There are plenty of natural deodorants on the market. Are they worth the swap in your beauty routine?
There are plenty of natural deodorants on the market. Are they worth the swap in your beauty routine?
Beauty aficionados know the drill. Every week it seems there are a plethora of beauty trends to keep up with. The list can become overwhelming.
That was the case with me for natural deodorant, I had never tried any until now because I didn't know where to start.
I havelived comfortably in my toss-it-in-the-trolley world of supermarket antiperspirant for years. I never thought to interrogate the ingredients list, as long the product worked.
In 2021, there are endless options of natural deodorants to choose from. Several brands are shilled to be via Instagram influencers on a regular basis, which created a strong pull to give them a go.
Any google search of a "natural" or "aluminium free" deodorant will dive into the terrifying reasons why we should make the switch.
The New York Times spoke to several experts, including dermatologists, an oncologist and skin microbiome expert. And most concluded there was no definitive answer to the question of whether it is better for consumers to use natural deodorant.
I'm no scientist, so I looked through the lens of whether the swap makes sense for the average consumer. Brands even tell consumers don't expect it to work right away if we're making the swap. I found that curious, and it enticed me to test several options.
What is natural deodorant?
A natural deodorant ditches chemicals, aluminium, parabens, and other ingredients in favour of a "cleaner" formula. The general idea is that they don't plug your pores to stop sweat from escaping. Many are have anti-bacterial or anti-microbial ingredients
Mary Further, a founder of Canadian natural deodorant brand Kaia Naturals told Viva in 2019 customers who switch over from traditional antiperspirants can go through a "detox" phase.
And beauty retailer Mecca gives customers similar advice who are making the switch for the first time. When customers use an aluminium-free deodorant, the retailer writes, our bodies usually go through an "adjustment phase".
"This is a temporary inconvenience that generally lasts up to 30 days until your body regulates itself again and learns to sweat naturally."
Across the board, expect to pay a slight premium for a natural deodorant. There are still plenty of options in local supermarkets and discount chemists. But it depends on personal preference and whether you care about packaging.
Putting natural deodorants to the test
In 2021 there is something for everyone. No matter your budget: you can cop some for under $15. No matter your application mechanism preference: solid stick or roll-on liquid. Environmentally conscious? Many tubes have cardboard packaging.
Here are three products that stood out to me, and who I think they would suit best.
Best for natural deodorant newbies
Essano Natural Deodorant (RRP $9.99)
Essano's natural deodorant answered my roll-on wishes. Early in my testing journey, I got discouraged using the solid stick options. I found the form added unnecessary minutes to my morning routine.
Essano's natural deodorant is a simple swap that won't break the bank. Photo / Supplied
It depends on the formula, but with the Essano version in a delicious mandarin scent, it was as simple as seconds of swiping.
This is the product I'd encourage people to place in their trolleys on their next supermarket trip.
Best for the environmentally conscious consumer
Aotearoad Natural Deodorant (RRP $10.99)
This was the first natural deodorant I tried. It felt good using a product that could be composted. The price point and the ingredients list are also excellent.
As I alluded to above, I discovered most solid stick formats weren't for me. I didn't have any disastrous moments, but I'd knock off a few points for ease of use. I felt like I had to physically warm up the product in the dead of winter or contend with the risk of flaking the deodorant all over my clothes.
Nevertheless, I thought it was still a solid choice for those wanting to try natural deodorant. The scents are well thought out and it did the job well.
One that remains a fave is Mecca's aluminium-free deodorant. A note, this one doesn't claim to be a "natural" deodorant, but it is aluminium and paraben-free.
Mecca's deodorant will please fans of fancy packaging. Photo / Supplied
It boasts a bunch of beneficial ingredients like tapioca starch and kaolin clay to absorb sweat and oil, plus tea tree oil which has anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties.
The delivery method was the most pleasing out of all them, despite it being a stick. The product glided on with ease and the scent was delightful. I found it was best applied every 12 hours, so it would be one to toss in the bag for any gym-goers.
It was triple the price of Essano's offering, and I can't say it was triple as good. For the extra cash, you do get packaging worthy of any gym bag or bathroom countertop, and a product that feels like it makes your underarms softer over time.
Is it worth the switch, or the pits?
With any beauty trend, I usually try to take the marketing with a grain of salt.
Whether or not a product is reliable is the biggest factor when I decide to switch things up. Natural deodorant was hard to test; because I couldn't say exactly whether eliminating traditional antiperspirants was beneficial.
I anticipated extreme scenarios when testing out the products. To my surprise, I didn't sweat through a blouse. Nor did I get the desperate urge to go back to the realm of antiperspirants. I don't think I even experienced a lengthy "detox phase" during my two months of testing.
Instead, I found what made the biggest difference for me was the experience of the application and that's why Essano's and Mecca's impressed me most. All options did pretty much the same job when it came to keeping my underarms dry.
I would recommend natural deodorant to the same person who eyes the clean beauty trend. If you decide to give it a go, you may not see a huge difference unless you're doing strenuous amounts of exercise. If you like the idea and find regular antiperspirant irritating, there is no reason not to take advantage of the choice.
