I mentioned last month that I was trying a natural deodorant, and despite my struggles, Iām still on the natural train.
At this point, Iāve tried several different brands and formulas, and I think Iāve learned some things that may (or may not, who knows?) be helpful to you, my internet friends.
Iāve already talked about how I feel about the Lavanila Vanilla Passionfruit, so Iāll just say: no. Hard pass. I still use it when Iām just hanging around the house and spending the day in my super cold office, but itās not something Iāll wear out in the world.
I bought the travel size of this from Ulta, partly because itās cheaper and I didnāt know if Iād like it, and partly because I knew Iād be doing a lot of traveling this winter and wanted to make my life a tiny bit easier.
Pros:Ā Itās small so itās perfect for travel. The packaging is sturdy enough to travel with and stays relatively clean. It smells ok.
Cons:Ā Again, the price. The full size is $14 and the travel size is $9. The formula is really dry, much more so than the other scent from the same brand, and itās almost painful to put on. Most importantly, it doesnāt keep me from getting smelly by the end of the day. I donāt mind sweating and I know this isnāt an antiperspirant, but I donāt expect to smell bad.
While I was using both Lavanila deodorants I noticed that my armpits were getting a bit irritated. They were a little bit red and itchy. I didnāt use this for more than two or three days at a time so Iām not entirely sure if it was this product or something else I was using.
North Coast Organics Death by Lavender Organic Deodorant
When I realized that Lavanila wasnāt going to work for me I started looking for other options, and of course, I checked Amazon. This got relatively good reviews and I like the packaging, so why not?
Pros:Ā The price is pretty good, and with Amazon Prime, it shows up really quickly. The packaging is cute (you know I like skulls) and it smells so good. I love the scent of lavender and would gladly have everything I own be scented with it.
Cons:Ā Wow, I donāt even know where to start with the cons. First and foremost, this stuff tore up my armpits. I used it for four days, and not only did it darken my underarms but it also gave me a bright, angry, painful rash. The texture is very dry, and applying it was an uncomfortable process. I attribute the texture and my skinās reaction to the amount of baking soda thatās in this stuff. I didnāt realize it before, but apparently having too much sodium bicarbonate in deodorant products can cause skin reactions. Lovely. Needless to stay this stuff went in the trash.
Lace Howood & Lavender Natural Deodorant
Instagram strikes again. I had been searching for other natural deodorants, and one day this company popped up in my Insta ads. I could have just given up and gotten a Tomās of Maine deodorant from Walgreens, but Iām stubborn. I wanted something I really loved, not just tolerated. So I picked out the lavender scent again and ordered.
This company is the āsisterā brand of Whiskey, Ink & Lace, a company that makes natural shaving products. All of Laceās products are also natural, and they claim to eschew the pink tax and not charge more for āwomenāsā deodorant or hair products. Ok Lace, Iām listening.
Pros:Ā This smells SO good, like rolling around in a lavender field. The texture is more like typical deodorant so it doesnāt rip the skin off my armpits. The price is pretty good; the full size of this is only a tiny bit more than the travel size of the Lavanila. Iāve been using it consistently for the past few weeks and it hasnāt made the skin under my arms red or irritated or dark, so thatās good. Most importantly ā I donāt stink at the end of the day! I donāt even stink the next morning. All I want from a deodorant is to keep me from smelling bad, and this does it. I signed up for the subscription to get a discount, and Iām pretty happy that this will show up on my doorstep without me thinking about it.
Cons:Ā Because itās a small company and this stuff is made in small batches, it took a while to get to me after I ordered. The ink on the label is rubbing off, as you can see in the photos, and it got black stuff on some of my other products while I was traveling. It also seems smaller than other deodorants, and it seems like Iām going through it kind of quickly, but Iām not really positive.
Overall, the Lace deodorant is the clear winner because it doesnāt give me a horrible rash and I donāt smell bad. I had no idea thatās all it would take to win the battle of the deodorants. Woo low standards.
So, what do you use to keep from getting smelly during the day? Do you worry about aluminum and chemicals in your deodorant?
Natural deodorant: the good, the bad and theĀ smelly I mentioned last month that I was trying a natural deodorant, and despite my struggles, Iām still on the natural train.
