Seriously though, these are the two best natural deodorants that actually work (from someone who sweats a lot).
Have you ever thought you found *the one* and it turns out to be an utter disappointment?
We’ve all been there. Finding an effective natural deodorant is challenging.
And for excessive sweaters like me, it can be even more troublesome.
Why Natural Deodorants?
Just a lifestyle preference.
Since high school I have trialled many clothes, socks, shoes, and cosmetics in search of what works with my sweaty life. My most used product from 2013 to 2018 were antiperspirants with high strength aluminium chloride.
I wanted to stop using this potential endocrine disruptor and work towards a natural solution, understanding that no natural solution will make me sweat less, but maybe I could find one that at least doesn’t make me smell bad.
Mind you, if your goal is to stop underarm sweat, this antiperspirant does the trick.
Around 2018 I set myself a definitive mission to find the best natural deodorant. I researched and tested many, including:
- Black Chicken Remedies
- Lavanila
- Noosa Basics
- Agent Nateur
- Asuvi
- I even made my own, and Mum bought expensive raw cacao butter from the health food shop that I used a small amount of once to make this (and it didn’t work lol).
Ingredient Preferences
My past user experience with natural deodorants has informed me of what ingredients are not compatible with sweating and smell.
What doesn’t work for me:
- Most coconut oil.
This narrows the field dramatically as most natural deodorants contain coconut oil as their main ingredient.
I have found coconut oil to stain my clothes occasionally, which occurs from sweat dripping from my armpits – making the deodorant transfer onto the clothing.
If you don’t have axillary hyperhidrosis, then you probably won’t experience the staining.
- Bicarb Soda.
Also popular in natural deodorants, however many brands have a bicarb free version because of the irritation it can cause. I don’t have particularly sensitive armpits, but I still prefer to avoid it due to irritation I have experienced in the past.
For example, I didn’t mind the Agent Nateur deodorant, but it was slightly irritating when I started to sweat. It also contains both coconut oil and bicarb soda and I would notice some staining on my clothes.
- Too many scents.
If the formulation contains too many scented ingredients, it can be super overpowering to wear, and noticeable if you start to smell during the day.
It’s hard to know if a deodorant is too strong or not without smelling the deodorant in person, so I wouldn’t worry too much about this. Just something to keep in mind when shopping in person, which might help with your decision if you know how your body reacts.
Working requirements the deodorant needs to meet:
- No bad smells.
Don’t get me wrong, smell will still exist because that’s your body odour – it’s natural, relax. What I’m outlining here is that the smell shouldn’t be bad.
When I tried Lavanila back in the day, I distinctly remember how strong its smell was. This did not help my smell after sweating all day…
- Minimal clothing stains.
I can handle some small imperfections. But I have experienced sizeable oil-type stains, what I deduced to be from coconut oil mixed with sweat. This is why I avoid most coconut oil formulations.
It’s not fun ruining the pits of an otherwise perfect white t-shirt.
- No white marks.
Sleeveless tops show it all. Even deodorants containing aluminium can show a white cast on clothing. Again, this issue for me is caused by sweat transferring the product.
But by avoiding coconut oil formulas and wearing sleeveless garments with a lower distance from my armpit, I have managed to avoid this mishap for a while.
Let’s get to it.
The two best natural deodorants that actually work:
- No Pong
I have used No Pong continuously for multiple years, and it works beautifully. Although the formulas for No Pong deodorants contain coconut oil, it is the cleanest one I have found. Cleanest meaning it’s smooth not gritty, and easily spreadable on the armpit not clumpy, and doesn’t ball up under my pits.
Because of its solid form and texture, I don’t experience much transfer onto my clothing at all. I’m also careful to put deodorant on after I put clothes on because we all know how that can turn out…
White marks on the outside of a black t-shirt, yay!
There are also bicarb-free formulations which are awesome. The one I used the most was No Pong Low Fragrance Bicarb Free.
- Fresca Natural Deodorant
Due to my current preference of no coconut oil, I am using Fresca and loving it.
The deodorant is a liquid roll-on which I know can be a counterintuitive sensation if you have axillary hyperhidrosis, and once you start sweating it can feel wet.
To combat this, I try to only put a small amount on in the morning and really let it dry to my pit. If I am experiencing the ‘too wet’ feeling I will simply dab my armpit with tissue or whatever is available, and the problem is gone.
The formula is unique as it contains aerated salt. This does increase the chance of having white on your skin with both your perspiration salt and the aerated salt drying.
However, just give the deodorant a good shake to mix up the ingredients before applying and you shouldn’t experience the white marks. If I see any marks on myself, it usually goes away after I sweat a bit, otherwise I rub it away - easily done.
The scents available for this brand are lovely and mild. I have two - Ocean and Jaisara.
And there you have it.
The most important takeaway from my natural aluminium-free deodorant hunt is that I don’t smell bad when using either No Pong or Fresca. Big. Win.
Please get around to trying these brands as they were a game-change for me.
Help a friend and share this ASAP to everyone you know who is after a natural deodorant.
You will save yourself and them time, money, and bad smells.
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