DON’T SWEAT IT: NATURAL DEODORANT PICKS FOR YOUR PITS
This article is a guest post from one of my besties, holistic makeup artist, conscious beauty writer, qualified nutritional therapist and natural product consultant Sjaniel Turrell. I’ve called on Sjaniel’s expertise to write a very apt post, since many of you have been asking me about natural deodorants. Being a predominantly Vata type who is generally not very sweaty, I felt I wasn’t in the best place to review how well a natural deodorant can work. I also wanted to refer to Sjaniel’s knowledge of all the cosmetic ingredients and what’s OK to put on your skin and what isn’t.
The search for an effective natural deodorant can be frustrating — there are so many natural deodorants on the market now and all of them claim to “really work,” but often once you’ve decided to give up on regular aluminium-based antiperspirants for good, the search to find something truly effective feels like a waste of time. Personally, I have used only natural, aluminium- and any other suspect ingredient-free deodorant for about eight years now. Making this change does take adjusting to initially, because unlike traditional antiperspirants, natural deodorants do not stop you from sweating and you may have forgotten what it feels like to have wet armpits from time to time. This is such an important and natural elimination system of the body that it’s not something we should try to avoid, but what we do want to avoid is the BO that often accompanies the sweatiness, if not for our sake, certainly for the sake of others. It is also important to keep in mind that if you’ve been using traditional antiperspirants for years, you may need to give your body a few weeks to adjust to using natural deodorant as those sweat glands may work overtime for a week or two. What works for one person does not always work for another — hormones, levels of activity, health status and your genetics will determine how sweaty and smelly you are as an individual — after years of testing and trying many, many brands of natural deodorants currently out there, I have compiled my list of top five truly effective and sustainable natural deodorants.
British skincare brand Aurelia came out with this incredible deodorant a few years ago and it has been a firm favourite of many natural and organic beauty experts out there. The formula comes in a pot and you scoop up a small amount with your finger that you then apply under the armpits. It has a powder-like finish once you’ve applied it and smells very fresh and clean. Eucalyptus, Lavender and Peppermint are the essential oil basics that help keep you smelling fresh whilst also having an antibacterial effect. The combination of baking soda, kaolin and arrowroot helps to absorb moisture and neutralise odour and bacteria. It is also available in a Citrus fragrance option. Buying British also means fewer air miles and a more sustainable choice to imported options.
Wild is a relatively new brand that has completely revolutionised the reusable packaging system. Not only is this a highly functional natural stick deo with an effective active ingredient combo of tapioca starch and baking soda with moisturising oils and beautiful essential oils, its design is also super sustainable and clever. It comes in five different scent options and cleverly lets you choose which colour casing you would like to buy — since it’s designed to last you as long as possible — and then decide on your refill scents at random. The outer casing is made of long-lasting aluminium mixed with post-consumer plastic and looks and feels very sturdy and high quality. You simply click in the refill which is encased in a compostable bamboo cardboard, and once that one is done you simply put in your next refill. There is also a handy money-saving subscription service that sends you refills as you need. Oh, and they’re British, which is another plus for the environment when you can order locally made.
Legra hails from the seaside town of Leigh-on-Sea. The product is named after the town’s oldest name on record according to the Doomsday Book. I like this brand for a number of reasons. One, all four of the fragrance options (one of which is fragrance-free) are formulated without baking soda, which is a plus for people who are looking for more effective options that are free from this ingredient. Two, the clever push-up stick tube is made from paper and cardboard and 100% plastic-free and fully recyclable. Three, it is locally made, which means that you are supporting not only local independent enterprise but also reducing your carbon footprint in the process. The formula is quite dense and seems to not be as prone to melting as some others can be, though most natural deodorants will melt in direct sunlight, which can be remedied by an hour in the fridge. Their hero ingredients are arrowroot and kaolin clay for absorbing moisture, and zinc oxide for its antibacterial properties to keep those smelly pits at bay. I also like that the fragranced options are decidedly unisex in nature. Definitely a great option for those with sensitive skin and a sustainable mind.
Schmidt’s has been one of my favourite deodorants for years. I love that they were one of the first to put their natural formula in a stick option for those who don’t like sticking their fingers into a pot and rubbing on their deo. I also love how effective their formulas are with the options of different scents for both feminine rose-type loving fragrance types or fruity scents or neutral scents. The successful combo of arrowroot and baking soda comes up tops again with their most popular fragrance containing activated charcoal, which adds to the underarm bacteria war. I love that they also have three Sensitive Skin formulas that are baking soda-free for those of you who may have had a rash or sensitivity to this ingredient — often the most effective and active ingredient in natural deodorants — and one of them was formulated together with Justin Bieber, apparently.
I have never been a particularly sweaty (or smelly) underarm person and all the above deodorants worked really well for me for years, that is, until I had my second child a few months before turning 40 and after that.. well, NOTHING worked. I’ve had hardcore gym fanatic men sing the praises of the above deodorants, but nothing in this world seems to be more hardcore than a hormonal sweat situation. Not only the sudden onset of way more sweat, but the sudden and continuous issue with genuine stinky pits. I would have a shower before bed and wake up in the morning smelling like I had been working on a building site all night. Someone I worked with told me about Dutch brand NUUD. I was pretty sceptical; I was after all a natural beauty expert and thought I’d tried everything. Well, I have been using NUUD since January 2020 — we can all attest to the fact that it has been a pretty stressful year so far — but I have not had a smelly armpit since I started using it (well, except for that one time when I did forget I needed it) and I am only just finishing up my first tube eight months later. What makes NUUD different from all the others is that it doesn't contain baking soda or essential oils (a plus for all those who have a sensitivity to either) and has the consistency of sunscreen, rather than the thick oil based formula with powders. The secret antibacterial ingredient is micro-silver. Silver has extremely strong antibacterial properties and this deodorant is so effective that once you’ve used it for a few weeks, you only need to reapply it every 2-5 days! You squeeze out a pea-sized amount from the 100% recyclable bioplastic sugarcane tube and rub it into your armpits. If you’re new to natural then you might need to give it some time to work as your body will be eliminating a lot of what it hasn’t been allowed to before, but persist, once it starts working it is genuinely the most effective and easiest deodorant to use. For all those ladies with a sudden onset of hormonal sweat storm — don’t give up on natural until you’ve given Nuud a good go.
Sjaniel, a makeup artist for over 20 years, has been using exclusively natural and organic products professionally for 8 years and is considered one of the experts in conscious beauty in the UK. A founding member of the Conscious Beauty Union and beauty writer for Eco-Age, she is also a qualified nutritional therapist and natural product consultant. Her personal clients include Ella Mills, Amelia Freer, Lizzie King and yours truly along with doing many sustainable brand campaigns. She also offers one-on-one personal skincare and makeup product consultations. Email her to enquire.