Natural Deodorants are getting more and more popular as people are realizing just how toxic the other stuff is! Guess what, you are supposed to sweat... yep, I know, roll your eyes, but it is true. Our armpits are not made to hold in all of the toxins that our body is releasing. When we put on traditional deodorant, it actually keeps us from stinking, but also from sweating!! A few years back I started by quest to find a good clean deodorant that kept me fresh during my workouts, as well as let my armpits function how they were created. In the past month or so, I have tried 4 natural deodorants. Some of them worked like a charm.... others, left me well, stinky...
4 Natural Deodorants
1. Tom's Deodorant
This deodorant is similar to the traditional deodorant stick. Tom's is know well in the healthy-processed world for their non-toxic take on traditional products. This deodorant is made with clean ingredients and without aluminum. The application is just like a normal deodorant. Personally, I have used this product a lot. I think it does a good job and doesn't leave that gross white smears onto your shirt. One down side from this deodorant is that when doing any physical activity, such as working out or hiking, this deodorant seems to rub uncomfortably. Overall, if you want to stick to a more traditional deodorant, this would be a perfect fit for you.
2. Homemade Deodorant
Homemade deodorant is a great way to know exactly what you are putting onto your skin. This deodorant is made from a base of beeswax and baking soda. I used these deodorant for over 4 months, and thought it did the job well. However, one down side is that it goes on very thick. The application is a bit different too. The best way to put it on is by rubbing it on with a finger. Like I said before, it tends to go on thick, and the beeswax almost creates a seal over your armpit. In the world of homemade deodorant, the mixes and ingredients you can use is endless. So if you are interested in exactly what you are putting on, homemade deodorant may be something worth experiencing.
3. ACV Deodorant
What doesn't apple cider vinegar do? One day I was scrolling on a blog post about all the many uses of ACV, and I stumbled on how to use it as deodorant. The making it is the easy part. All you have to do is mix the ACV in water, and than apply it with a clothe onto your arm pits. I loved the simplicity of this, and used it for a couple weeks. The post that I was reading said that the strong ACV smell would go away in about 5 minutes after application. I thought this felt really good, but there was many downsides. One of those, was that it took a few days for my armpits to detox. (usually when you stop using traditional deodorant or replace it with a simple one, your armpits start to detox and get rid of all the toxins [this is very stinky] and gets better after it is detoxed). Another downside that I experienced was that after any sort of physical activity, the smell would come back with a mix of B.O. (not the best).
4. Sea Salt Deodorant
This is a natural sea salt deodorant. The two ingredients in this are sea salt and aloe. The application of this is mess free and very simple. All you need to do is run the end of the deodorant stick under water and rub onto your armpit. Make sure it dries all the way. This deodorant feels very light, and has no sent. Personally, out of all the natural deodorants I have tried, this one is my favorite. I feel like this one works very well throughout the day, and isn't irritating. It is very compact, and I wouldn't be surprised if this lasts 2x more than your traditional deodorant stick.
I hope you enjoyed my experiment trying natural deodorant and I hope this inspires you to ditch the traditional deodorant stick.