Natural Deodorants – Should You Use One?

There have been many doubts as to whether or not natural deodorants are something we should switch to. Yes, we know aluminum isn’t the safest ingredient to be exposed to through regular deodorants, but at the same time, who wants to risk having poor body odor after a few hours of applying a natural one?

Although many are afraid of or against making this switch, here are a few brave ones who have not only ventured out to give it a try but have come back with some good news.

I interviewed several young adults between ages 20-30—Evangelia Boadu, Briana Williams, Anthony Pena, and Samuel Agidi.

What deodorant do you use? Where do you get it and how much is it?

Eva: Native. My momma orders the 3 pack box for me and gives it to me. I think you can get it at Target.

Briana:  I use Schmidt’s Natural Deodorant, only the sensitive skin version in the scent of coconut pineapple. They have a large variety of other scents this is just my favorite. I get it at Target and it costs $7.99.

Anthony: A&H Naturals. You can find it anywhere for $3 or two for five and some change.

Mayowa: Crystal Mineral Deodorant Roll-On, the cost varies depending on where you get it from, but the price ranges from 2-5 dollars. My mother actually buys them from a place called Swanson.

Was this a deodorant you always used? If not, what were you using before?

E: I used Dove before. I just started using Native.

B: No, I have always had really bad sweat issues and when I was in high school I got prescribed a deodorant but it was too expensive so someone recommended the Dove Clinical Protection and I was exclusively using this deodorant for about seven years before I started using the natural deodorant.

A: I would use Degree or Dove, but wouldn’t like it since they would leave white marks. And they have aluminum so that’s another reason why I switched.

M: This deodorant isn’t the one I’ve always used, I actually used many different deodorants in the past but as of about three years ago I’ve become very allergic to any deodorant that’s not 100% natural. I used deodorants like Brut, Old Spice, and even some spray deodorants.

Who/What led you to this deodorant?

E: My mom led me to this deodorant. She wanted me to try it out and see if it worked. She says it’s better than regular deodorants because regular deodorants have carcinogens and aluminum which isn’t good.

B: So maybe about two years ago I started becoming really conscious of the things I was putting in and on my body. I was eating vegan, and I was just trying to see how I could ease into using more natural beauty products. I started reading all of these articles and every article said that changing to a more natural deodorant is always the last thing people tend to do when they transition to using natural products and this was because they were scared that they were going to sweat and stink and me being me I decided to make it the first thing I did. Because I was doing so much searching in natural products I started to see ads of different natural products and one of those happened to be Schmidt’s natural deodorant so I gave it a try and have been using it for the last two years now.

M: My mother is like a super organic all-natural superhero, whenever she sees somebody not using all-natural products she just feels obligated to tell them about it and where to get them from. She definitely is the one that put me on to the natural deodorant.

What do you like/dislike about this deodorant?

E: I like the scent. I feel like it lasts

B: One of the things I like the most about Schmidt’s natural deodorant is the variety !! They have so many different natural scents that cater to both men and women and they also have a fragrance free version. I also love that there is nothing shady in the ingredients; there is a shortlist of strictly natural ingredients with natural fragrances and I love that. A lot of other “natural” deodorants love to claim that they only have natural ingredients, but when you start to read the ingredient list you see that it’s the opposite. I also love the price! When I was using the Dove Clinical Protection deodorant I was paying almost $9 so it’s good to spend less for better. Lastly, I love the way it makes me feel! I smell like a piña colada all day. When I first started using it, I found myself randomly just smelling my underarms like a weirdo but it just smells that good, it also does a good job at keeping my armpits nice and dry.

I don’t have many dislikes because for everything I don’t like there is a solution. For example, one day my mom was at Target and I asked her to pick me up a deodorant and she accidentally got the regular version instead of the sensitive skin version and boy, the regular version has this very weird grainy, sandpaper texture to it which, personally, makes it painful to put on but that’s why I use the sensitive skin version which has a very smooth texture and it goes on like butter. My second dislike is that with the sensitive skin version. if you put too much on, it cakes up really badly but that can be solved by using less. And my last dislike is that it’s not really sold everywhere, I’ve only seen it in Target and the one time I saw it somewhere else they didn’t have the sensitive skin version.

A: Overall, I like the product, smells great, and no parabens or aluminum.

M: I actually do not have one single dislike concerning this deodorant, I honestly wish my moms would’ve found it earlier in my life. I think it’s perfect. It doesn’t have any extra fragrance to it, it doesn’t allow sweat to seep through my clothes when I’m working out and it literally will last all day. I love it.

Many are afraid all-natural deodorants don’t work as well as other deodorants. What do you have to say to that statement when thinking of the one you use now?

E: What I don’t like is that it’s not an antiperspirant. So if you swear from your armpits this ain’t the best to use by itself. I pair it with a spray of dove spray deodorant and that helps.

B: You’ll never know until you try. That was my fear too, I was like, ‘yo if I start using these natural deodorants I’m going to be stinky and sweaty all the time,’ but the exact opposite was true. I honestly feel like natural deodorants work better.

A: It depends on one’s preferences if they prefer natural deodorants or any other one.

Anything you want to share with those interested in trying an all-natural deodorant?

B: All I can say is take care of your body and it will take care of you in return. Do your research and know what you’re putting in and on your body—if you can go natural, go natural. While Schmidt’s might not work for you there are a plethora of different natural deodorants out there and one is bound to work or you can have some fun and make it a DIY and make your own natural deodorant.

M: I would tell anybody who is second-guessing the deodorant that they are missing out big time, because it’s indeed healthier than the one they’re using nine times out of 10, and as I said before, I truly think this is a flawless product. It’s healthy, it doesn’t have any extra fragrance and it lasts all day. What else can you ask for?

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