Product Review: Soapwalla Deodorant Cream
We’re happy to see lots of healthy discussion (and only one or two personal attacks!) in the comments after our Lavanila deodorant post. Stacy Malkan has very helpfully chimed in with her research, as did two chemists, a few vendors, and many readers as well.
I imagine a lot of us will probably be satisfied with what we’ve found so far, and my wild guess is that many will continue to use Lavanila. Which, you know…fair enough! That said, it seems like a good time to introduce my favorite new deodorant, which contains no controversial or confusing ingredients, is handmade in Brooklyn, and costs just ten bucks.
I’d heard amazing things about Soapwalla’s deodorant—which you can buy from her directly on Etsy or from Spirit Beauty Lounge—so when she sent me a sample size of it a little while ago, I was delighted. I was also, however, a little turned off by the fact that, as the name suggests, it really is a deodorant cream. Like, you apply it with your fingers, to your pits. I’m not sure why exactly this bothered me at first (fresh skin post-shower is as clean as you can get) but I got over it after a couple of weeks and readily bought a new one when my sample ran out.
Now, I am happy to report that I have converted to the stuff. I’m not sure why it works so well, but the combination of ingredients keeps me even fresher-smelling and—gasp—dryer than anything else I’ve used.
Oh, I also love Soapwallas deodorant. I’ve used it a few weeks and think it is fantastic. A few days ago I wrote a review about it in my blog. The blog is written in Swedish, but the text can be translated by google translate :)
I’ve tried it for about a month and it’s really great. It’s dry, like an antiperspirant, and it works all day + an hour at the gym in the evening. I’m really happy about it, though I would love it if it came in some sort of dispenser-device. The “extra work” it requires; blending the cream and putting it in the pits, is adding a couple of minutes in the bathroom in the morning. But hey! It works! And the price is really resonable. /Hannah in Stockholm, Sweden
Sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing this.
Thank you for such a wonderful review! I’m thrilled to hear the deodorant cream is working well for you all. And I’m experimenting with ways to dispense the cream without compromising the quality of the product or add unnecessary plastic pieces. Stay tuned!
Rachel, Soapwalla Chef
So glad to know it’s your favorite too! It’s just awesome :)
And..I’m going to try this :) And possibly write a review for my site, too. Thank you for letting us know about this product.
I use this product and also make my own. It works fabulous except for the day after I shave which is why I have some homemade on hand.
The best deo that works for me is this: wet a Himalayan pink rock salt and apply to pits (or sometimes I use the Thai Crystal Deo Mist). Before it’s completely dry, pat a bunch of baking soda on your pits. This works great and is much cheaper than buying other products.
Hi Ladies! I just saw you on the Today show and I was happy you were bring up this topic! It was so interesting to me that the beauty industry representatives always say oh its ’safe; …oh “lead is everywhere in what you drink, and in the air, and you can’t remove it” completely from products.blah blah blah… anyway, when you said you had the hair treatment to straighten your hair – I have seen ‘experts’ come on shows like the View a few months ago actually… and saying that oh, its such a ’small amount’ and it is safe….blah blah… ack! Small amounts build up when you consider we are not just using ONE product with ‘low levels’ or questionable ingredients. :) I went into a beautiful store I love and there was a georgeous bottle of room spray and I ALWYAS look at ingredients, and this had propylene glycol – the main ingredient in windshield wiper fluid – AND the label suggested to ’spray liberally’ ! I picked up the phone and called the creator from a number I found on the internet and asked him – nicely. ;) why that was even in there as an ingredient?! He said that it was in such a small concentration and so it was ’safe’ ACK! We as women and people in general use so many products that it pumps up the toxic load on our bodies. Anyway. I wanted to tell you good job for writing this book and for being calm and classy on tv and I wanted to share my deoderant with you – Lafe’s. I found it at a store here in Olney called Roots which is very good at being careful for what products they stock at their store. I am a regular customer. I like this. There is no aluminum and it smells nice and it doesn’t leave streaks on your clothes – it is clear. Now, a good mind thought to remember is to make sure you put your deoderant on after your underarms are really DRY. :) And notice that a lot of the natural deoderants are not also anti-perspirants which are supposed to be for keeping you dry and reduce odor, but have the extra ingredients that are questionalble.. You can look it up and read more on how it is supposed to work with your body – search ‘deoderant’ on Wikipedia. It explans it well. :) I found deoderant part will also work best if you clean your underarms daily – even if you use a wash cloth with some liquid soap. Vinegar on a cotton ball would do the job too (it kills bacteria) but most people are not willing to wait for the smell of that to go away and may find THAT smell more offensive – :) but it does work and the vinegar smell goes away, really. – I had to experiment when I saw this. I have tried many deoderants and I like this one best so far, but I want to look into what you all suggested too. :) Thank you for the great blog. I look forward to looking up your book when I am at the bookstore! I wish you a lot of success!!!! Warmly, Marsea :)
Does anyone know where I can find this in canada? I have drawn a blank at Whole Foods.
I used this for a few weeks and loved it! It smelled like a spa and worked perfectly for me. However, after two weeks of use, I suddenly developed a dark bruise-like rash in my pits and the skin became flaky, irritated, itchy and uncomfortable. I didn’t want it to be from the deodorant cream, but sadly the rash went away when I stopped using it. I’m back to square one now… haven’t yet found another natural deodorant that does … anything, really. I’m plowing through Whole Foods offerings with no luck and might just have to go back to the old Dove solid if I don’t stumble upon anything else.
After reading all of the glowing reviews, I was so excited to buy this! Really, really wanted to like it. Unfortunately, it irritates my skin a little and I think it actually makes me smell worse. Since using it, I’ve noticed a strong, unusual smell under the ole pits that won’t go away even after a shower and scrub with Dr. Bronners! And no, that’s not my natural scent finally coming through after years of drugstore deodorant ;) I know what I smell like au natural and it’s definitely not this. Oh, well. Things don’t work equally well for everyone, right?
I thought it worked excellent, but it left yellow stains on all of my light-colored shirts. If not for this, I would be buying it over and over again.
Anyone else had this happen with natural deodorants?
Hi…I ordered this directly from Rachel Soapwallah Chef and it arrived in a very short time.
I like the scent and the product as a deodrant but it does not keep me totally dry on very hot days. And I find I have to reapply it. Our temperatures are crazy in summers – 41 degrees last week. So I am still trying to figure out what will work as good as a ‘non-clean’ product in the height of summer. I am trying this in tandem with Lavillin….a product that’s available here in Canada.
Have any of you ladies heard of the new Body Shop Deodrant/Anti-Perspirant …they claim its made from volcanic crystals instead of aluminium. Here:
http://www.thebodyshop.ca/en/body-products/deodorant/deodry-dry-effect-deodorant-fresh-floral-roll-on.aspx
I love Soapwalla products. The face serum is wonderful, too. Back to the deodorant–someone mentioned getting over the thought of applying it with your fingers. My momentary obstacle was the idea that a cream might damage my finer threads. I am happy to report that is NOT the case–it truly absorbs beautifully in seconds and there is no staining. Love it.
Hi I will have to try this. For those of you who are allergic to soapwalla there is an excellent Australian deodorant out there called miessence. It comes in a scent free version and only contains aloe Vera, baking soda, xantan gum and grapefruit seed. It is a roll on so it is really easy to use. I have been using it for years and it works really well.
Soapwalla is awesome!!! Ive been using weleda citrus spray deodorant since October, but I live in Florida. It works great inside, but I have had to reapply since we hit 80 degrees. I started using soapwalla last weekend, and I don’t know how they do it, but I walked four miles today on lunch, in 92 degree weather, with awful humidity, and I swear I don’t smell! It’s kinda insane actually, because with regular mainstream deodorant, I used to stink.
I used Soapwalla for a few weeks and loved it, but then developed unprecedented rashes under my arms, which is odd because I don’t have very sensitive skin and am not allergic to anything. When I stop using it, it goes away. Will try to see if my skin gets used to it but at this rate I may have to try something else. It seems to be an issue other people dealt with too, I wonder what the cause is.
I am having the same problem with a rash! It started a week or so after using this deodorant, which is very sad because I do love it. I think I’ll have to try something else. :(
For those who had rash issues with the Soapwalla deodorant cream, I’d like to share my experience. Like most of you, I loved it, it worked wonderfully, and I developed dry, itchy, dark and/or red splotches after a few days (I wouldn’t call my reaction a rash, but it was equally uncomfortable). I tried to “power through” but eventually I couldn’t continue using it. I emailed with Rachel, the Soapwalla owner, and tried a number of other custom versions she offers (even though they aren’t listed in her Etsy store). Unscented gave me the same reaction, so I know it wasn’t the essential oils. Turns out it was the baking soda! Some people just are more sensitive to the baking soda directly on their skin– even though I don’t have sensitive skin otherwise. Rachel does make a baking soda-free version (it’s got extra cornstarch and clays in it) which I’ve been using for a couple weeks now with NO issues! I’ve found it doesn’t keep me quite as dry as the original version, so I may experiment on my own with adding small amounts of baking soda myself, but that’s a small trade-off for solving the skin irritation issues! I would encourage everyone to give Soapwalla another shot, perhaps trying this more sensitive skin version.
Very interesting, I will be ordering some clean & natural deodorants soon and do a mini test on my husband! :D
I haven’t actually tried this, but am always interested in the world of ‘natural’ deodorants. Some of our customers led me to this product.
One thing that everyone should know is that it’s NOT aluminum-free as is claimed. Kaolin is a hydrated aluminum silicate. Al2Si2O5(OH)4 is the formula. You can look it up on wikipedia.
Deeper examination reveals another reaction that can occur via further hydration (which would be expected in the moist environment of the underarm) is the following:
Al2Si2O5(OH)4(s) + 5 H2O ↔ 2 Al(OH)3(s) + 2 H4SiO4(aq).
Note that it results in Aluminum Hydroxide, which one of the aluminum salts that people generally want to avoid in the mass-marked antiperspirants.
I have no idea what the concentration of Kaolin is in this product, and this characteristic will influence the level of aluminum exposure users will experience.
Maybe the manufacturers will eliminate this component in the future, though it likely has beneficial properties in the formula and helps deliver the indicated purpose of the product.
Erik,
Thanks so much for your post. Unfortunately, it’s risky to rely on wikipedia for these sorts of issues so I asked a customer of mine, who is a biochemist, about the nature of kaolin clay. Hopefully her response will clear up any misunderstanding or unnecessary worries about my deodorant cream containing the aluminum compounds found in commercial antiperspirant, which it most definitely does NOT:
“The aluminum compounds in commercial antiperspirants act biochemically to block sweat glands and thereby stop perspiration. As you know, this blocking of normal function is suspected to cause health problems. The aluminum ions in these compounds also apparently are biochemically available, meaning they can be absorbed by the body and have other effects. People are concerned about what those effects could be.
Clays used on the skin, especially white clays, do what clays usually do—they absorb other compounds. Clay structures are layered sheets (sort of like pages in a book). Different clays are differently able to absorb water, oils, and other substances that might be present on the surface of the skin (and cause the wetness and odor of perspiration). The clay layers absorb what’s on the skin, pulling it in between the layers. The clay layers, which are typically made of silicon and aluminum oxides, are not available to be absorbed into the skin. (The drying of clay is the reverse of this process, with the water trapped in the layers evaporating and thereby contracting the layers.) Some clays can/do (sometimes, intentionally) have other substances trapped between the layers and those substances could be released and become biochemically available to/through the skin. In general, this is simply not true of kaolin clay.”
I purchase my clay from Mountain Rose Herbs, and because I purchase from such a reputable source, I am able to provide my biochemist customer the exact percentages of minerals present in each package of clay.
In addition, I use approximately 1 Tbs of clay per 145 deodorants, so there is very little present in each tub. Each tub lasts the average user 16 weeks, so the amount you’d be putting on your skin is the equivalent of a few grains each morning, considerably less than, say, a facial mask or your typical natural sunscreen.
I hope this clears up any unnecessary worry.
Thanks!
Rachel, Soapwalla Chef
Hello,
I have successfully used Soapwalla deodorant for about two months and I really like it. Recently it seems to be causing a read, flaky rash in a circle exactly where it is applied to the under arms which goes away when I stop using it and re-appears when I begin again. I am so upset because this is the first natural deodorant that actually works really well.
Rachel, I would be really grateful if you could e-mail me your thoughts.
Best wishes,
Alice.