservatives are either products you should definitely avoid (unless they do not contain water, have a very low pH or some quite particular other such issues) or products made by manufacturers who know preservatives are classified as such in the EU annex V (http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/index.cfm?fuseaction=ref_data.annexes_v2). Ingredients that are not classified in this annex but that show a preservative function exist. It is just a matter of legislative classification (!!). Do not be fooled by such claims – it is far more complex than it appears.
4. I do not understand why you think the products are not “all natural”. The “natural” definition is by now very vague. It is not because an ingredient has been processed that it looses its naturalness. If it has been extracted, it is natural. Purification steps ar permitted (and even advised). Essential oils are actually extracted by a purification step. Maceration is another purification step. I personally do not see any problem with multiple purification steps to get a better quality ingredient. If you prefer the holistic approach, then I agree that purification steps are counterproductive. But we could also be cynical and say that holistics in cosmetics may only be achieved by rubbing the whole plant on your skin.. Sorry for the sarcasm, it was not supposed to be offending.
Dear S&A,
Nobody’s perfect, but when you are making your living being an ‘expert’ on green beauty, you really should be a little more responsible and do more research on the products you push. I’ve enjoyed your blog over the past few months after someone posted your articles to facebook and I have been ‘cleaning up’ my beauty routine, often using your website as a trusted reference.
I recently trekked to Sephora to buy the pricey Lavanila deodorant after your raves and was thrilled that it actually did work better than all the rest.
Needless to say to read this on your site is upsetting. The people on your site are dedicated to your advice and trust what you recommend.
This comes on the tail of finding out first hand that The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a lobby group and has misrepresented products on their site as ‘not safe’ for companies that have not agreed to sign their agreement.
These kinds of errors can really set back your and CSC’s agenda. Your reputation as trustworthy is the only thing you have in this industry. After these experiences I don’t feel that I can trust your opinion because obviously you are not digging deeply enough into the products you are proclaiming are green.
In this respect, you have failed as much as Lavanila because your negligence is detrimental to your reliability.
@ Dene Godfrey – when you say “sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate are natural. Yes, they are, but they are commercially manufactured from petrochems.” are you saying these two preservatives are contaminated with petrochems or are derived from petrochems? if so…then they’re not natural. How can they have a rating of 1 and 2 in the Skin Database if this is the case. I don’t understand??
@Tdavis – they are manufactured and, hence, derived from petrochems, but you make the classic mistake of assuming that natural chemicals will automatically score low on Skin Deep. Skin Deep is highly misleading. There is not the room to go into detail here, but please take a look at the link:
http://personalcaretruth.com/2010/05/skin-deep-scratching-below-the-surface/
And also, on the subject of natural being safe:
http://personalcaretruth.com/2010/05/natural-is-safe-and-synthetic-is-dangerous-truth-is-safe-and-myths-are-dangerous/
I am afraid that it is a very naive view to think that all natural chemicals are safe and (by implication) all synthetic chemicals are dangerous. I am not trying to be rude or insulting, this is a statement of fact.
@ Jessica, you are right to be suspicious of the CFSC – the link above should also be of interest to you!
Have there been any updates on this?
I will say that people like Jessica who commented on 11.29.2010 need to calm down. People make mistakes. Alexandra and Siobhan are humans (and as such, imperfect, as I’m sure you are) and constantly remind the readers that they need to find what they’re comfortable with and what works best for them. To follow anyone’s advice to the letter without doing your own research, and “digging deeply enough” sounds like negligence on YOUR part. Get over yourself and do your own homework.
Just wondering if there’s any progress on this issue…Thanks!
I use and make a great natural cream deodorant check us out purelygreat
I used to use this deodorant all the time. It was wonderful to find a “natural” deodorant that smelled to good. I used the lavendar scent until it was gone. I triend the vanuilla scent next and boke out in an awful, itchy, burning rash. It took weeks to clear up. Not sure what brought it on, but I had to stop using it. Oh well! I’ll have to try something else.
Thanks for the great post! Is there any update after contacting Lavanila?