The Stink on Natural Deodorant Brands

A few years ago, “natural deodorant” meant scraping hard paste from a jar and frantically rubbing it between your fingers, like you were trying to start a tiny fire, just so you could massage some life back into the stuff before rubbing it into your armpits with your fingers.

Safe to say that for most of us (myself included) making the swap to a natural option wasn’t worth the extra hassle, and additional price tag.

Now that there are so many readily available options to choose from, I wanted to give a few commonly found brands a thorough review and see which option I wanted to swap out the old Secret for…

The players:

I wanted to choose brands that were readily accessible in-store and online, and in most places in Canada. We love small business, but for the purposes of this review, I wanted to ensure you’d be able to find and source all of these in your hometown.

Hug Me Deodorant – By Bloom

This brand proudly states this is the “best deodorant ever” on the front of the package – it’s aluminium and paragon-free, made with coconut oil and probiotics to help you sweat odorlessly by limiting bacterial growth that can lead to smelly pits.

Pros – limited ingredients that are safe for those with allergies (no wheat, nut oils, etc.)

Cons – this stuff is ROUGH, like, sandpaper on your sensitive skin-rough.

Overall: I wasn’t a fan of the texture of this deodorant, likely due to coarse starches and baking soda in the first ingredients. Skip this one if you have sensitive skin.

Cool & Fresh Deodorant – by Live Clean

This product is dermatologist tested and free from aluminium, paragons, and propylene glycol. It’s also made with plant-based ingredients and “hypoallergenic” (whatever that means). It’s nicely scented with essential oils and contains herbal extracts to control odour.

Pros – great texture, goes on smooth and doesn’t leave white streaks.

Cons – also contains vague “fragrance” (would love them to clarify this or remove it) and the odor protection doesn’t last all day, as promoted.

Overall: Worth trying! It comes in a variety of scents and has clean ingredients + recyclable packaging.

0% Antiperspirant – By Dove

I wanted to be sure to include a “clean option” from one of the big brands, and as Dove has always been a leader in the “natural is better” space and they’re available everywhere, I wanted to check it out. The product is aluminium-free, but unfortunately it still contains many other problematic ingredients.

Pros – a readily available option without heavy metals that you can grab in a pinch, that’s also cruelty-free.

Cons – contains propylene glycol, fragrance, alcohols.

Overall: A good way to ease into natural options – give it a try if you’re new to chemical-free products and/or you’re sensitive to heavy metals.

Fresh Citrus Deodorant – by Hello Products

This funky little option comes in fun packaging that’s made from 100% recycled plastic. The deodorant is aluminium, paraben, and baking-soda free and is made with shea butter, rice bran and natural root powders (versus commonly used cornstarch) to help draw out excess moisture.

Pros – fully moisturising, thanks to the shea butter and the fresh scent is pleasant, but not overpowering or irritating.

Cons – still contains fragrance to scent and the texture is a bit on the hard side, so apply with care to avoid residue.

Overall: Give it a try – this option checks all the boxes from a clean + sustainable perspective.

Summary

I hope you enjoyed reading about these great options for deodorant in the clean & natural space, and will give one or a few of them a try for yourself.

I haven’t found my “true deodorant’ yet, and I’ll keep testing and reviewing options as I find them.

I’d love to hear what YOUR fav natural deodorant is – let me know by dropping a comment below!