I sweat like a man in the underarm area—not to share too much information, but I do—and for that reason, I have always been reluctant to switch over from chemical-y-but-powerful antiperspirant to natural deodorant, which I’ve never had good experiences with, even though the potential dangers of antiperspirant scare me. But then, just the other day, I ran out of my regular stuff and tried the Real Purity Deodorant I’d purchased at some point over the summer, and I have to say I’m impressed. This stuff is really effective, has only the mildest scent, and is my new go-to.
But will it stain the inside of your shirts over time? (That’s an issue I’ve found with natural deodorants)
I’ve tried over ten different brands, and they all work at first, but I’m a hairdresser, and nothing seems to be able to withstand me doing blow-outs all day. (Especially when your armpits are in peoples faces). I’m resigned to the fact that I just cant go natural until I retire haha
SAME, so much so that I had turned to the “clinical” strength stuff. I really wanted to make an effort to switch to natural and tried so many brands and nothing worked until I discovered Alvera. I like the almond and aloe scent because it reminds me of old school Jergens lotion that my mom used back in the day. Bonus: I think it is made locally (I live in Austin, TX). Only negative for me is that it’s a roll-on and I prefer solid, but that’s a really minimal complaint.
Always looking for workable natural deodorants, thank you! I rolled over to Schmidt’s after the Goop recommendation and their rose-vanilla scent is my signature – got countless compliments on it, would just smile mysteriously – but then developed the baking soda sensitivity and they are so far refusing to make that scent in a sensitive skin formulation, which breaks my heart. So now I use the unscented. But Schmidt’s really does work, and no laundry stains.
I have this theory that the commercial antiperspirant ingredients make a superbacteria farm in your pits by killing all but the most aggressive bacterial strains, such that when you have a normal deo failure with those, you become murderously smelly. With natural deodorants you eventually get to a place where there’s a more balanced flora in your pits, and when a natural deodorant fails, you just smell a little salty, like sweat, but not like complete BO foulness.
I read a tip on the fanserviced-b blog that acid-containing toners work to kill the armpit bacteria and reduce/eliminate odor. So far I’ve found it to be true! I’ve only tried the Pixi Glow tonic though.
You might want to try Bubble & Bee’s wild rose. It’s much, much less irritating than Schmidt’s, at least on me. Their spring lilac & lemongrass scents are also very nice. Not quite as subtle as Schmidt’s but nice.
I am always concerned about the potential issues of using anti-perspirant vs the real damage and wear and tear just using deodorant can cause with clothing. I’ve been using the schmidt’s and its fine for odor (99% of the time anyway) but my bras have been looking really grubby, which is no fun (I hand wash and line dry because otherwise the underwires break; machine washing, even on gentle, is too much. I have tried many wire-free styles and they just don’t work for me; I get backaches). I’m also concerned about the need for increased laundering (not just wear and tear, but not good for the environment) as well as stained underarms. I feel that underarms should not occupy so much mental space!
In r.e. the laundering issue, I switched to natural deodorant a decade ago after my dry cleaner told me the aluminium in antiperspirants was behind the pit stains they couldn’t get out. Had to try a bunch to find one that worked–individual body chemistry must play a huge role, because several brands highly recommended by friends were totally ineffective on me. And it took a few weeks (of vacation time in the woods!) to make the transition. But since then, I’ve found that my clothes get and stay much cleaner–they clean better and dry-clean only items need less laundering. But the transition time was key, because:
What I gathered from my internet research about this is that apparently the molecules in antiperspirants that absorb sweat (often aluminium) get into both pores and textile fibers, and then hold onto the sweat smell and stains. But the same thing that makes them absorbent also makes them almost impossible to fully wash out of clothes. So you need that the couple of weeks of transition for the soaked-in antiperspirant to work its way out of your system, before you can actually tell if a non-antiperspirant deodorant will work for you.
Lush makes a couple nice deodorants, and I have found some really good ones at the health food store. I am done with antipersperants, I think sweating is healthy.
Ammonia, the cleaning stuff, will get rid of pit stains. Dilute it and briefly soak.
I hope this doesn’t gross everybody out, but I haven’t worn anything in years. I switched from Secret to Schmidt’s and it was like something *died* in there (maybe due to what the commenter above mentions about needing a break), so I just stopped for a while. And then never started again. I do tend to stick to natural fibers in my tops, which I think helps. But I haven’t had any serious odor…a damp paper towel after my walk to work will usually cut it.
I usually don’t wear anything either, but I hardly do anything or go anywhere! In summer I will use antiperspirant if I want to make absolute sure I’m dry and not stinky. But the rest of the time it’s nothing.
For what it’s worth, there are no verified potential dangers with regular deodorant. Aluminum contact is not considered by Alzheimer’s researches as a risk factor for the disease, nor can Aluminum be absorbed through the skin. If you like the “natural” kind, by all means, use it, but natural products can be terrible for your skin, while products with synthetic ingredients can be perfectly wonderful and beneficial. It’s all in the formulation. I highly recommend Beautypedia.com, they write amazingly thorough reviews based on product formulation and scientific evidence of efficacy.
Since I raised the aluminum issue above, I wasn’t concerned about health–as you say aluminum doesn’t absorb. But apparently it does sink into fibers and can make clothing hold onto stains and smells one would rather not have!
I’ve been using this for years – no issues – just that it works. Only drawback is no travel size and it’s liquid but I just use something else when I travel. Love this.
Since we’re on the subject, has anyone else had a significant spike in body odor during peri-menopause? Maybe it’s not peri-menopause, but rather the stress of a divorce, but I am hella smelly these days. It’s like adolescence in reverse! I use natural deodorants, and they do stain my clothes (the base of coconut oil or shea butter or beeswax does it), but like a previous commenter, I find that my clothes don’t retain odor– even in this super smelly phase. So I do more laundry, but my clothes last longer.
A good while back, I think I remember reading on the blog That’s Not My Age a feature about women going through menopause noticing their body chemistry changed and that trusted perfumes suddenly became overpowering. I know you were talking about peri-menopause, but my vague memory of that article makes think you may be on to something. Living in Alabama (and growing up in Louisiana), I decided it was pointless stopping the sweat from my armpits while every other body part was covered in sweat just from stepping outside. The trick for me is layering two different natural deodorants, a stick one from Speick (German men’s brand), followed by a clear gel one from Vanicream.
Malin & Goetz works well for me.
No stains or yellowing in shirts, and unless there’s something to be very nervous about for 8+ hours, no odor.
https://www.malinandgoetz.com/eucalyptus-deodorant-2-6oz-e73g
I have also had a very tough time finding a deodorant that actually works. These days I am using LOVEFRESH Super Strength Natural Cream Deodorant Stick, which is baking soda based, and for the first time in years I’ve been able to stay pretty fresh all day even when traveling. I keep wondering when it’s going to fail me but it’s been several months now and I’m still surprised I can where a top more than once!