The Best Natural Deodorant…
We like all things natural or safe and non-toxic…so if we are so concerned about our skincare and what we eat we have to look at other things we put on our bodies. Deodorant goes on everyday, ALL day! So let’s look at that…this research was done by reviews.com and I have found it very helpful!
The best natural deodorants fend off odor without using ingredients that are likely to be toxic or irritating. After talking with a dermatologist, a chemist, and two natural deodorant creators, Reviews.com hand-tested 23 to find top picks that were: aluminum-free formulas with pleasant scents, goop-free application, and had minimal residue.
In the world of deodorant, “natural” is often code for “aluminum-free.” But they wanted more: a product that was also easy to apply and effective at stopping odors.
Sam’s Natural Deodorant checked every box on their list. The product is free of aluminum, free of common irritants, and its first two ingredients (coconut oil and baking soda) are verified odor-blockers. They found the circular stick easy to maneuver across our pits, and it left minimal goop on clothes and only a faint sheen on skin. The Cedar and Women’s scents that were tested both lasted through two hours of wear — without smelling overpowering — and if neither of these options appeals to you, Sam’s offers 13 more scents. Each stick is reasonably priced ($10 for 3 ounces) and an easy gateway for anyone interested in transitioning to a natural product.
Schmidt’s Natural Deodorant was nearly missed altogether since some of its other product lines, including its jar formulas and sensitive skin sticks, only feature one targeted ingredients. But Schmidt’s sticks for regular skin boast the same odor-busting coconut oil and baking soda as Sam’s, in a similarly flake- and residue-free formula. Reviews.com tried four of its seven scents and liked the cool “freshly fallen rain” nose of the Charcoal+Magnesium formula — although if you like a pop of floral, its Rose+Vanilla certainly delivers. The price point is about the same as Sam’s: around $10 for 3 ounces.
For Pit’s Sake is an excellent runner-up. This product comes in a stick that leaves almost no residue, but it did take a bit of force to fully coat our pits, which some hairy-pitted testers weren’t too into. That said, it includes all three of the odor-blocking ingredients we pinpointed in our research — coconut oil, baking soda, and zinc — at a comfortable price.
If buying organic is your top priority, we’d suggest Green Tidings. Like Sam’s and Schmidt’s, this deodorant is vegan and cruelty-free, but its ingredients are also certified organic by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and it’s made in a solar-powered plant. The trade-off? It’s a little more expensive. Green Tidings is aluminum-free and includes baking soda and (organic) coconut oil to fend off body odor. The subtle scent (courtesy of organic lavender essential oil) didn’t last as long as Sam’s, but after two hours, you couldn’t notice any BO, either. Testers did find the product a bit gritty, but some of them liked this added assurance that they’d successfully coated their underarms.
During the process of finding the right natural deodorant, Reviews.com unearthed a couple more intriguing options. Fatco Stank Stop Deodorant was the only other natural deodorant we tested that included all three wish-list odor-blockers. (It’s also Certified Paleo, and includes beef tallow as a moisturizer.) Fatco is a cream, which means you’ll need to dip your fingers into a (very small) jar to apply the product — a process testers weren’t wild about. But the deodorant itself was very effective, with a pleasant smell and minimal residue.
Some also really loved Agent Nateur & Shiva Rose Holi (Rose) Deodorant, which seemed almost like a combination of deodorant and women’s perfume (although not everyone liked the rose and sandalwood scent). Holi Rose leaves very little residue, and while it was also the most expensive product that we tested ($25 for 1.7 ounces), it’s a good high-end option if you’re concerned about protecting delicate fabric.
The world of natural deodorants can be a tricky one — and “natural” means different things to different people. We’d suggest choosing a product that omits aluminum (if nothing else, you’ll avoid yellow stains), and steering clear of fragrance, simple alcohols, propanediol, and propylene glycol. Instead, look for products with coconut oil, baking soda, zinc oxide, or some combination of the three. And above all, be open to trying a few different options to see what works best with your body.