An ever-growing guide to natural and aluminum-free deodorant that works
Over the last several years I have been trying and testing different natural and aluminum-free deodorants with varying degrees of success. I do keep some antiperspirant on hand for occasions like weddings or other photo-heavy events (where the chance of unsightly wet spots is just not an option), but for the daily, I have said “goodbye” to antiperspirants and “hello” to more skin-friendly and earth-friendly alternatives. But finding natural and aluminum-free deodorant that works is no easy task. I have stood in many an aisle, Googling indredients for way more time than is normal, looking like a freak. I have smelled like a garbage pit on more than one occasion. But through all that, I have discovered a few options that I find work quite well.
While this is marketed as a men’s deodorant, it has become my go-to for natural deodorant. It smells herbal and fresh and I find it lasts pretty well — even through light to medium workouts — and I like that I can toss it in my purse with no hassle.
Ok, I haven’t actually tried this deodorant, but I’m including it because a couple people I know very well swear by it and won’t use anything else (though I did use a light version they used to have and it worked pretty well for light everyday wear). They people I know find the k’pure natural deodorant lasts through sweaty days (one guy wears it on the construction site), smells great - like vanilla and lavender - and helps protect against pit stains thanks to its purply hue.
To test this out, I wore it during a very hectic week in the middle of a sweltering dummer that involved a lot of walking and carrying items outside. And, because it performed quite well, this became my go-to for quite a while until my body chemistry changed for some reason and it stopped working as well as it had.
This one smells pretty unisex, goes on without being too sticky and kept me pretty fresh all day. I’m not a fan of the plastic, but for easy-apply deodorant I haven’t really found an alternatice.
After walking for ten minutes in the hot sun, working all day, making dinner and going to the gym, I found this performed pretty well. I only really started to smell after the gym, which I would do regardless of what was on my pits.
And, while I usually avoid roll-on deodorant (mainly because I hate the moist feeling you get for a few seconds after aplication), I think I would buy this again. It performed pretty well, smells light and fruity and the glass bottle is more earth freindly than plastics.
Another men’s deodorant — whaddaya know!? This is my fall-back option when my natural deodorant test du jour isn’t going well, if you know what I mean.
So, in the spirit of being accessible, I’m including this option — Dove Men + Care aluminum-free deodorant — because it’s super accessible in person and online, there are multiple unisex scents that simply smell fresh and it works very well. And, even though it’s not the most natural or earth-friendly, it’s definitely a step in the right direction! If this option would help you switch to a healthier deodorant routine, I say go for it.
