I Tried Natural Deodorant for a Year and Here's What Happened
As someone who always carries around a Sure extra-strength antiperspirant in their bag, trying a natural deodorant was never really something that interested me. I knew what worked for my – often sweaty – body and didn’t see any reason to change.
This was until I learned a bit more about what my deodorant might be doing to my body.
Some reports have noted possible links between aluminium-based deodorants and an increased risk of diseases such as breast cancer and Alzheimer’s and may even contribute to infertility. Although researchers say there’s currently no clear evidence to back this up, it was enough to make me want to make the switch to natural deodorants.
When the first UK lockdown started in 2020, I decided it was time.
Choosing the right deodorant for your body
That quote currently going around Instagram that says: “if we all ate the same food and did the same exercise, we’d each have completely different bodies” also applies to deodorants. If we all wore the same deodorant, we’d each sweat a different amount and react in different ways.
Every body is different. That’s why it’s so important to choose the right deodorant for you.
Throughout this article I will be reviewing how three well known natural deodorants worked for me, but it's worth noting that this is my opinion of them and for other bodies they may react very differently. The deodorants I tried were all very different in their prices, their application and their smells, and many of these aspects depend on personal preference.
Throughout the past year, I have tried three different deodorants: Salt of the Earth (£4.85, Amazon), Aurelia (£18, Amazon) and Wild (initially £25, but significantly cheaper refill subscription, Wild website).
Natural deodorants let you sweat
Traditional deodorants and antiperspirants are usually aluminium based. They contain aluminium-based compounds that form a temporary plug in the sweat duct. This essentially stops you sweating.
Natural deodorants are instead usually oil based or made from similarly naturally derived ingredients. Instead of stopping sweat, they absorb moisture using natural ingredients such as tapioca starch.
Now I’m all for letting my body sweat, but surely the whole point of deodorant is to stop the sweat, right?
According to Wild, when you first start a natural deodorant, you may need up to 30 days to ‘detox’. This is because sometimes the aluminium salts from your previous deodorant are still blocking your pores and you need to ‘detox’ your body from it. This can take up to 30 days. After this period, your body will be better at self-regulating the sweat.
Natural deodorants review: sweat
Out of the three natural deodorants I tried, I found Wild was the best for regulating sweat.
Salt of the earth: 2/5 stars – Okay, so granted I didn’t give this one the full 30 days to work but after 15 days I still found I was sweating more than normal, and it was getting quite embarrassing. However, my mum used it and said she rarely sweat with it on, so I think this depends on your body.
Aurelia: 4/5 stars – This worked straight away for me. I was absolutely impressed. However, I found that after a few weeks I started to sweat excessively again.
Wild: 5/5 stars – I was impressed with Wild from the start. Minimal sweat and six months later, still very little sweat. Almost on par with my original Sure antiperspirant.
Applying natural deodorants
Whereas most normal deodorants and antiperspirants are either spray-on or roll-on, natural deodorants tend to be quite different. Each of the three natural deodorants I tried had a very different application process.
Salt of the earth’s deodorant is made of a stick of pure mineral salt, and this is exactly what it felt like when I tried to apply it. After reading the instructions, I found you were supposed to wet it first, which made a massive difference. Once on the skin, it takes a few minutes to dry.
Aurelia’s deodorant looks like it could be a face cream. It comes in a round plastic pot and you scoop up this cream-like substance with your fingertip and apply it to your armpit. The deodorant has a cream-to-powder formulation so that when you apply it, it turns to powder.
Wild’s deodorant had the most traditional application, although the texture felt very different to most normal roll-on deodorants. You just roll it on your underarms and the deodorant is immediately absorbed into the skin, feeling very hydrating.
Natural deodorants review: application
Salt of the earth – 3/5 stars. I really couldn’t get on board with having to hold this deodorant under the tap for a few seconds before putting it on. It felt awkward to use and I felt I wouldn’t be able to apply it very well if I didn’t have access to a tap. However, it’s worth noting that there are other options available from the brand, such as the Salt of the Earth spray or the Salt of the Earth balm.
Aurelia: 3/5 stars - Once I got used to applying this, I ended up really liking it. By putting the deodorant on your armpit by hand, it meant you could put on as much or as little as you wanted, which was especially useful.
Wild: 4/5 stars - Wild’s deodorant definitely felt the most user-friendly of the three. It had straightforward application and a smooth feel on your skin. It dried almost immediately and didn’t feel at all sticky.
Natural deodorants and sustainability
As someone who cares about the environment, I was looking for a natural deodorant with sustainable packaging.
Natural deodorants review: packaging sustainability
Salt of the Earth: 4/5 stars – The Salt of the Earth deodorant's packaging is made of HDPE plastic which according to its website is 100 per cent recyclable. They also offer refillable deodorants.
Aurelia: 2/5 stars – Aurelia’s deodorant comes in a recyclable plastic tub, which the firm’s Twitter account says is to make it lighter for travel and to take to the gym.
Wild: 5/5 stars – Wild’s deodorant cases are made from anodised aluminium and recycled plastic. The cases are reusable, and the deodorant stick can be replaced with Wild’s refills, which are 100 per cent plastic-free. The best part? You can choose the colour of your case. Mine’s purple.
What do natural deodorants smell like?
Of course, most of the reason we wear deodorants is so we don’t smell. The last thing we want after an intense gym workout is to walk around smelling of BO.
What I didn’t realise before trying natural deodorants is that the smell of deodorants can vary massively.
So, which deodorant had the best smell?
Natural deodorants review: smell
Salt of the earth: 5/5 stars – The Salt of the Earth traditional deodorant had no scent, which I really liked.
Aurelia: 1/5 stars – Personally, I didn’t like the smell of this deodorant, although there are other scents available. The one I tried was lavender, eucalyptus and peppermint and it smelled quite strong while on the body.
Wild: 5/5 stars – My personal favourite. Wild offers a choice of around seven different scents and you can change scents every time the deodorant runs out.
Overall scores
Salt of the Earth: 14/20
Aurelia: 10/20
Wild: 19/20
Wild was the clear winner here for me – which is why it’s the natural deodorant I’m still using six months on. Wild impressed me with its fresh smell, its ability to keep me sweat-free even during intense exercise and its sustainable packaging. Not to mention, it’s a reasonable price.
Whatever your thoughts on natural deodorant, I would suggest giving them a go. My body (and mind) feel a lot better since I’ve been using them, and I smell a lot better too!
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Written by Chloe Lane
