Earlier this year I started researching and trying various natural deodorants. I don’t know why it took me so long to make this switch, but considering the relationship to breast cancer, Alzheimers and other health conditions – it was a no brainer for me.
Conventional Deodorants are typically used with aluminum to prevent perspiration by blocking sweat glands, parabens to preserve the product and extend shelf life and artificial fragrances to cover up odor. To think that most of us have been using these ingredients over and over for decades (so close to our lymph nodes and breast tissue) is so scary to me! It’s never too late to make better choices.
I think the most important thing to warn you about, if you haven’t made this switch yet, is that you will most likely stink for a few days – but this is supposedly normal. There are various remedies to do a detox online, but I skipped this and just dealt with the stink. It gradually wore off and wasn’t horrible!
Oh… in addition to stinking, you will sweat! Sweat really isn’t the enemy though. Sweating is a healthy, natural and necessary bodily function that’s needed to detox and keep your body balanced. I personally started sweating a lot more when I made the switch, but things leveled out after a couple of weeks.
I polled and asked my audience on Instagram and did some exploring on my own, and am here to share my results with you.
Here are the brands that I tried:
Schmidt’s
I was drawn to this brand because of the accessibility in local stores, but was gravely disappointed with the application. I tried the Lavender + Sage and the Bergamot + Lime. Both of these smelled amazing, but were incredibly abrasive. The initially swipe smooth, but after the first few swipes, both felt worse than traditional sandpaper. In the photo you’ll see what they look like initially compared with after a couple of uses.
Alaffia
I tried this brand in the Lavender & Charcoal scent, only because it was at my local Whole Foods, so I figured why not give it whirl? I was neither impressed nor disappointed. It did the job and smelled great!
Primally Pure
I was super excited to try this brand because of the reviews and quality of ingredients. I tried the Blue Tansy variety, which is such an interesting and unique (in a good way) scent. It contains grass-fed tallow, fair trade coconut oil, arrowroot powder, beeswax and essential oils. They say it goes on “virtually clear,” but it does leave a mild white residue. I also tried the Lemongrass Scent, which I loved – and it had the same application as well. I would repurchase either of these based on my experience! Click here for 10% off your first order!
Kopari
This was probably my favorite of the 4 brands. Kopari consists of plant-based ingredients. They also have free shipping > $30 and free returns. I tried the Coconut scent, which was mild and refreshing. The huge winner here was the application. It was clear, smooth and didn’t transfer on clothes. I reach for this brand continuously and will be repurchasing to try new scents.
The Kopari and Primarly Pure did last the longest for me, but I do apply mid-day usually. I’m not an immense sweater, but I am very active and just like to refresh throughout the day!
If you are still undecided, I think it’s important to experiment! While these are my experiences and preferences, our body chemistries are all different, which can affect smell and preference. Brands can vary greatly too!
I’ll keep you guys posted in a couple of months to see if anything changes, but if you have any brands to recommend that I haven’t mentioned – I’m all ears!
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