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Lifestyle

Testing, Testing… Does Natural Deodorant Really Work?

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at Minnesota chapter.

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. 

natural deodorant tea coffee
Amber Holte

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.

natural deodorant coffee herb
Amber Holte

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.

natural deodorant coffee tea
Amber Holte

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.

natural deodorant herb tea
Amber Holte

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.

natural deodorant coffee herb
Amber Holte

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.

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Aspenn Ward

Minnesota '19

I have always been passionate about creativity, and I am excited to explore that as a writer for Spoon University!