Lifestyle
Testing, Testing... Does Natural Deodorant Really Work?
Natural products are quickly coming to the forefront of the self-care and beauty industry. The modern consumer is becoming more insistent that their products are environmentally friendly. Yay us! The question then becomes, does natural deodorant really work? Fear not, I will try them first and let you know.
While products that follow this theme have been a staple in my cosmetic routine for years, I admit that when it comes to preventing body odor, I was skeptical to try more natural, less well-known brands. Even so, I tried a new one every day for three days, and here's how it went.
1. Tom's of Maine
Tom's of Maine is perhaps one of the most well-known natural cosmetic brands on the market. My mom is a long-time user or this type of deodorant, so I definitely had to give this one a shot. My first impression was that it smells incredible. The wild lavender scent was authentic, and did not smell manufactured.
Throughout the day I noticed its claim of 24 hour odor protection was valid, as it worked well without reapplication. I did however, notice that the lavender scent itself faded within the first several hours. Overall, I was impressed with the effectiveness of this product, and pleased with its contents.
2. Schmidt's
I will freely admit that I am an absolute sucker for well-designed packaging. I have, on more than one occasion, purchased a cosmetic product simply beause it was "pretty" and not because I actually needed it. Schmidt's deodorant, while I did buy it for a purpose, pleasantly surprised me with its simple, yet elegant packaging. Now, on to the good stuff.
This product was a new experience for me, as rather than a roll-and-go type deodorant, it is harder, and the directions call for it to be held against the skin for a few moments until the initial layers were softened enough by your body heat to roll on. While I am sure I looked like a confused ape while standing there waititng for a little deodorizing power to melt onto my skin, it was not a deal breaker.
Schmidt's has a similar, authentic lavender scent to Tom's of Maine, but I did notice I could smell it for longer. I have to admit–I did try this one out when I was bar-hopping on a 90-degree day–so I will cut it some slack. I found myself needing to reapply about half way through day. Other than that minor inconvenience, I found this product to be very effective.
3. Tisserand
Tisserand's product was probably my least favorite of the three. To be fair, I may be biased because of my clear love of lavender-scented products, as this one is in a tea tree scent, but I found I had to reapply several times throughout the day. Although its compact size and gel, roll on-style applicator made it easy to use on the go without worrying about marking my clothing, it was still the most ineffective of the three.
Because I am a broke college student, I imagine I will still use this one up, rather than waste it, but it is perhaps better suited for a lazy Netflix Sunday, rather than an active day or working and being a human adult.
The Takeaway
In conclusion, when asking whether natural deodorants really work, my answer would be... usually. I will always be for products that are less harmful to both environmental and human health, but I do recommend researching before you buy. If you don't choose one of products mentioned in this article, I would recommend reading reviews of one before you buy, to reduce the risk of wasting both money and product.