Natural Deodorant: An Honest Assessment

I am a huge supporter of natural beauty products. However after years of trying natural deodorants that just didn’t perform, I long ago accepted that deodorant would be the one product where I would not be making the switch. However, over the years the quality of natural deodorants have improved and I decided on January 1st, I was ready to give it another go.

Winter seemed like the right time to make the switch because everyone mentioned a two-week transition period where your body “detoxes” the aluminum from regular deodorant and this detox is not always the most pleasant. So it made sense to handle this detox during winter and take advantage of the cooler temperatures.

The two deodorants pictured above are the first natural deodorants I have used that I can actually see myself making the permanent switch for. I think Native Deodorant (available at Target!) is the clear winner, but I LOVE the smell of Lavanila so I will keep it around for less physically active days. In general Lavanila does not last as long or provide as much moisture protection as Native, but like I said before it smells soo good while it does last.

I should mention, that before this experiment I was a Dove Solid Powder diehard… for years. So when exploring natural deodorants I only went for light neutral scents that are a hint powdery. The reason Native sneaks into first place for me, is that it not only deodorizes, it also contains arrowhead powder which helps absorb moisture, so things still feel pretty dry even at the gym (one of my goals for 2019 is to exercise in some form every day so I have been testing this A LOT).

That being said, I’m not going to lie, the first night I wore the Native Deodorant out to dinner, it was not great, in fact, it was almost shocking how bad things were. However, because I am a glutton for punishment (and I knew about the 2 week detox, where things generally aren’t great) I kept going and I must say after about 5 days I noticed a marked improvement. My clothes consistently smell clean when I take them off after a long day, so I know that something is working!

In addition to the health benefits of natural deodorant, I am also excited to be done with yellowing on clothes caused by the aluminum in traditional deodorants! I am curious to see if these deodorants will hold up in the warmer summer months, but for now I am a natural convert!