You never leave the house without it, but have you given your deodorant much thought?
In the past, you may have typically reached for any aerosol or roll-on that’s on offer at your local supermarket or chemist without paying much attention to the ingredient line-up. But you wouldn’t apply any old product to your face, so why are you doing this to your underarms?
The sensitive underarm area is made up of nerves, blood vessels and lymph nodes, and as such, is prone to discomfort, pain and irritation. To protect your pits, consider swapping potentially harsh sprays with gentle, clean formulas that will nourish and moisturise, while also leaving you odour-free. Finetune your bodily functions free from components like alcohol, parabens, propylene glycol and biological additives that are commonplace in some antiperspirants that disrupt the body’s delicate balance and may lead to sensitivities.
“Natural deodorants do not contain man-made chemicals such as aluminium chlorohydrate and aluminium zirconium to block your pores”, explains Dr Angela Tewari, consultant dermatologist. “Instead, they tend to include coconut oil, cornstarch, and vitamin E-based oils which are all thought to neutralise bad-smelling bacteria that reside in sweaty warm environments like your armpits. If they are powder-based they may absorb excess sweat, too”.
These clean products work differently by encouraging the good bacteria while gently balancing out the bad, rather than forming a temporary plug on the sweat ducts like antiperspirants. In this edit of natural deodorants, we have prioritised formulas that are kind to the skin without skipping efficacity. This array of gender-neutral products turns your everyday hygiene practices into a luxury experience without blocking pores.
Aluminium is a commonly discussed ingredient in the world of deodorant and there are many myths surrounding links with serious health conditions. Dr Tewari stresses that “There is no clear evidence that aluminium-based antiperspirants are linked to cancers” but she does go on to recommend that if you do find yourself prone to sensitivities and skin allergies from aluminium-based products then “you may want to try natural coconut-based or vitamin E-based products”.
Then there’s the environmental impact to consider. It is estimated that in the UK, we use around 600 million aerosol cans, and while many of them are recyclable, there’s often a lot of confusion over proper practices, which sees a lot of waste building up in landfills. There has been a huge push in the industry for refillable deodorants that will save your pennies and the planet at the same time with often reduced costs for the refills themselves.
It is important to note that when making the switch from aluminium-based formulas, some people may find that it takes a few days to feel the sweat-deflecting and B.O.-reducing effects. This is because your body will go through a detox period to first flush out residue aluminium and adjust to sweating normally.
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Wild
Wild has taken its sustainability credentials to the next level with its collection of natural deodorants by cutting down on waste too. It begins with the brand’s reusable case that houses the formulas in refills. It is crafted from anodised aluminium and recycled plastic and comes in an array of colours. The refills are plastic-free and can be delivered to your door without fear of missing the postman - they can be slipped right into your letterbox.
The deodorant is natural, free from aluminium, parabens or an excessively long chemical list where you have no idea what it all means. The dermatologically-approved formulas come in deliciously-scented aromas - fresh cotton & sea salt, jasmine & mandarin, coconut & vanilla, orange & neroli, and sandalwood & patchouli among more limited-edition fragrances. Tropical sorbet, mint & aloe vera and pomegranate & pink peppercorn are among our favourites and many of the above come with sensitive skin formulations.
Buy now £12.00, Wild
Fussy Natural Deodorant
Another sustainable deodorant brand worth having on your radar, Fussy is changing up the game with its plastic-free refills. Like Wild, you shop one of the label’s reusable cases that have a minimalistic and chic design in attractive hues of mint green, burnt orange or ocean blue. Next comes the refills that can be delivered as part of a subscription service or ad hoc.
There’s Wide Eye Citrus (mandarin, grapefruit and black pepper), Night Tales Flora (cedar, cinnamon and patchouli), Wavy Days Mint (peppermint, eucalyptus and sage), Forest Haze Woody (scotch pine, silver fit and juniper), Unscented and SunDrunk Tropical (vanilla, ylang ylang and star anise). Look out for newer Tropic Tonic Lime (lime, basil and mandarin) and Cloud Nine Fresh (cotton, sandalwood and vetiver).
The ingredients are all-natural and locally sourced where the deodorant is made up of sunflower wax, coconut oil, Shea butter, caprylic, tapioca, sodium bicarbonate, magnesium hydroxide and a probiotic called Lactobacillus. The formulas are made in the UK by a family-run company that also boasts eco-credentials.
Buy now £20.00, Fussy
Akt
If you thought that natural products couldn’t be premium, Akt is here to prove otherwise. Housed within the chic, minimalist and apothecary-style packaging, the deodorant resembles a tube of toothpaste in an aluminium casing that would make an aesthetically-pleasing addition to your Instagram-worthy shelfie. This ensures that it is durable, portable and most importantly, recyclable. It also makes it easier than ever to squeeze into your hand luggage.
The texture of the cream is fairly thick but applies onto the skin seamlessly forming a fragrant barrier against odour - and if there was any question over whether it worked or not, it withstood an hour-long HIIT session and still smelt citrusy fresh. There are five flavours that resemble a perfume in their makeup; Orange Grove - with a zesty sweet mandarin scent with neroli blossom, juniper berry and petitgrain. After Thunder - a more woody resembling the damp forestry smell after a thunderstorm with notes of cedar, eucalyptus, bitter orange and rosemary and The Onsen that mimics the aroma of hot springs by the mountain using a combination of vetiver root, lavandin, citrus and patchouli. Newer additions include Halcyon Summers - mint, pomelo and tomato vine and Columbia Road - amber, violet and tonka.
Apply the cream directly using your finger or make the most of the Guasha-inspired technique with the brand’s brass applicator that not only provides a pampering touch to your morning routine but encourages circulation, relieves tension, and helps to energise the body.
Buy now £19.00, Akt
Glossier Deodorant
Much like everything that Glossier launches, this deodorant has quickly earned cult status - and with good reason. It boasts both a clean formulation and eco-conscious reusable packaging. The label has created the deodorant with a combination of nourishing ingredients that include coconut oil, moisturising superfruit elderberry extract, magnesium hydroxide and potato starch and crucially, it’s free from aluminium, baking soda or components that have been known to disrupt skin’s pH level or cause irritation.
There are three scents available that call on fragrances you’ll find across the Glossier collection; Sandstone, Glossier You, Orange Blossom Neroli and a unscented alternative. Our favourite is the zesty Orange Blossom Neroli but once it’s done, and it will take you a long time, try one of the other scents by purchasing a refill, saving your pennies and the planet at the same time.
Buy now £22.00, Glossier
Sol de Janeiro Rio Deo Aluminum-Free Deodorant Cheirosa 62
The scent of summer, this deodorant is infused with the heady fragrance of the Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 62, an aroma you’ll find across the collection in the likes of the legendary Bum Bum Cream. It also comes in perfume form too where the combination of vanilla, salted caramel and sandalwood is sweet and delicious.
The deodorant is free from the likes of baking soda or aluminium, opting instead for tapioca starch to absorb moisture, antimicrobial coconut oil and gently buffing papaya enzyme to control ingrown hairs. The brand is renowned for its nourishing products and this under arm hero is no different with bacuri butter and mango seed butter on hand for its calming goodness.
Buy now £16.00, Space NK
MALIN + GOETZ Bergamot Deodorant
Malin+Goetz’ best-selling eucalyptus deodorant has long been a fixture in beauty editors’ bathroom cabinets - and not just for the chic, understated packaging. But the brand has now doubled up on its fragrance options through the launch of a new bergamot iteration that, like its predecessor, is also free from aluminium, alcohol and parabens.
Using cornstarch to absorb excess moisture caused by sweating, the stick formulations glide effortlessly onto your underarms to keep them dry, fresh and most importantly, odour free. Forget white marks or pit stains, this product absorbs quickly into the skin without leaving any residue on your clothing. Unlike aerosols that can dry out your skin, Malin+Goetz’ deodorants are nourishing, cooling and gentle. The fragrances are very subtle but are fresh and will protect against BO even after intense exercise.
Buy now £20.00, Cult Beauty
Aesop Herbal Deodorant
Aesop takes a slightly different approach to its deodorant. While it is plant-based, the brand takes the botanicals and combines them with a scientific approach to give you an effective product that may not fall under a typical categorisation as natural but is alcohol-free and vegan.
Housed in the brand’s signature apothecary-style aesthetic, it has a herbaceous fragrance from a combination of sage leaf, zinc ricinoleate, wasabi and essential oils with moisture and odour-absorbing properties.
The rollerball applicator ensures a seamless application where the product glides right on and absorbs quickly to ensure it doesn’t leave a stain when dressing. It is ideal for daily use but double up before the gym or super sweaty exercise.
Buy now £25.00, Cult Beauty
Megababe The Smoothie Deo Fruit Enzyme Daily Deodorant
This highly rated natural roll-on deodorant by Megababe smells like a fruity dream. Named the smoothie due to its fruit-packed formula, this deodorant utilises bilberry, lemon and orange-derived acids to help combat odour.
Designed with your skin’s pH balance in mind, Megababe has employed a whole range of other active, all-natural ingredients to help you sweat safe. The formula is enriched with lactobacillus ferment, a healthy probiotic that signals your skin to produce all those extra good microbes for added odour protection.
Buy now £8.00, Cult Beauty
Le Labo Deodorant
Bring the luxury of Le Labo to your hygiene practices with this delightful deo from the genderless label. Not only will it make a stylish alternative to the typically garish designs of this product type but the slick, apothecary-style alternative is incredibly gentle on the skin.
The clean formula is free from aluminium and instead calls on vitamin E, antioxidants and mineral salts to absorb bacteria that could lead to the likes of body odour, replacing it instead with the fresh notes of bergamot, lavender, violet and tonka bean.
Buy now £24.00, Cult Beauty
Weleda Deodorant
Cult natural skincare label Weleda may be beloved for its deeply nourishing Skin Food repair cream but their range of plant-based beauty goodies extends far and wide to a whole host of roll-on and spray deodorants. They are formatted to ensure that your body goes through the natural sweating process without blocking your pores but eliminating odours.
The naturally formulated lineup includes Pomegranate, Citrus and Sea Buckthorn - all of which are formulated with natural ingredients and may just be the most pungent on this list. They are free from synthetic fragrances, artificial preservatives, parabens, or aluminium salts, which makes them ideal for those with sensitive skin. The roll-on bottles have been repacked in recyclable variations that are crafted from 70 per cent post-consumer recyclate.
Buy now £8.50, lookfantastic
Green People Prebiotic Deodorants
Sensitive skincare experts Green People has long been a go-to for quality natural products and its deodorants are no different. These formulas really work. They are powered by prebiotics and a combination of soothing and nourishing additions like quinoa, aloe vera or our personal favourite, rosemary. There is also a fragrance-free option.
The plant-based products are mostly organic and contain minimal chemicals while are entirely free from pore-clogging aluminium. The deodorants are designed to encourage your body to produce its own healthy natural bacteria, help you regulate your own body temperature while also containing natural odour-fighting properties like Zinc ricinoleate which is a powerful antibacterial and absorb unpleasant fragrance like a sponge. For long-lasting protection, these deodorants may be your best bet.
Buy now £11.50, Green People
Caudalie Vinofresh Natural Stick Deodorant
Luxury French label Caudalie’s natural deodorant is enriched with eucalyptus and prebiotic grape water that leave your underarms healthier, odour-free and hydrated. Effective while being kind to skin, the formula is vegan and free from aluminium, bicarbonate of soda, alcohol, silicone and fragrance. What’s more, it won’t leave a white cast or irritate skin.
Buy now £14.00, Cult Beauty
Aurelia London Botanical Cream Deodorant
This unique product from Aurelia London is nothing like you would have used in the past. While it looks and feels like a cream when you first dip your finger in, it transforms into a powder on application. The superfine texture - composed of botanicals like antimicrobial Arrowroot and Kaolin - get to work absorbing sweat to keep you dry and odourless throughout the day.
The formula is also enriched with nourishing Shea butter that hydrates your under arms as well as the antiseptic and antibacterial tea tree, eucalyptus and peppermint essential oils, the latter of which leaves a long-lasting aroma on the skin. The brand has crafted the deodorant using as minimal ingredients as possible - free from sulphates, parabens and mineral oils. They are also all cruelty free and ethically sourced. It can be used on sensitive skin.
Buy now £19.00, lookfantastic
Drunk Elephant Sweet Pitti Deodorant Cream
One for those with trimmed or shaved armpits, Drunk Elephant’s cream is infused with plant oils and shea butter to soothe and nourish the underarm area, which will especially help with any post-shaving irritation, whilst also tackling sweat and bacteria.
A brand which chooses the best ingredients based on biocompatibility and healthy pH levels, the deodorant will work on even the most sensitive skin.
Buy now £18.00, Space NK
Pacifica Coconut Cream Clean Deodorant
This deodorant proves that you don’t need a long list of chemicals to get effective odour resistance. On the contrary, Pacifica as a brand is known for its vegan, cruelty-free products that are high performing even with the emphasis on natural ingredients. Its fresh coconut milk that sets the scent of this deo with a vanilla note that will transport you to a tropical island with a piña colada in hand.
There is baking soda included in this formula that some may find irritating but is an impressive sweat-deflecting ingredient for the moisture-prone among us. It is set alongside fermented enzymes and arrowroot powder to double down on its drying properties but it’s free from aluminium.
Buy now £13.00, Cult Beauty
