Natural Deodorants - Reviews and Details

[no_pants_cat]

Hi all,

About a year ago I decided to stop using deodorants that use aluminum salts (due to health reasons, and also because they stain clothing after awhile).

In my case, this has been complicated because I am allergic to propylene glycol, which is the most common active ingredient in deodorants that don't use aluminum salt. Old Spice is one of the most well-known deodorants that uses propylene glycol. When I use products that contain it, my armpits get very sensitive, and incredibly itchy.

Luckily, I work for Whole Foods Market, and had easy access to many alternative deodorants. Here are the products, and my reviews of them. It's my hope that this information will help others who are looking for similar products or who are trying to get away from aluminum salts as well. I ranked them on a scale of 1-5 based off of four criteria: anti-odor abilities, antiperspirant abilities, scent, and lasting power.

For reference, I would say I have pretty average perspiration. I don't sweat a lot (mostly under stress or during physical activity) but I can't make it through the day without a deodorant unless I want to be smelly halfway through the day.

I should also note that when you switch from an aluminum salt deodorant to a natural one, it is customary to go through a week or two of transition where you will be sweating more than usual. After this period things start to calm down.

Alba Botanica - Tea Tree w/ Baking Soda & Lichen

This is one of my current deodorants. It works well to prevent sweat and odor for 3-4 hours after showering, but fades fast after that. Re-application later in the day helps with sweat, but not odor. I've had zero issues with any kind of irritation with this product and I consider it to be the gentlest I have tried. I usually use it on days when I'm not worried as much about how I smell. The scent is fresh, light, and crisp due to peppermint essential oil - it is very understated and almost unnoticeable when being worn.

Active Ingredient: Tea tree oil, baking soda, lichen
Anti-odor: 3/5
Antiperspirant: 3/5
Scent: 3/5
Lasting power: 2/5
Cost: $4-$6


Herbal Magic - Roll-on Deodorant

This is one I have used in the past, but shelved due to a very feminine scent. It is very gentle on skin, and surprisingly effective given it's contents. I found I still needed to re-apply after 4-5 hours. It does a better job on covering odor on re-application, if you like the smell. The scent is a very flowery and powdery.

Active Ingredient: Algae, witch hazel, baking soda, hops
Anti-odor: 3/5
Antiperspirant: 2/5
Scent: 1/5
Lasting power: 3/5
Cost: $5-$7

Weleda - Sage Deodorant

This is my current favorite. It's a spray-on liquid, so I find application (and re-application) easier to control. While more expensive than others, I find that I can make it 2-3 months on a single bottle. Re-application is still necessary during the day but is more effective than others I've tried. Note that due to alcohol content, there can be some burning on application. The scent is a sharp herbal smell, think sage + lemon + tea tree.

Active Ingredient: Alcohol, tea tree
Anti-odor: 4/5
Antiperspirant: 2/5
Scent: 4/5
Lasting power: 3/5
Cost: $11

Weleda - Citrus Deodorant

I tried this one after the success of the same brand's Sage scent. Unfortunately, this one performed very poorly (most likely due to the lack of tea tree or any other anti-bacterial agents). The scent is a very sharp citrus that fades very quickly. It's not a good deodorant, and it's lack of staying power makes it a poor fragrance/cologne as well.

Active Ingredient: Alcohol, orange essential oil
Anti-odor: 2/5
Antiperspirant: 1/5
Scent: 3/5
Lasting power: 1/5
Cost: $11


Here's some deodorants with propylene glycol in them - I tried them all, but for a shorter duration due to allergic reactions. If you're not allergic to propylene glycol you might find a winner....

Tom's of Maine

Not a bad choice overall, reasonable staying power, inexpensive and easy to find in most stores. The scents left something to be desired, as they were usually very weak. Reapplication was necessary, and led to faster irritation in my case.

Active Ingredient: propylene glycol
Anti-odor: 3/5
Antiperspirant: 3/5
Scent: 2/5
Lasting power: 3/5
Cost: $5-$7

j/a/s/o/n - Tea Tree/Melaleuca

I think of this product as an 'upgraded' version of the Tom's of Maine product above. It's very similiar, but the addition of tea tree oil makes it more effective. This is one of the few that didn't require reapplication during the day, but again it caused me too much irritation. The scent is light and floral.

Active Ingredient: propylene glycol, tea tree oil
Anti-odor: 4/5
Antiperspirant: 3/5
Scent: 2/5
Lasting power: 3/5
Cost: $4-$7

Herban Cowboy - Dusk

This is my 'recommended' propylene glycol-based deodorant. I used it for the longest of any others before getting irritation. I rarely needed to re-apply during the day. The scent is a dry, musky odor - not a personal favorite but the performance outweighs this.

Active Ingredient: propylene glycol
Anti-odor: 4/5
Antiperspirant: 4/5
Scent: 3/5
Lasting power: 4/5
Cost: $5-$8


So - if any of you have any reviews to add, please do! I'd love to see what else is out there...

 

[Shorty Long]

Aubrey Organics - Men's Stock Herbal Pine
Cost is around $7-9...it's a pump spray...the scent is woodsy (my wife loves it) and it is HANDS DOWN the best natural deodorant I've ever tried...the kicker is its antiperspirant properties...I tend to sweat a bit and it does as well as any of the un-natural products I've tried (besides the REALLY extra strength stuff)

Also, I've tried the Weleda Sage and in my opinion, Aubrey is WAY better (much cheaper too).

 

[Evbo]

Body Mint.

Basically, they're chlorophyll pills. You take one in the morning (on an empty stomach) and one in the evening (before dinner). They say you can take it with or without food; I've found the best results come from taking it on an empty stomach.

This stuff really works. You need to take it for a week or so before the effects really kick in, but ... it works. It's not just a marketing gimmick. However, after using this for a long time it's also been my experience that if you're doing something strenuous & perspiring a lot, you need to supplement the Body Mint with a regular deodorant (despite their claims to the contrary). I use the spray-on natural alum.

I haven't experienced any side effects from this stuff. The only thing is that it turns your sh*t green. No, I'm not joking. Oh, and the other side effect is that it'll keep you spending. I have it auto-delivered every month. A month's supply (1 bottle = 60 pills) is $16.95, shipped.

The flip side is you take 2 pills a day & you're covered. And it works.

If anyone else has some experience with this product, I'd be very curious to know. Would love to hear some other opinions.

 

[DBLE ARROW BLADE]

I've just started using a baking soda and water mix. It has been working very well, but I haven't had a situation where I've really given it a test, so we'll see.

 

[Bertilak]

Have you tried alum? I think it is available in Whole Foods by the name of "Crystal". It is a deodorant, but not an antiperspirant. I find that it works quite well. See: http://naturalmedicine.suite101.com/article.cfm/crystal_deodorant which claims to be "aluminum free".

But, like much in the advertising world that is a lie.

Alum (which that product consists of) is so named because of its aluminum content. Here is a link to the source: http://www.deodorantstones.com/aluminumquestions.ivnu. That claims "ALUM and ALUMINUM are two different substances" but also states "Bauxite is the ore from which alum is drawn." Bauxite is also known as Aluminum ore and one of the chemical components of alum is aluminum. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bauxite.

So, Alum is an aluminum salt but is in a form (so I hear) that is not absorbed by the skin as is aluminum chlorohydrate.

Note also, that NO deodorant contains aluminum chlorohydrate. It is antiperspirants that contain it. So if you buy a "deodorant" it will not contain aluminum chlorohydrate. If you buy an "antiperspirant" or a "deodorant-antiperspirant" then it will likely have it.

Many deodorants advertise themselves to be free of aluminum chlorohydrate. That's about as meaningful as advertising that a particular brand of apple juice is better than others because it is not radioactive.

 

[mmack66]

Are these anti-perspirants or deodorants? Deodorants shouldn't do anything in terms of reducing or blocking perspirant. I personally avoid anti-perspirants because the body sweats for a reason and blocking that function isn't good.

 

[no_pants_cat]

I haven't tried Alum - although I was actually reading about it today. Reviews definitely attest to it's effectiveness, but the "healthiness" of it seems to be in a gray area . While still made from aluminum, as you note, most places seem to say it works by 'inhibiting bacterial growth' and is not able to be absorbed by the skin. I'm a little skeptical about that...

I looked around about using baking soda and found a surprising number of people who use it and love it. Skin irritation seems to be the largest complaint... I'm honestly pretty intrigued by this idea. I saw a few sites where people used baking soda, cornstarch (to reduce irritation), a oil/creme base (like shea butter), and an essential oil to create their own effective, home-made deodorant that smelled how they wanted.

mmack - they're all "deodorants", technically. I realize I rated them on antiperspirant qualities, but you can chalk that up to other ingredients, placebo effect, or whatever - I know I definitely noticed sweating different amounts while trying all the different products.

 

[Bertilak]

I haven't tried Alum - although I was actually reading about it today. Reviews definitely attest to it's effectiveness, but the "healthiness" of it seems to be in a gray area . While still made from aluminum, as you note, most places seem to say it works by 'inhibiting bacterial growth' and is not able to be absorbed by the skin. I'm a little skeptical about that...

It is bacterial action that causes the order so preventing bacteria growth is the most direct and effective way to prevent odor. It works for me.

I looked around about using baking soda and found a surprising number of people who use it and love it. Skin irritation seems to be the largest complaint... I'm honestly pretty intrigued by this idea. I saw a few sites where people used baking soda, cornstarch (to reduce irritation), a oil/creme base (like shea butter), and an essential oil to create their own effective, home-made deodorant that smelled how they wanted.

Baking soda absorbs odors, doesn't really "prevent" them. Adding essential oils simply masks the odor - an 18th century approach!

mmack - they're all "deodorants", technically. I realize I rated them on antiperspirant qualities, but you can chalk that up to other ingredients, placebo effect, or whatever - I know I definitely noticed sweating different amounts while trying all the different products.

A little perspiration is not a problem and a lot of perspiration won't be stopped by antiperspirants anyway.

 

[burnwood]

Try Desert Essence as well.

 

[Wilpar76]

Arm & Hammer just came out with a line of "Natural" products. They are metal free, paraben free and they rely on baking soda and other natural products. In fact, I think it is actually called Arm & Hammer, Essentials. They may not be new all together, but they are new in my area. I like them. The smell is a little sweet at first, even on the unscented, but it quickly dissipates. The desired effect is still decent in that it blocks odors. I did not react to it like I did the Tom's of Maine product. I realize that results will vary by individual, but if you are looking for something different you may want to give these a try.

 

[no_pants_cat]

I gave baking soda a try, and was really surprised with the results. It does work pretty well! I did get some irritation though, nothing terrible but it was noticeable.

However - being a DIY type, I looked around online and found some 'recipes' for making deodorant. I compared these against the contents of most natural deodorants for sale, and came up with a mixture that pretty much mirrors what is in the commercial products I've used and liked. I've been using it for 2 days now and it's as effective as any I've tried, and I've had zero irritation. Now we'll just have to see if it stands the test of time.

For the curious or brave, I purchased the ingredients at Whole Foods, and I spent about $40. I'm new at this, but I figure I have enough materials to make about 5 batches of deodorant, which would be about a year's supply for me.

My mixture:

1/4 cup witch hazel
1/4 cup aloe vera (liquid form)
1/4 cup alcohol
1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin
~10 drops tea tree oil
~10 drops clary sage oil

I mixed the essential oils with the glycerin, put the liquid ingredients in a 100ml spray bottle, then added the glycerin/oil mixture. It smells exactly like the Weleda tea tree product I used - the tea tree smell is strong for the first 15 minutes but fades to the point its unnoticeable.

My reasoning behind the ingredients:

- Witch hazel for the astringent/cleansing properties
- Aloe vera for healing/skin health
- Alcohol as a distribution method as well as disinfectant/antibacterial agent
- Vegetable glycerin as a carrier for the essential oils
- Tea tree as it is a potent antibacterial oil
- Clary sage as it is another antibacterial oil, that shares a similiar scent with tea tree

I'm interested in ways I could modify this to get different scents (i.e. add peppermint, or maybe bay & vetiver oils) but I'm not going to dabble in that until I'm sure the base formula actually works.

 

[DBLE ARROW BLADE]

interesting, keep us posted.

 

[Standhaftigkeit]

I have tried so many different natural deodorants. But, as you said, most have Propylene Glycol in them.

I haven't found a decent commercial all-natural deodorant that doesn't have propylene glycol, parabens, etc. in them that actually work great and/or lasts all day. I have however found a recipe for a homemade deodorant solution that works wonderful and lasts all day. I have been using it for a couple years now and highly recommend it. And it's so much cheaper than store baught ones.

I rub some Thayer's Witchhazel (I like the lavander one...) under my arms after I shower and then powder them with a mixture of organic corn starch and baking soda.

To make the mixture I put 1/4c. organic corn starch and 1c. baking soda into a resealable container and shake it up till thoroughly mixed. I have a powder puff that I use to apply it to the underarms. I lean over the bathroom sink and dab the unerarms until powdered, then I rub them gently with the puff, which helps get any loose/ excess powder off.

Keeps the stink away all day.

 

[DonOhio]

Aubrey Organics - Men's Stock Herbal Pine
Cost is around $7-9...it's a pump spray...the scent is woodsy (my wife loves it) and it is HANDS DOWN the best natural deodorant I've ever tried...the kicker is its antiperspirant properties...I tend to sweat a bit and it does as well as any of the un-natural products I've tried (besides the REALLY extra strength stuff)

Also, I've tried the Weleda Sage and in my opinion, Aubrey is WAY better (much cheaper too).

Sorry for the bump but ditto all of the above. Aubrey is great smelling and lasts a good while. Weleda Sage is good too, but you're right, Aubrey pine blows it away (and costs less for what you get, iirc).

 

[Swampfox]

So far, the only deodorants I can wear are the ones containing mineral salts. A few years ago I noticed allergic reactions to Gillette, etc. I was able to wear Mitchum for a while, then more breakouts. Tom's didn't work for me...maybe it's the hops in theirs.

So far I have found Crystal and Naturally Fresh. Both contain mineral salts without the metals and glycol. Unfortunately, I doubt they would work well in a hot environment. Since I am a teacher, I really don't have to worry about that, so they work great for me. Only problem is in this area they are becoming harder to find.

 

[DonOhio]

Have you considered using a bit of store brand antibacterial ointment? I have used it in the past and it WILL stop bacterial odor for a few days (odor from your own body chemistry, food, etc, is another matter, however).

Of course the ointment does nothing to stop sweating, but with the odor-causing bacteria greatly reduced, odor isn't even possible until they repopulate.

Just a thin layer rubbed in will do the trick, guaranteed!

 

[DonOhio]

I just remebered: a few years ago I bought up some discontinued organic de-o, and most have been sitting unopened in a drawer. It's Nature's Gate chamomile and lemon verbena - label says no prop.gly. and no aluminum. It does work, but not for that long, I found (ended up reapplying later in the day but no big deal there). Have you tried it?

 

[DonOhio]

Here they are - they've since gone to new packaging...

http://www.natures-gate.com/shop/showCategory.asp?category=142

I just checked one I had put away. Still quite usable.

 

[ChrisS86]

JASON naturally fresh for men is PG free and has a light, starchy/powdery scent. If I try to stretch it out for an 8 hour day, I'll notice a slight odor, but nothing offensive.

I really wanted to like the JASON tea tree oil, but it made my underarms peel.

 

[chml17l]

Lavilin Deodorant seems to get good reviews on the net. I've never used it personally, but always wanted to give it a try.

Ingredients: zinc oxide, petroleum jelly, talc, potato starch, calendula oil, arnica oil, vitamin E, ascorbyl palmitate, citric acid, natural fragrance

Currently I'm using Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal - Ocean Breeze Crystal Roll-on http://secure.tccd.com/shoponline/DeodorantCrystalRollOn-OceanBreeze.asp and it seems to work for me for ~ 8 hours.