My search is over!
I decided to switch to natural deodorant to avoid aluminum and have spent a considerable amount of time and money trying different types and brands. I also have a sensitivity to smells and, as it turns out, baking soda. Here is what I have discovered: Lume (Unscented). By far the best, it absolutely keeps me stink-free and does not leave stains on my shirt. It also seems to keep me dry even though it’s not technically an antiperspirant. The skin in my pits is smooth, there is no body odor to be found, and I’ve stopped ruining my shirts. My husband uses it, too, after he developed a rash from his Gillette brand deodorant. For awhile he was only using Lume on one pit, and the pit without almost killed me. I use the stick form and it goes on like a gel but rubs in quickly. There are other forms that can be used on any part of your body. The only negatives are the price (about $14 although I think the stick will last a very long time because you don’t have to use much), that it has to be purchased online, and there aren’t any scents I can tolerate. I can’t do earthy or flowery smells and hope Lume will start making a vanilla or citrus/fruity scent in the future. The unscented smells a little medicine-y, but similar to unscented lotion, and only if I intentionally sniff it. I also wish they made a deodorant shampoo because I swear my hair stinks after the gym and would like to prevent that, as I don’t have time to wash and style my hair after working out. I hope Lume stays in business because this is my forever deodorant. When my son hits full-blown puberty, I’ll switch him to this deodorant, and have him use it on his feet, too. I'm not sure how this is considered a “natural” deodorant since I can't pronounce many of the ingredients, but it doesn’t contain the ingredients that cause allergic reactions or the toxic aluminum that I'm trying to avoid. Schmidt’s (Bergamot Lime). The best scent ever, which is why I let my pre-teen use it still. I want to keep a supply of this around just to inhale it. This is also one of the cheapest options ($5) and available at box stores. You have to warm the deodorant in your pits to apply it. However, this gave me a huge rash and was only minimally effective. Nubian Heritage (Coconut Papaya). I used this deodorant and Schmidt’s the longest before I found Lume. The scent is mellow and sweet, and the deodorant goes on clear and smooth. It worked decently well, but not reliably. I still smelled bad by the end of the day and after many months of use, my pits were starting to get inflamed. I originally bought this for around $5-8 at Walmart and again on Amazon. Native (Coconut Vanilla). The scent is light and sweet, and the deodorant goes on smoothly, but the rash was unbearable. It is also a creamy deodorant and left residue in my shirts. One day when using Native I was picking my son up from school and raised my arm and the smell almost killed me. This is not effective and certainly not worth a red, itchy, angry rash that caused my armpit skin to fall off in chunks and feel like leather. I am amazed that Native is now available at box stores and that they get $12 for the stuff. It is murder on my pits. Stinkbug Naturals (Vanilla Mint). This was another one that was relatively cheap (like $8) from Walmart. It smelled like mint chocolate chip ice cream which clashed with my lemon body lotion. I can’t say how well it worked because it went on like a greasy paste that I had to scrub off with a gallon of soap and a washcloth, and I decided that was not worth it. I was like melting a bacon-grease candle in my pits. Arm & Hammer Essentials (Unscented). This is the cheapest of them all (I think I paid $2.50) and available at box stores. It goes on clear and while unscented, it still has an almost citrusy, soapy smell. It contains baking soda so I expected a rash, though I can’t say this caused one. However, it was only somewhat effective. Jason (Calming Lavender). This is another inexpensive option (about $5-7) available at box stores. Lavender is one of the few flowery scents I can tolerate, but I felt like this scent made me smell a little too much like new age hippie. It goes on clear and doesn’t stain clothing but is only slightly more effective than using nothing. Tom’s (Fresh Apricot). I bought this at the store for about $5 to use after showering at the gym basically in place of perfume because I’m too cheap to buy more Lume for on-the-go (that will soon change.) It goes on clear and the scent is pleasing but with a light, soapy after-smell. Like the Jason brand, this deodorant does almost nothing. This deodorant also caused my pits to glow pink-red after each use. It doesn’t contain baking soda, but it’s possible that I react to corn starch the same way. I think anything used as a desiccant will overly dry out and irritate my skin. Primal Pit Paste (Orange Cream). I was so excited to try this because orange cream! However, the scent is barely perceptible. It basically smells like wax. This is available online for about $10. I used the tube version and the deodorant was extremely thick. Like a chunky grease that you have to hold in your pits for an hour to soften and then it is a bit crumbly and takes some of the skin off when you rub it on. And the rash...evil, evil rash. Read more
