I have been on a journey this year. A long journey but an important one. Sometimes even a stinky journey. I have been on the search for a natural deodorant, but one that works. I have tried many different kinds this year. Much to the dismay of my husband who has been at the forefront of my stinky armpits of the brands that did not work.
I don’t like chemicals. I try (when I can) to not put too many chemicals on, or in my body. I am by no means an organic whore, but I do try to make changes that are in my control.
I don’t like the fact that there is aluminum in my deodorant. Some people say it is fine, and some people swear it is terrible for you. I have read article after article saying that there is not any evidence that aluminum contributes to breast cancer, but in my opinion, there is not any evidence that it doesn’t. So for me, what does it matter to anyone else. I don’t want to put aluminum on my body and I was on a search to find a deodorant that worked and was aluminum free.
I tried many brands this year, and even the hubs told me to give up, and he couldn’t take the stink anymore. That aluminum can’t be that bad, but I was on a mission, and was not giving up.
Here are the brands I tried, and I am happy to say, that I found one (actually two) that work and that I love. My health is important, so I just want to take the steps I can to stay healthy and that I can control.
Here is an article that talks more about breast cancer and deodorants. You can come to your own conclusion. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/AP-Deo
But in the meantime. Here is what I tried, what worked and what failed miserably.
Malin + Goetz Eucalyptus Deodorant
Malin and Goetz Eucalyptus deodorant. Just like the name says, this has a strong eucalyptus smell. Almost like slathering your armpits with Vic’s Vapor rub. For $18 it is a little high for a smell that I didn’t enjoy smelling all day just to mask the body odor. 0 out of 5 stars.
Guv’Ner – I was hesitant to use this deodorant with good reason. The mess. Everyone said, “oh it’s not messy, use the brush.” But I still find remnants on my floor. Also, because it contains charcoal to prevent odor, it turned my pits black. It didn’t seem to wash off that easily. Besides the fact that it stopped working halfway through the day. 0 out of 5 stars.
Tom’s of Maine Natural Deodorant
Tom’s. A lot has been said about this deodorant. It is all-natural like all of its products, and I like most of them. But unfortunately, this one was not working out. I wore it and I feel like it worked for about 1 minute after applying. But once I moved around, it was a no go. 0 out of 5 stars.
Weleda says they are a deodorant, but you mist on the spray under your arms and suppose to protect you, but I didn’t feel that it really helped. It was more like a body spray. It says it is sage smell, but smelled like pine sol to me. For $14, doesn’t seem worth it. 1 out of 5 stars.
Organic Island Deodorant – Natural Deodorant Stick with Probiotics
I had high hopes for this deodorant. It had super great reviews on Amazon and it has a probiotic that is what is supposed to stop the body odor. It worked great at first. I even used it to go to Disneyland and it lasted all day. I was beyond impressed. It says on the label to only swipe once across your pits because it can cause burns. I did swipe more than once and I did get a burn under both my arms and they scabbed and peeled off. I kept using it and only swiped once, but then this deodorant started to create a smell that was unbearable. In my opinion (and my husbands) I started to smell like refried beans and onions. It was almost worse than body odor. I had to let this one go, because the smell was terrible. 1 out of 5 stars.
Thai Crystal Stone. I had high hopes for this deodorant. Especially because they reviews are pretty good. This one could be a hit or miss. I liked it at first, but I found it annoying that you had to wet it to use. It actually stopped working after a few weeks of use. Maybe my body got acclimated with it? 2.5 out of 5 stars.
Le Couvent des Minimes Eau des Minimes
I was excited about this deodorant. It is french and had high reviews. I have used it many times and love that it lasts all day and has a nice smell since it is a botanical cologne. It is a roll-on and the active ingredient is an alum stone. They must be doing something right since 1862. The only reason this is not my favorite is because it does have a smell, and sometimes I like to decide how I smell, and not have it conflict with any perfume I decide to wear that day. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
I have found a winner. This is a roll on (which I love) and this lasted for more than one day. I will put it on and it has lasted until the end of the next day without reapplying and without any smell what-so-ever. I can not praise this deodorant enough. It says the longer you use it, the longer it will last and up to 72 hours. I am beyond excited to have found a deodorant that works and is aluminum free. For $12, it is totally worth it to me.
It was a lot of trials and smells to get to this point, but it was totally worth it.
Pam says
Very excited to come across some reviews! I too have tried numerous natural deodorants…my winner has been ‘Pit Paste’, using the ‘strong’, unscented is my choice, the Lemongrass Thyme is also a very nice scent. It is a paste, but I haven’t minded putting it on with my fingers…no smell ALL. DAY. LONG!! Perspiring yes, but stinky, NO! Thanks!
Steph says
Do you wear perfume while trying to avoid chemicals? Concern for synthetic fragrances in perfumes and deodorants should be the larger concern. They contain endocrine disrupting phthalates with correlation to breast cancer. http://www.fasebj.org/content/26/2/778.short
Erin Kennedy says
I don’t wear perfume often. But this is something to think about. Thanks so much.
Sally says
Hi Erin, I just got Lavilin a few weeks ago. Seems as good as advertised so far!
Erin Kennedy says
Oh good to hear! I just purchased two more to be delivered this week. I am so glad I found it. I have had no problem with odor, and I love that it is aluminum-free! Thanks for commenting and letting me know!
Kathy says
I was excited to hear all the reviews on LaVilin as well until I saw all the other ingredients listed. When you start digging deep into natural/organic products you’d be amazed at the amount of stuff that sounds good but really isn’t. If you’re ever inclined to search again I would pay attention to the other ingredients as well as the fact that it is aluminum free. Good luck!
Aqua (Water), Oryza Sativa (Rice) Starch, Zinc Oxide, Lactose, Milk Protein, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Capryloyl Glycine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cocoyl Proline, Sodium Acrylate/Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 80, ,Altodextrin, Hyssopus Officinalis Extract, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Flower, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum (Fragrance), Hydroxyethylcellulose, Allantoin
mackenzie says
thanks so much for the research! have never found anything that has worked for me either, gonna give these two a shot! :)
Robin says
The best i have used to date after so much trial and error is Grandlee Cottage Soap range of natural aluminium free deodorants they are simply fantastic and they last the whole day and you still smell fresh as a daisy….I just cant go past them….certainly well worth the choice for the best stick deodorant, there online shop is http://www.grandleecottagesoap.com perfect :):):)
Sonja Z. says
I have been using Arm & Hammer’s aluminum-free Fresh Deodorant. It smells like outdoor pine, but I really don’t mind the scent. Having very sensitive skin, I have to clean off all residue of deodorant and then put it on fresh daily. Otherwise, my skin began to itch something awful. Although I may sweat, I don’t get stinky. Very affordable. Worth trying.
Sonja says
I’ve been using Arm & Hammer Essentials Fresh deodorant. It has no aluminum and no parabens. It is very affordable also. Worth a try.
Charlie Brown says
Freedom makes a very good natural deodorant.
confused and concerned says
After all that ranting about not wanting to put aluminum on your body, your final choice was an aluminum stone based deodorant. I’m confused, but I’ll move and keep searching for an aluminum free, meaning not present in any form, deodorant.
Erin Kennedy says
I guess I’m not informed. Can you elaborate? I bought this because it says no aluminum. I hope I am not putting aluminum in my body.
Mo says
I think they are referring to the Le Couvent des Minimes Eau des Minimes deodorant and the fact that the alum stone is an active ingredient. If the word looks similar to aluminum, you should probably assume until further research that it is. In this case, it is contributing to the amount of aluminum in your body even though it isn’t called aluminum directly.
Some info:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/02/16/aluminum-lurks-in-crystal-deodorants.aspx
Wikipedia Article About Alum:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alum
J says
Exactly! What kind of reviewer says that the best aluminium-free deodorant is one that says right on the label it contains aluminum!
“Alum /ˈælum/ is both a specific chemical compound and a class of chemical compounds. The specific compound is the hydrated potassium aluminium sulfate (potassium alum)”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alum
Erin Kennedy says
It’s not the same thing. It’s aluminum chlorohydrate-free. You can click the link and read for yourself that it does not contain the same type aluminum that other brands do.
Carly says
I have tried multiple aluminum free as well … Ollie & Max soap company on Etsy sells a deodorant that I find works great! I sweat and have the potential to have stinky pits and this lasts at least 24 hours and works better (in my opinion) than most regular deodorants :) I got the bergamot and tobacco scent for my boyfriend and ended up using it daily. The scent initially is very strong but within an hour or two it settles :) worth a try- plus they’re vegan and made by a small company which I like as well!
Lavender Vanilla Vegan Deodorant by ollieandmaxsoapco on Etsy http://etsy.me/2lcrCnp
MByron says
This is great! Thank you so much! I have been trying every non-aluminum deodorant out there for my daughter AND Nothing has worked! I use Real Purity and it works great for me. But, not for her. So, I am going to try the Lavilin!