Your Questions Answered: What’s the Best Natural Deodorant?
One of the problems with a blog like ours—where there’s a lot of content but an admittedly imperfect tagging system—is tracking down specific info. As such, readers often write us emails asking questions about things we’ve already covered. So, while we do plan to attack our content organization in the coming months, we thought it would be fun to start a new series based on these inquiries! These will offer you guys some quick roundups, and point you to the right posts if you’re a newbie! Let’s start with an important one…
Deodorant is a topic we’ve covered extensively, both in the book, and here. While at first, this was the hardest products in our arsenal to replace, we now boast better results from a natural brand. You heard us.
One of our first favorites was from Weleda—this convenient little bottle is available at most healthfood stores and if you’re not a heavy sweater (or stinker), it’s a good option.
Then we met Lavanila, and fell for it hard. Sure it costs $18 bucks, but feeling fresh is non-negotiable, and we love the citrus-vanilla smell and the fact that you can find this brand at Sephora. Recently, it came under attack for a certain questionable ingredient—but we still think it’s one of the (much) better options on the market. As we’ve said in the past, one dirty ingredient in an otherwise clean product is not necessarily a deal breaker for us. We understand that there are going to be some missteps in the clean revolution and certain kinds of nitpicking can be counterproductive to change.
That said, there’s a relatively new favorite in town—and this one contains no questionable ingredients and costs a reasonable 10 bucks. Siobhan reviewed it here, and also gave a testimonial on Soapwalla’s site. We can’t say enough good about this stuff. It works. It smells fresh and minty (totally gender-neutral enough for men). It keeps us dry. It lasts. We love it.
We’d also like to add a new one to this list. A while back a company called Bubble and Bee sent us some samples, and by golly—while their overall vibe and packaging seems a little more suited to kids and teens—their Pit Putty works like a charm. Not entirely dissimilar to Soapwalla in texture but with a strong citrus scent, it represents another good and affordable option.
So while we still have some dirty products hanging around in our cabinets, we no longer need to turn to aluminum-filled antiperspirants—even on super hot, sweaty days. Clean or not, what’s deodorant/antiperspirant do you use?
This is the Sarah who got smelly when using Soapwalla –
Thanks for all the responses.
I really do think the product is awesome – I gave my jar to my dad (charming, right? Here dad, do you want my used deodorant? But since I couldn’t love it, I wanted *somebody* to love it, and he does!) and it has worked awesome for him. I think it is just my issue. And yes, it was a really bad BO smell, but like…worse than my natural BO even. It might be worth trying it again to see of things are different this time around (stress? Who knows). And I will email Rachel and see if she has any fabulous ideas or maybe it really was that particular jar (thanks for the great customer services!). I eat a super clean diet, so I don’t think it would be food related.
So glad it works for most others! It smells awesome…just not on me. Maybe I will keep it around as potpourri ;)
I tried Soapwalla because I had heard such rave reviews but unfortunately, like some other natural deoderants I’ve tried, it caused me terrible skin irritation. I guess I must be allergic to something in there! :(
Crystal Essence, it’s a mineral salt deo that comes in a spray, roll on and stick. I’ve tried them all BUT the roll on is really where it’s at. It’s unscented, pomegranate scented or lavender scented and it is SO got damn awesome. This is after years of trying way too many organic/natural deos. Weleda was.. niceish but it didn’t do much for sweat, hell, it created too much underarm moisture for my comfort.
So, I’ll just highly recommend the Crystal Essence thing. Lasts near forever too. I don’t recall the price but I do know that I can find it in CVS, Target and various mainstream big stores.. which is pretty handy.
I will admit that I am biased because I am friends with Rachel, but Soapwalla deodorant is amazing. (And as much as I love her I would not use it if it left me stinky.) It works better than the Old Spice I used before. I have used it during ice hockey, rock climbing, and job interviews and it has never let me down. For the first time in my adult life I do not think about smelling badly – I just go about my day and don’t even think about body odor. I will never use any other deodorant.
Ditto to Becca, I experienced a pretty nasty allergic reaction rash to Soapwalla…and I wanted to love it SO MUCH. Beware sensitive types, but the premise is gorgeous—I hope they work out this glitch!
I use the Soapwalla. I had some skin irritation at first, but it faded. I stuck with it because it neutralized the stink so well. The Lavanilla actually made me smell worse than going au natural for some reason. I’ve also used deodorant crystals with some success before.
@Andrea: I’ve heard that from a few customers — they had initial irritation/itching/flaking that went away after a week or so, and never returned. It’s almost as if the skin (maybe the lymph nodes?) was purging itself. Skin is such a fascinating thing.
Another vote for plain old baking soda. I still perspire, but there is no odor. Great for the gym, the beach, and just about every day. I am astounded that people are so averse to such a simple answer and seek out pricier, dirtier alternatives.
Another natural and effective deodorant that wasn’t mentioned is from KIBIO. After long contemplation I finally purchased this deodorant. I had my eyes on this product since the line came out (from France) but I was skeptical at first about its effectiveness and whether it was worth $20. It smells pleasant and fresh (smells like blend of cotton and citrus cut with notes of witch hazel – and once you read the label all those ingredients are there) but the scent doesn’t stay long on my skin once applied. When I am wearing it I feel as if I am not wearing any deodorant; yet it completely neutralizes any natural BO and lasts all day. I still perspire after an active or stressful day but there is no smell; there is no residue from the product; and skin feels fresh, free and like it was breathing all day. However, I will research some other safe products mentioned here to try as well.
P.S. The aluminum spray bottle is great to reuse for per say home-made toner.
Can I chime in again for baking soda even though others have already? I’ve tried all of the above-mentioned brands and nothing works on the smell like baking soda. Nothing. And mind you, I have a sweaty ashtanga practice and it keeps working though that too. I add in a little talc for wetness and that’s it. No need for anything fancy.
If you are having a reaction to the soapwalla try using less product. I really like it and use it every day, but when I started using it I too had irritation under my arms – then I started using just a little bit of it. Now the irritation has gone away- and the other day when it was a million degrees in NYC I bought Secret again – thinking I needed an antiperspirant for especially hot days- but it didn’t work that well and I did not smell good. I’d have to say the soapwalla would have been a better choice that day.
Good luck- has anyone tried Miessence deoderant?
Sarah, I had the same reaction you did initially with Soapwalla–really terrible BO, worse than using nothing at all. I wanted to love it, but it was a disaster.
But it might be worth another try! I tried twice, about a month apart each time, and had the same bad reaction. Worse, I couldn’t find any natural deodorant that worked, so I was still using an aluminum antiperspirant. This will likely sound insane, but I was getting kind of desperate, and inspired by my recent success with lotus wei oils and the mindful routine they inspired, decided to try applying the soapwalla as if it were a spa treatment—inhaling deeply, visualizing success, really taking my time rubbing it in (I tend to be rushed and late when I’m leaving the house, so this was a first). And….to my total shock—it works great now. I’ve even gone a day without reapplying and it still works.
No one is more surprised than me, but maybe it is worth a try! I am so happy to love it now, too…
I know of the BEST natural deodorant EVER! In Love with Bodycare has the most amazing, hard working, safe, natural, product I have ever come across! I have literally tried hundreds of natural deodorants and none of them worked. I actually used to test samples for natural food stores. I found this line of products on my own, and I am obsessed. The company has products for men and women and is totally dedicated to natural ingredients. This deodorant really works! I have never come across someone who said they did not LOVE it. Please, give it a try!
Hi..
I agreed with you that’s why i recommend to every one to use natural deodorant crystal.
Thanks
I love Florere deodorant. Comes in a stick and a creme. It is simply the best for me and I have tried them all. I work 12 hr shifts and it keeps me stink free. It is available on their site as well as Etsy.