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From sticks and creams to roll-ons, we’ve found the best natural deodorants that actually work
A few years ago, natural deodorants would’ve been viewed as a hippy marketing ploy tailored towards those who wear hemp clothing, shower in rainwater and refer to shoes as foot prisons.
Fast forward to today, and a huge number of us are more vigilant than ever about what is going into and onto our bodies – including the risks of ingredients in deodrants such as aluminium.
From the rise in vegan diets, to a recent obsession with “clean” beauty, we’ve moved away from judging those who didn’t buy whatever was readily available in the supermarket, and are often desperately trying to learn about more natural, healthier ways to live.
There has been speculation in the past that normal deodorants were linked to cancer but, with little evidence to support these claims, Cancer Research has categorically ruled this out as a possibility. Although, some people still prefer to avoid ingredients such as aluminium and talc, found in most regular deodorants, either for personal health reasons or possible allergies.
When it comes to natural deodorant, there are no hard-set rules as to what can and can’t be included in the formulas, but Healthline does suggest the following as three core foundations. Firstly, ingredients such as coconut or tea tree oil are included for disinfectant or antibacterial properties. Essential oils such as lavender, bergamot or sandalwood provide scents instead of synthetic fragrances, and naturally absorbent ingredients such as cornstarch, baking soda or arrowroot combat moisture, but won’t prevent sweating like an antiperspirant.
So, with the majority of ingredients coming from natural sources, and many people implying this forms a happier and healthier underarm microbiome, if you’re in two minds about whether to give a natural deodorant a go, we’d certainly encourage you to go for it. But remember the research suggests it’s more of a personal preference rather than a necessity, and you should always patch test before, as with any product, to check for any possible reactions.
Our tester has been on the hunt for a great natural deodorant for years, dipping in and out of different products yet always eventually falling back to a fail-safe normal spray-on after a too-heavy gym session, long tube ride or hot day.
This time around, they ditched the normal deodorant for six weeks in favour of more than a dozen natural ones. Did they smell? Sometimes. Even when they thought they were onto a winner, there was always a friend passing a spray-on under the table.
But that didn’t stop them. Slathering on the natural deodorants at the gym, at home, in the car and anywhere and everywhere you would usually wear deodorant, day in, day out, looking for ease of application, scent, feel and, ultimately, how well it stopped them from smelling of BO.
It can take between two to six weeks for your body to adjust to using a natural deodorant, so before you jump in thinking it doesn’t work, you need to have a bit of patience – and maybe schedule it in over WFH days or a holiday. But, to get you well on your way, our favourite pick was the Megababe rosy pits natural deodorant thanks to its nourishing formula, easy-to-apply design and BO-busting result.
For those wanting to just test the waters without forking out a fortune, opt for the Mitchum men’s pick. Although it wasn’t completely natural, it does cut out a lot of the core elements from normal deodorants and can’t be faulted in its result. And anyone looking to really battle the sweats on any part of the body should definitely pay closer attention to the Meder body-day prebiotic deodorant body cream.
If you do want to splash the cash, then the ritualistic application of AKT is like no other, and Aesop is a definite must-have for on-the-go touch ups.
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