Growing up, I was always leery of girls with natural hair. (Bear with me!) In my young mind, they just always seemed to be a little weird...with far left ideas (and always slightly musty for whatever reason). Fast forward to my sophomore year of college. I'd cut off my chemically straightened tresses to embrace my kinky curly strands and was quite adamant about veganism and overthrowing capitalism. I was also trying to live as healthy as possible and that meant forgoing the commercial deodorant in lieu of natural alternatives. A trial and (mostly) error process that left me quite frankly, funky.
As I sat stankin up an auditorium at an event with friends, I knew this last deodorant was an epic fail. (They politely tried to ask if my natural deo worked.. to which I replied, YES! *when I remember to put it on*) In that series of embarrassing experiments, it finally dawned on me that I was now that weird girl with natural hair (that was always slightly musty).
I'm still a free spirit (though not nearly as far left as back then) and thankfully I'm virtually never musty these days. Needless to say, I have run the gamut of natural deodorant choices out there. Some just plain didn't work. While others worked great for a time, only to leave me with ghastly underarm rashes. Not cute! I've even tried making my own...to no avail!
So here is my (short) list of natural deodorants that have worked for me:
Crystal Rock Deodorant
For starters, this always looked like the most hippie product I'd ever seen and I couldn't understand how a piece of salt would ever work. Hence, it was the absolute last deodorant on my radar but for whatever reason I finally picked some up before I moved. BEST DECISION EVER.
The stone has to be slightly moistened, and you rub it under your pits at least 25 times (takes way less time than it sounds). For that reason, I find it easier to apply straight out of the shower so it can dry under my arms before I put my shirt on.
Pros:
It not only has been the most effective, but it has yet to irritate my pits after 4 months of use. It lasts 24 hours just like it claims! It has no scent, you literally just smell like nothing. For just $3 at Whole Foods, it's an extremely economical deodorant. It doesn't even look like I've used it much after FOUR whole months of daily use. I've read reviews of people keeping one stone for years. Can't beat that!
Cons:
You have to be careful not to drop it or you'll be left with salt shards. (No worries, you can dissolve the pieces in distilled water and I've heard spraying it that way is just as effective.) The only real downside is that it's not the most convenient in a pinch. I've found that if it doesn't have time to dry (i.e. I attempted to put it on while wearing a shirt at work) it isn't nearly as effective. I'd recommend you have a back up deodorant if you ever forget and have to apply it at work.
Which brings me to #2
Schmidt's Sensitive Skin Formula
Remember how I said to have a back up deo? Ladies and gentleman, lemme tell you this deodorant SAVED my life...well, maybe just my pride...and my coworkers' noses. Either way, I found myself at work having forgotten to apply the crystal AND I'd left it at home. #doublefail I needed something natural that would actually keep me fresh while exerting a lot of energy.
So after rubbing down my pits with some soap and water, I applied this rigorously and hoped for the best.
Pros: Compared to the regular Schimdt's formulas, this one had a notably smooth application. It lasted the whole day without reapplication. This doesn't contain baking soda so it didn't irritate my skin. I haven't used this one long enough to confirm that long term though.
Cons: The scent was not to my liking, but it at least smelled natural. You definitely need to only apply a little bit because otherwise it can be thick and hard to wash away. Also, it's a bit on the mid-range pricier side at $8 in Target.
#3 NATIVE
This one is a newcomer to the natural deodorant game but I'd heard rave reviews about it from social media and a couple coworkers. Given my numerous fails with stick deodorants, I'll admit I was jaded. However, when I found myself without my crystal deo that fatefully musty day, this was the deodorant I was looking for. This was the ONE natural deo that was out of stock since apparently everyone loves this stuff.
Pros: Like the Schmidt's sensitive skin formula, this also has a smooth application. The smell was not offensive lol. It also lasted all day.
Cons: This one is the priciest of the three at a whopping $12 dollars in Target so it will just remain a backup. To be completely honest, of the 3, this one is my least favorite. I know a couple people who highly recommend it, but for my mom and I it gave spotty coverage during workouts.
My preference of the three is still my little crystal deodorant. Maybe I've just gotten used to it's simplicity. Schmidt's and Native are legit, but they both leave a bit of a residue since they are oil/butter based. Furthermore, they are more expensive and uh the way my bank account set up??
[*2/21/19 update: I actually use the Schmidt's almost exclusively now. It lasts during workouts and it's application is easier]
Let me know below if you've decided to ditch commercial deodorants. Share some of the epic fails you've encountered as well as your favorites in the comments!