For quite a few years actually I have been on the hunt for the perfect deodorant. I decided to go with a natural and cruelty-free deodorant instead of an antiperspirant around 4 or 5 years ago. Deodorant is used to reduce odor using antibacterial ingredients and antiperspirant reduces odor and sweat by closing sweat ducts. Aluminum is the ingredient found in antiperspirants to block underarm sweat, and 4 to 5 years ago I believed that it could cause breast cancer and Alzheimer's. I have since researched it on my own, and found that while there is no conclusive evidence that the toxins found in most antiperspirants and deodorants are harmful to our health, why risk it? At the end of the day, I want to use as many natural & cruelty-free products and consume as much unprocessed foods as I possibly can. An easy way to do that is by switching out my beauty products for ones that have as few ingredients as possible and GOOD ingredients that are all natural.
All natural also doesn't always necessarily mean better. Aluminum IS naturally found in our bodies, in our food, in the air, and all around us- but it isn't good for us to consume in huge amounts. Poison oak is all natural, but I definitely wouldn't be caught dead using a deodorant with that as an ingredient. So be wary when you read labels that say "all natural" and do your research!! A blog (like this) isn't a good source for research. A peer-reviewed journal is going to be the best evidence you can find- which can be found using google scholar, which is just like google but only gives you results that have been reviewed. Also be sure that articles or websites that are offering information give you references and other resources, and then follow to make sure where they got their information is legit!
This is a blog to give you my opinion and that is it. Please be sure to do your own research!! Now, here are some reviews of some natural deodorants that I have used and liked for different reasons. I used all deodorants for a minimum of one month before deciding my opinion. Natural deodorants can take time to get used to your body, and that means going through a smelly stage sometimes. Give it a few weeks before you give up. I personally have very sensitive skin, but scents are okay for me with deodorant- likely because they are in the form of essential oils which are very pure.
This deodorant comes in two forms, a stick to roll onto your armpits or a tub. The tub comes with a mini popsicle stick that you use to scoop out and put on your armpit. I generally just used my finger and scooped about a pea sized amount and melted it onto my armpit and rubbed in. I didn't like using the tub when I had long fingernails because the product would get stuck under my nails. Obviously you can see that I liked the Jasmine scent, but it comes in unscented, charcoal, patchouli, and a bunch of other scents. Personally of all the deodorants I have used, the scent of this one was my favorite! What I didn't like about this is that I preferred the roll on method, but that one had beeswax in it as an extra ingredient that I believe gave my armpits a rash. I have heard that baking soda (or sodium bicarbonate) can cause a rash as well, and although I have very sensitive skin, deodorants containing that ingredient have never given me a rash.
The main reason I ended up veering away from this deodorant (I used it for a couple years) was the fact that I had to apply it with my fingers. The scent lasted most of the day, but sometimes after a long day out and about it would start to wear off by the time I got to work and I would feel stinky. I work nights as a server, so I need my pits to be odor free all day long!
Overall I give this one 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
Next up we have Magsol available on Amazon. A bit pricer around $14. Linked here
This deodorant had the least amount of ingredients of any of the ones I have tried. Unfortunately, one of those ingredients was beeswax, which irritated my armpits. I also felt that this one had a beautiful Jasmine smell, but the scent faded away faster than the Pit Paste. Unless I wanted to reapply this one throughout the day, this one was not the right one for me. I strongly believe that this could be a completely opposite case for someone with different body chemistry than myself, but unfortunately this one was not the right one for me! The perk to this one is that it uses magnesium rather than baking soda to combat the bacteria that causes the odor, so if you are sensitive to baking soda, definitely give this one a try.
This one gets 🌟🌟🌟/5
Now, we have Schmidts available for around $10 on Amazon. Linked here.
(Also I am sure that most of these are available on their own websites and other stores, but I hate waiting more than 2 days and I hate paying for shipping!)
Schmidt's was great because it is formulated for sensitive skin, BUT I really love just plain Jasmine scent and the Jasmine tea was a bit too rose-floral for me. This deodorant also uses magnesium as the main ingredient and was without beeswax, so it did not irritate my skin. This one also did not last very long for me, I'm guessing magnesium didn't work as well with my body at reducing odor so this ended up being a no for me as well. I also was not a huge fan of the scent, so Schmidt's was probably my least favorite of all of the natural deodorants I have tried!
🌟🌟/5
Last but not least we have Native, which I bought at Target but it is also available on their own website and Amazon for $12. Linked here
Native has both sodium bicarbonate AND magnesium hydroxide in its ingredient list, which may be why I've noticed that this one seems to keep the odor away all day long for me. I also feel like this is the only deodorant that I have used that doesn't leave stains on my white clothing. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to note which of the previous ones definitely left stains or not on my clothing, but I'd guest the pit paste stick did for sure and the others it is possible. One more great part about Native is that it is made in San Francisco, which may not be hyperlocal, but is the one made the closest to where I live. The ONLY thing I don't like about this deodorant is that it did not come in a Jasmine scent. I really like the cucumber mint scent, it is just a bummer to not be able to go with my tried and true. It is actually one of the reasons I neglected to try Native for so long.
This one gets the highest rating at 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5/5
I just noticed that Primal Pit Paste is now working under the label Pretty Frank and has some pretty great additions to their deodorant including a Zinc version and a Witch Hazel spray version! Once my Native runs out, I may just try out their new products in order to get my Jasmine scent fix, but until then Native is the champion.
*UPDATE*
I was able to try the new Zinc Pretty Frank deodorant! They send out free samples, so I tried out the zinc and its my number one favorite deodorant ever. It is also applied with your fingers, which can be annoying, BUT it seems less messy than their non-zinc version. I feel like I stay odor free for the longest with this brand, even through my long serving shifts. One of my only concerns is that they have changed their name and now their label has changed twice on the my current favorite, so it makes me worried that it won't always be available.
Below is a link for information about aluminum in antiperspirants if you'd like to read any further on the topic.
Thank you for coming to my Pit Talk.
Love,
your non stinky friend
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