I have been on the search for years to find an all natural deodorant that actually works. YEARS. I’ve tried every brand under the sun, made my own, and used some adventurous alternatives to save my armpits from the yucky chemicals in traditional options. I’ve had my armpits peel (literally) from a store brand, burned my armpits with too much baking soda in a DIY attempt gone wrong, and I’m sure I’ve spent a few days smelling less than flowery. I’ve rolled, scooped, swiped, sprayed, and brushed so much weird stuff onto my pits in the past few years I feel more than qualified to call myself a non-official armpit expert (ah, such an honor).
**I’m not going to be citing any sources in this post because it has come from a collection of information that I’ve gathered over the years and I didn’t reference any specific sources as I write today. I encourage you to do your own research and confirm what I’m saying however!
So, let’s first talk about why I am so not okay with going to the store and grabbing ANY of the many deodorant options available on the shelf. Deodorants in the store are “antiperspirants”. This means that they are supposed to stop you from sweating. And contrary to popular belief, you don’t want that to happen. Before you start shaking your head in disgust, hang with me for a minute. Your skin is the body’s biggest organ of elimination and is used to rid your body of toxins and help maintain internal temperatures. Putting chemicals on your skin to stop that elimination just keeps all of those toxins and balancing properties stuck inside your body. Have you ever noticed that after a while of using the same brand of antiperspirant it becomes less effective? That’s because your poor body is kicking and screaming to adapt so that it can eliminate the toxins through the pores that we keep clogging up every morning. So, there’s that to think about.
And then there are the ingredients. Oh my gahhhhhhhhd. The things that pass for safe in this world are truly scary. Let’s first talk about the most popular and publicized bad guy: Aluminum. Aluminum is what makes a deodorant an antiperspirant by creating a temporary blockage in your pores. This lovely little ingredient has been linked to breast cancer and Alzheimer’s Disease. The research on this is somewhat sparse, but it’s there. The other key ingredients include parabens , propleyene glycol, TEA & DEA, and a host of synthetic colors and fragrances. Bad, bad, bad.
Now that that is out of the way, on to the fun part! Below I ranked some different kinds of all-natural deodorants from worst to best based on smell, longevity, texture, and overall effectiveness.
Tisserand Tea Tree: This one just sucks. I rolled it on and ended up with sopping wet armpits that got all over my clothes, and then it basically just absorbed into my skin as soon as it dried. It’s advertised as 24-hour protection, which is just not true at all. I literally felt like I smelled seconds after putting it on. Boooo.
Tom’s of Maine: This was the brand that I used in high school and was a huge fan of! A few years ago they released their “long lasting” formula and things went downhill. I’m not sure exactly what they added to make it last longer, but it lead to my armpits peeling, burning, and overall being very uncomfortable. I tried the teen version recently and had the same effect after a few days. I’ve done some research and it seems that many people have this issue with the new formula. Womp, womp.
Homemade: Try as I might, I haven’t successfully made a DIY version that I’ve liked yet. I’ve tried a few different recipes but haven’t found one that has made the time and effort worth it. It seems to always come out too hard, making it really difficult to rub on, or too soft which leads to a mess. The upside here is that you can use some of your favorite essential oils to personalize the smell. If anyone has a recipe that they love, please share!
Jason: I’ve tried a couple different scents of this brand and have had varied success. Although they all smell really yummy, some of the scents just don’t cut it. My personal favorite smell was the tea tree. When using this one I made sure it came with me in my bag so I could reapply a few times, but I never felt like I smelled which is always a plus! It doesn’t leave much residue and didn’t leave any marks on my clothes either. I always have one in my backpack and car for a quick freshener when I need it.
Young Living Thieves Toothpaste: So this isn’t exactly a deodorant per say, but someone recommended that I try it at a YL event and I laughed. But then a few weeks later I was out of deodorant and had no choice but to glop some of it on one morning before the gym and was pleasantly surprise. Besides the fact that I admittedly smelled like toothpaste, it lasted for HOURS. It was a little goopy (I mean, it’s toothpaste), but if you’re looking for a multi-tasker, this is your guy!
Young Living Deodorant: This brand seemed to last a little bit longer than the other options, so that definitely is a plus. This one gives the feel of a traditional deodorant more than the others which is nice, however it is a little bit on the solid side so I felt like I needed to work to get it enough on. It only comes in two scents that aren’t designated as for males or females, but I noticed that one of them does have a much more traditionally masculine scent than the other. They both smell good though!
EO Spray: This is the most recent brand that I’ve tried and I’m really happy with it so far! It spritzes on, and therefore doesn’t leave any marks. It has a strong, clean smell to it that lasted for longer than I anticipated. And it’s USDA Organic. I did have to re-apply around midday, but that is the case for most all natural options that I’ve tried.
The verdict? There are a TON of options. I’ve had the best success using the Young Living and EO brands, but everyone’s body is different. One thing that you need to keep in mind when you switch is that you may actually sweat more than you would normally as your body detoxes from years of being blocked up. So don’t panic and run back to the chemicals, it definitely gets better. You will need to reapply at some point in the day, that’s also okay. It’s just the nature of the beast when it comes to this kind of thing. Luckily, all of the options I’ve tried have been very affordable which means I have no problem grabbing a few and stashing them in places for a quick reapplication.
The search for the perfect all-natural deodorant continues, but I encourage you all to make the switch and try for yourselves! It’s an easy change to make and your body will thank you!
Just be sure you keep someone around to let you know if start to get stinky just in case. (;