I have yet to jump on the DIY deodorant bandwagon only because I don’t like the idea of using my hands to rub deodorant on my armpits. Is that juvenile? Probably. I know I’ll get over it soon but in the meantime, I want to make sure I’m avoiding any pesky harmful ingredients in my store-bought deodorant sticks!
I conducted a natural deodorant test using three popular brands over the past three months. Each have their own pros and cons. I’ll go into more in-depth reviews below, but in case you want the sparknotes version and links for where to buy:
- Native
- Crystal Essence
- Schmidt’s (spoiler alert – this one was my favorite!)
I should probably preface these reviews with a few personal details. First of all, I don’t consider myself to be an excessive sweater. I sweat an average amount and I can usually last a day without deodorant and not get smelly (if I don’t workout) but if I go much longer than that, then stay away! If you’re in the same sweat camp as me then hopefully you will find the following recaps useful.
Native
DETAILS: This is a stick deodorant with a smooth and clear application. I tried the lavender & rose scent (I used the lavender version of all three to be consistent!) which was delightful.
HOW IT WORKED: I happily used this deodorant for a little over 2-3 weeks before I felt like it stopped working. It isn’t an anti-perspirant so I didn’t expect to stop sweating entirely, however I did hope that it would hold up in preventing any smells from developing. After one day of smelly-sweating straight through a jacket (and I do not normally sweat excessively!) I started keeping this stick in my purse to re-apply throughout the day.
I guess my body eventually started rejecting this formula because despite my initial excitement, it stopped working well for me after a month.
WHERE TO BUY: Native Deodorant $12
Crystal Essence
DETAILS: This guy comes in a liquid roller that rolls on wet but dries quickly. I was PUMPED about this one because of the ingredient list, price, availability (sold in most normal grocery stores!), and solid recommendation from one of my coworkers.
HOW IT WORKED: Great! I really liked Crystal Essence and would have continued using it after the month trial period if I didn’t already have plans to test out a third deodorant for this post. One disclaimer is that it truly does not stop you from sweating – in fact some days I felt like I was sweating more than usual while using this product. With that said, I never had smelly issues like I eventually did with the Native brand. Re-applying in the middle of the day did seem to help with that issue if that concerns you.
WHERE TO BUY: Crystal Essence $6
Schmidt’s
DETAILS: Another stick application that goes on mostly clear but sometimes a little crumbly. I had to overcome my irrational fear of touching my armpits to rub in little deodorant crumbles more than a few times.
HOW IT WORKED: Amazingly. In fact, I’m still using this one daily! What sets this guy apart from the other two is how dry I feel throughout the day. I sweat significantly less wearing this deodorant than I did with the other two. I also haven’t had issues with smelling weird or needing to re-apply midday. I first discovered this on Goop which forces me to admit (per usual) that Gwyneth really does know best.
WHERE TO BUY: Schmidt’s Deodorant $10
Another brand worth mentioning is Pit Paste ($12). This one came highly recommended from a few friends however the name was so off-putting (not to mention my irrational fear of hand to pit application) and I was so satisfied with Schmidt’s that I didn’t try it.
If you have other natural deodorant brands that you use and love please share in the comments!
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