For about 8 months now, I’ve been testing cruelty-free deodorants to find the best ones out there that actually work. I’m naturally an over-sweaty person and so for me having the right deodorant is really important as I worry a lot about body odour – sadly this sweatiness is something I inherited from my dad. When testing out these deodorants, there were a few things that I was looking for:
a) Was it cruelty free?
b) Did it keep me dry?
c) Unexpected smells? BO/Acidic smells
d) Skin irritation/dryness
e) How natural the product is.. are there any chemicals/unknown ingredients?
After putting them through my very ‘scientific test’, I have come up with a list that I would recommend you try.
The Body Shop Aloe Caring Roll-On Deodorant
Anything with aloe vera is a firm favourite of mine and after years of shaving and using harsh alcohol based deodorant my air pits were like sandpaper. Not just that, they were really itchy and often it was really uncomfortable for me after I had shaved my underarm hair. So this product worked really well as it’s designed for sensitive skin. I found that I did ‘smell’ at the end of the day but that I had to let the deodorant dry before getting dresses as it was ‘very wet’. My underarm skin underwent a complete change, no longer feeling rough or sensitive. The downside to this is that it comes in plastic bottle with a plastic roller ball as well that actually doesn’t last that long, so you’d need to replace it regularly and there is no option to refill it so that’s a definite downside for me. While you can take it back to your local Body Shop for recycling – it still uses a lot of plastic.
A couple of important points to note:
- No added fragrance, colour or alcohol
- Formulated without preservatives
- It does however contain aluminium chlorohydrate, which is specifically used as an antiperspirant.
- Runs out quickly
Ingredients include:
Water, Aluminium Chlorohydrate, PPG-15 Stearyl Ether, Steareth-2, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Steareth-21, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Panthenol, Glyceyl Stearate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Sodium Benzoate, Bisabolol.
NATIVE Deodorant:
I’m using this one at the moment and it’s the one that I am truly sold on. If you read this review by Elle: Native Makes The Only Natural Deodorant That Could Handle My Stress Sweats, you’ll see why it gets a glowing review. From my point of view, there’s a couple of things that I like about it. Firstly, it’s a stick format which means that it’s not wet, so I don’t need to wait for it to dry. I find that I put on before I start my ritual of getting ready and so by the time I come to putting my clothes on any residue (if any) that there might be is gone. I chose the unscented version of the deodorant which personally I prefer, I am not big on scents in general and so knowing that they offer this option is great for me. I did also receive a travel sized sample of their Coconut & Vanilla and it’s not overpowering at all which is good.
Native also offer deodorants on subscription which means that I don’t have to think about buying a new one, it just arrives as I need it. The stick also lasts for quite a while as well. The ingredients are vegan and natural as well.
Lush Aromaco Block Deodorant
Ok, so let me tell you why this deodorant is great! Firstly, if you’re trying to cut back on your plastics, it’s ideal, there is no packaging. Secondly, I chose this one because of my skin type, I needed something that was good for dry and sensitive skin and this was the perfect option for me. I also thought it was worth trying a block deodorant from LUSH considering how well I got on with their block shampoo and conditioner.
List of ingredients
- Witch Hazel Infusion
- Propylene Glycol
- Sodium Stearate
- Chamomile Vinegar
- Sodium Bicarbonate
- Patchouli Oil
- *Citral
- *Limonene
- Perfum
Using the Aromaco bar is super easy, in fact it’s just like using a roll-on deodorant just without the plastic packaging. Just rub the bar under clean, dry armpits and you’re good to go.
All three of these deodorants are cruelty free and vegan however obviously only the LUSH option is completely plastic free. For me, while the Aloe Vera option was good in terms of my sensitive skin, the plastic packaging and size of the bottle really put me off because I’d be replacing it every few weeks. Like I said though, I use NATIVE because I actually think it works best for me and while it does use plastic packaging, I do recycle this. All three of them work well though but it’s all about what your body works well with so test them out and find the one that works for you.
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