Natural Deodorants Review (Including one for Lume)
This post was originally published in January 2019 and updated many times since. I have tried more natural deodorants and wanted to add my honest, unbiased reviews to this list. I have previously reviewed natural deodorants; this is an update on my experience transitioning to natural deodorant, what worked and what didn't. I am not an expert, and I have not been paid by any brand mentioned in this post.
Natural Deodorants Review
What is “Natural” Deodorant?
The term natural deodorant is misleading, and many different deodorants with very different ingredient lists use this term. While I don’t like this term, I choose to use it for this post as this is the term used to market these deodorants.
Natural deodorants, also called aluminum-free deodorants, are not antiperspirants. They do not stop sweat, they only stop odor. Using ingredients like arrowroot powder, baking soda, or cornstarch along with essential oils and moisturizers, natural deodorants strive to keep you feeling fresh while letting your body sweat naturally.
Natural deodorants got popular when there was a thought that the aluminum salts in antiperspirants were dangerous and possibly causing breast cancer and Alzheimer's. It has been proven time and time again that aluminum does not cause any health risks when added to an antiperspirant. For more information on how these myths about antiperspirants have been dispelled please visit:
- Antiperspirants and breast cancer risk (American Cancer Society)
- Is there a link between antiperspirants or deodorants and breast cancer? (NIH National Cancer Institute)
- Fact or Fiction?: Antiperspirants Do More Than Block Sweat. (Scientific American)
Many people choose a “natural” deodorant because they’re looking to keep their skin safe by reducing aluminum, parabens, or other chemicals. That was one of my reasons for seeking such a deodorant; another is because I wasn’t satisfied with traditional deodorant/antiperspirant products. After decades of using them, I didn’t find them as effective and didn’t like the weird smell I had. It was like a mix of body odor and fabric softener. Doing the research, it sounded as though a natural deodorant would help clear out plugged sweat glands, improving my body smells, and requiring less product.
My (very extensive) Natural Deodorants Review
I previously shared my experience with Native Deodorant and going through a deodorant detox. After that, I shared reviews of several natural deodorants. That was over a year ago, and since then I have had different results with products I previously reviewed and tried new products. I have been trying a variety of aluminum-free deodorants since 2017. Below, I share a timeline of my natural deodorant journey and the products I tried. And over time, as I have tried new products (or the same products with new formulations), I have updated this review.
May 2017: I Made the Switch to Natural Deodorant
Before it got too hot, I decided to try a natural deodorant. There is a detox period of 2-3 weeks when switching where your body is getting rid of the old deodorant that is in your sweat glands. This period is nasty, and you will smell like a mix of hot metal and B.O. It wasn’t fun, but I found showering twice a day, exfoliating my pits, and wiping my pits with alcohol helped greatly.
I used Native Deodorant, which got great reviews online and seemed to be advertised on every social media channel. At first, it was hard to tell whether it worked or not because of the detox period. Once my body stopped smelling horrible, the product seemed good. And then the next day, my armpits had a fiery rash. I learned this was common and a reaction to baking soda, an ingredient in Native Deodorant and many other natural deodorants.
At the end of May, I went to NYC to host an event with a brand and forgot my deodorant at home. They had E.O. Lavender Spray Deodorant in their office bathroom; that with some personal cleansing wipes got me smelling fresh after the train trip and worked reasonably well through the event that evening. At that event, I ended up in a conversation about natural deodorant with some attendees. One of the guests told me about Piperwai. She was an inventor and met the folks behind Piperwai Deodorant and thought they and their product were amazing. She inspired me to order a jar that very night.
June 2017: I Filled out my Amazon Cart
Armed with a fresh jar of Piperwai, I decided to do a truly natural deodorant review and ordered a dozen different types of Amazon and various websites. This is my original natural deodorant review. After that review, my three winners were Piperwai, Meow Meow Tweet, and E.O.
August 2017: Another Natural Deodorant Bites the Dust
It seemed like everywhere I went, I smelled cat pee and I don’t have a cat. I finally realized it was me every time I wore Piperwai. This stuff seemed so great, I was so disappointed. I decided to cut it out for two weeks to see if it was Piperwai or just natural deodorant in general.
In those two weeks, Piperwai contacted me and sent me a stick version of their deodorant. Once the two weeks were over, I used that. For the first week back on Piperwai, things were great. I smelled like nothing most days. But eventually, the cat pee smell came back. However, my husband continued to use Piperwai, and smell just dandy.
If there’s something I learned through this process is that everyone is different and what works for one may not another. And that what makes me smell like cat pee may make you smell like a rose.
September 2017: Bye Bye Meow Meow
Meow Meow Tweet had my heart. The name was cute, the label was cute, and the smell was awesome. Meow Meow Tweet is what I used when I took a Piperwai break and it was pretty effective. Not as effective as Piperwai, but enough that I felt comfortable in public.
But all good things must come to an end and by the end of September, Meow Meow Tweet had come to not accomplishing anything. Over time, it lost its effectiveness. I even bought another tub, thinking the first one may have lost its oomph after having my fingers dip in it so often. A new tub didn’t change the fact that I smelled like body odor coated in Froot Loops.
While I still had E.O. Lavender spray I learned early on that it wasn’t a replacement for a true deodorant. As a spray, it was great as a refresher mid-day but not as a sole product to keep the funk at bay. I still have this product and love it for travel, but it’s not an everyday product.
November 2017: Limping Back to Lavanilla
I tried Lavanilla Sport Luxe during my original review and found it… fine. I liked how nicely it glided on, and it didn’t give a rash. I still had the stick of it so I decided to use it up. The temps had dropped, and I figured I wouldn’t need as heavy-duty a deodorant.
And Lavanilla Sport Luxe worked okay enough. I usually had to do a touch-up mid-day but that wasn’t a big deal. However, after a few weeks again I started to smell like cat pee. My husband uses up the stick and thinks it works okay, though not as effective as Piperwai.
December 2017: Back to Traditional Deodorant/Antiperspirant
I started working out regularly and no natural deodorant in my house could keep up. I gave up and went back to Dove. Immediately, I smelled better. When I switched to natural deodorant I felt I was less sweaty and stinky. Well, switching back to traditional deodorant gave me the same experience. I forgot what it felt like to have non-sticky, dry pits and not have to wash my clothing after every wear. It was awesome, I couldn’t go back; I decided I would just try to be more natural in other aspects of my life.
I used Dove and only Dove for a month or two, and then I wasn’t satisfied. To boost it, I added Certain Dri, applying the roll-on every evening. That helped, but after a week Certain Dri started itching and burning a few minutes after application. I switched to only using Certain Dri the night before I had an event.
Once my stick of Dove ran out, I switched to Degree which seemed to work better. However, when that stick ran out I stood in the aisle at Target for a long while wondering what to do next because none of the scents appealed to me and I felt like nothing was doing what it claimed it would.
August 2018: Influenced by Influencers, I Try Kopari Deodorant
It seemed like every blogger suddenly got into natural deodorant and that natural deodorant was Kopari. Unlike many mass-influencer campaigns where it seems every account is promoting the same beauty product, that turned me off, this one turned me on. Kopari was working with influencers and content creators I respected, who were known for being more honest, more down to earth, and less likely to rave about just anything. And so I bought a stick.
I didn’t have to go through a detox with Kopari, I switched right to it and it seemed to work. Not only that, but it also smelled great. I love the smell of coconut, and this smells like coconut. And when your body heats up, it smells like warm coconut. The container is cute, it glides on easily, I was an instant fan.
And then three weeks later the stuff stopped working. Like overnight, it went from warm coconut to burnt coconut and body odor. I understand that with natural deodorants you need to switch them up every so often, but it seemed no deodorant lasted even a month. Sorry, but I have neither the time nor money to change my deodorant every few weeks.
Since this stuff stopped working but did work at one point I’ve stuck this into my toiletries kit in case I again forget to pack my regular deodorant for a trip. When my daughter started using deodorant, I gave her my tube and she liked it so much we re-ordered it when it ran out. My husband has also used Kopari since this review and likes it very much.
September 2018: A Mist of Cashmere… and Funerals
During all this research, people time and again raved about how much they loved Donna Karan’s Cashmere Mist deodorant. It was so effective! The smell is amazing! One stick lasts forever! Your skin will feel like silk! It survives hatha yoga and spartan races and 16-hour flights! It cures cancer! It's not natural, but considering how I don't even have success with traditional deodorant/antiperspirant products I decided to try it.
- Day 1: I smell fancy. No B.O. even after a grueling morning at the gym.
- Day 2: Wow, this stuff has an uber-strong scent. Maybe I’m just too used to regular deodorants, maybe I can make this my new signature scent instead of perfume. It works great.
- Day 3: This stuff is overwhelming and giving me a headache. Maybe I’m just overly sensitive to the scent because my period is coming. It works well.
- Day 4: I smell like decade-old potpourri. This is not chic. However, the stuff works well and I have nothing else in the house right now it was not cheap so I’ll keep using it for now.
- Day 5: I snuggle up next to my husband. “You smell weird,” he says. “Yeah, kind of like potpourri? It’s my new deodorant. Is it bad?” He says, “You smell like dust and mildew and dried flowers. You smell like a funeral.”
- Day 6: I go to CVS and buy a stick of Degree. My husband takes the Cashmere Mist, continues to use it, likes it, and doesn’t smell at all like a funeral.
December 2018: Facebook Ads Are Effective, AKA I Try Lume Deodorant
That lady with the orange dress and bad accent got me. I saw Lume Deodorant ads all over Facebook, on Instagram, and even showing up on my site (my ads are through a network and affected by content on the site as well as content the viewer was searching or reading before visiting).
The commercial compared Lume to products I tried and found ineffective, it was free of baking soda so no rash, and I liked that it could be used in places other than the underarms. I bought a stick of their original and a stick of their unscented.
I started with the unscented option… and I didn’t like it. It smelled like paste and I didn’t find it effective. I started by rolling it on but then learned to click up a regular amount of traditional deodorant product and use my finger to wipe off half of it and rub it into one pit, and then the other half for the second pit.
Rubbing just with the stick doesn’t get it deep enough; using your finger will get you a couple more hours. Even so, I was lucky to get six hours before I smelled.
I then switched to their original version. Their original version is scented lavender and clary sage and the scent is pretty strong. I’m not a big Lavender fan, so I wasn’t expecting to like this. The scent is about 75% gone after an hour, and what’s left isn’t super potent. Again, I found it more effective to rub it in with my fingers. The formula is creamy, absorbs nicely, and leaves sensitive skin feeling soft and moisturized. No irritation, even when applied to freshly shaved pits.
I use the unscented version for other parts of the body. Lume Deodorant is safe for external use anywhere and the unscented does a good job of keeping feet and nether regions having less odor without making them smell like something else. If you're keeping track, my husband has not yet used Lume as he's still using the same stick of Cashmere Mist (reviews say one stick lasts forever and they're right).
January 2019: Lume Deodorant Is Still Working
I'm on week 5 of Lume Deodorant and it is still working. Unlike other natural deodorants, I haven’t had to touch up in the middle of the day. I do touch up before going out in the evening and apply after every shower. Lume claims to work for 72 hours and that is not so for me.
I can put it on in the morning after my post-gym shower, wake up the next day smelling faintly of lavender and clary sage, do another application and go to the gym and leave the gym still only smelling like lavender and clary sage. I don’t even get such results from Dove or Degree (which leaves me smelling like a hot fabric softener and toilet bowl cleaner).
Based on my previous natural deodorant experiences, I cannot guarantee that I will continue to like Lume. However, thus far it has been the most effective, one of the most comfortable to wear, and one of the least offensive fragrances of all the natural deodorants I have tried.
This is where the post previously ended. Since I didn't stop my quest to find an effective deodorant, I've updated the post with the products I have tried since.
April 2019: Not So Fresh Feeling
I loved Lume Deodorant enough that I finished my tube of their Original and went to the Unscented tube I stopped using and used some of it too, finding it more effective now. Maybe I fully detoxed? I ordered another two-pack. I finished almost one whole tube when Lume deodorant stopped working for me.
I went from smelling like lavender and sage to the person on the Metro at 7 pm who went to the gym in the morning and thought a toweling off was enough to get through the workday on a hot August Tuesday. ARGH!
How does something work well, and for so long, and stop working? Did Lume change its formulation? The tube says it's not as messy as before, but did that change alter its effectiveness?
May 2019: Feeling Fancy, I try Agent Nateur Deodorant
I'm in a beauty-related Facebook group and the topic of natural deodorants comes up. Several women share that their Holy Grail natural deodorant is Agent Nateur. Aluminum-free, cruelty-free, and a very simple ingredient list appealed to me along with the chic packaging. $21 can seem like a lot for a deodorant but if you tally up how much I had already spent on this natural deodorant quest, it no longer seems ridiculous.
I had a $50 Nordstrom gift card and decided to buy two – No.3 which was the one raved about in the Facebook group and No.5 which has a supposed unisex smell. I don't like florals and sweet smells so I thought I may prefer the unisex smell (and let's face it, if it doesn't work my husband will be using it).
I ended up liking both scents which dissipated and were far less overpowering than many other natural deodorants I've used. And they did pretty well. I did have to reapply mid-day, but if I caught it early enough I wasn't trying to mask B.O. but still preventing it. It felt great under the arms, in general, it was pretty darn good.
But after a month, I felt I needed to reapply more often and after six weeks I had maybe two hours max of just typing at my desk before I'd start getting stinky. Also after six weeks I had finished one $21 tube and was on to the second one. Not cost-effective or funk-effective.
I gave the second tube (the No.5) to my husband who fell absolutely in love with it and now is spoiled and expecting such luxury deodorant on the regular.
June 2019: Influencers Supporting Influencers, I Try Megababe Deodorant
Megababe is a beauty brand created by fellow blogger and influencer Katie Sturino. My readers love Katie, I love Katie. She's honest and funny and real and I love the concept of Megababe. Simple, effective, and non-toxic products for real-life issues.
My readers raved about Megababe Thigh Rescue and I agreed it was an amazing product for fighting chafing (AKA chub rub). They also raved about Megababe's deodorant Rosy Pits. If the deodorant was as effective as Thigh Rescue, I'd be thrilled. Sadly, it wasn't.
The Rosy Pits has a very strong rose smell, stronger than Schmidt's and any other rose deodorant I've tried. The smell was almost acidic on my skin, especially when heated up. The hot acidic rose smell made me nauseous but I continued to use it for science (and for this review). The first day seemed okay, but by day 2 I needed to reapply mid-day and by the end of the week not even that was enough to keep the stink away.
I gave Megababe to my husband but he refused to wear it because of the rose scent. I have yet to try Sunny Pits, the other scent of Megababe deodorant because I don't think I want my pits to smell like hot lemons and I assume it will be equal in effectiveness.
My tween now happily enjoys Megababe as well as Kopari; both are effective for her and smell age-appropriate.
August 2019: Will Diet Affect My Body Odor?
In July, my husband decided to go 100% plant-based for his diet. As the primary cook in the family, he turned our home into a plant-based home. We were vegetarians for a few years but I started eating a bit when pregnant and my body was desperately craving Buffalo wings and the chik'n ones were not cutting it. Once I was breastfeeding, I found that I wasn't producing enough milk; the days I ate meat I produced more so I brought it back into my diet.
It had been a decade, and I was now weightlifting and eating a high-protein diet and wasn't thrilled. But I was willing to try it for a month and see how I did. I was also curious to see if changing my diet would improve my body odor.
I only eat meat, dairy, or eggs maybe twice a month now. I do think the diet change has affected my body odor. However, the change isn't a reduction in body odor but a different smell to it. I still get B.O. just as quickly with natural deodorants or going without, it just smells not so… heavy or pungent.
However, I still can't go with no deodorant or any of the deodorants I reviewed above, and do not smell like funk. So yes, a plant-based diet will change your body odor but it won't stop you from having body odor.
September 2019: Deodorizing from Within with Chlorophyll
Thanks again to a Facebook group, I read that liquid chlorophyll could help with removing body odor from the inside out. Members discussed how it stopped their foot odor, helped with bad breath from health-related issues, and yes, helped with body odor. Not only that, but they also shared how liquid chlorophyll gave them a boost of energy.
Doing research, I found that most people who claim chlorophyll will reduce body odor are using a 1960 study that has since been debunked. But then there was another study in the '80s that said consuming chlorophyll reduced body odor in nursing home patients.
I went through reviews on Amazon and WebMD and several said it radically changed their body odor and breath and I hardly saw a single negative review or reaction so I figured why not. I ordered a bottle of this liquid chlorophyll from Amazon. I don't know if this one is better or worse than others, at the time it just appealed to me.
It's late November and I continue to take one dropper-full of this liquid chlorophyll under my tongue every morning along with my daily vitamins and supplements. I am not sure if it's doing anything, or if it's just that it's November and cold out, or if it's just more months of eating plant-based.
Whatever the reason, I don't seem to smell quite as much. I am still using drugstore deodorant because I don't want to waste it, but I wonder if these two changes will make a natural deodorant work for me.
This is where my second update ended. But I wasn't finished with my journey to find an effective natural deodorant!
December 2019: Chlorophyll Didn't Work and I go back to Drugstore Deodorants
I think my finding the chlorophyll successful was just a chance or the possibility that I started it soon after going 80% plant-based with my diet. By the end of December and several holidays consuming a bit of meat, my body odor returned so I stopped taking the chlorophyll drops. I also gave up on natural deodorants and went back to Dove and Degree.
March 2020: Instagram Has Me try Apothekari
The natural skincare company Apothekari started following me on Instagram. It's a woman-owned small business based in Canada. The founder, Sharmani, reached out via DM in January and said she saw this post and wanted to see if I wanted to try her line of natural deodorants.
Considering how I pretty much rant about every natural deodorant out there in this post, I have props to her bravery and agreed to two bottles of the deodorant in exchange for a brutally honest review, whether that review is positive or negative. Please note that Apothekari is going out of business, and stock is low or out for many of its deodorants.
Apothekari deodorants are a roll-on style and come in three scents; they sent me the Grapefruit Ginger and Lavender Bergamot versions. I appreciate that the Apothekari website has the full ingredients and answers FAQs right on the product page. When they arrived, I began first with the Grapefruit Ginger as I love that combo of scents. I loved the roll-on, it was easy and clean.
My husband also used it and liked that it wasn't sticky and didn't get all clumpy in his armpit hair. This was the first deodorant that I found more effective than my husband's! After two weeks he stopped using it, saying he felt it burned a bit and he thought he smelled like “sweat and grapefruits.” I, however, found this product extremely effective.
If I was working from home and not exerting myself a lot, I could apply just once a day. I usually applied in the morning before going to the gym, again after my post-gym shower, and only another time if I was going out in the evening. I didn't smell like anything once it had dried – no grapefruit, no ginger, and no B.O.
However, after about six weeks I too experienced burning from applying the deodorant. It didn't matter if it was right after a shower or later in the day, whether or not I shaved, it burned as Certain-Dri did back when I used it.
I switched to the Lavender Bergamot. And I have been using it for about six weeks. No burning, and equally effective. However, the scent lingers longer. The Lavender Bergamot has the hippie/day spa scent that I don't mind but I know it's everyone's cup of tea. I have since used Neroli Rose and also love the scent and how effective it is. It has been a year and Apothekari is still working great for me!
Summer 2020: A Goal for Less Waste with Ethique and by Humankind
While I continued to use Apothekari and find it effective (third bottle and still working better than any others), I wanted to see if I could find a deodorant that used less plastic so I could reduce my footprint. Reading online reviews and comments on this post, I first decided to try Ethique.
A New Zealand-based company, Ethique makes all sorts of body care products in a manner that is zero- to low-waste. Their solid deodorant comes in a compostable cardboard package.
Available in three scents, I chose Lavender & Vanilla. The product is a square that looks and feels a bit like a block of soap and Ethique recommends storing it in an airtight container when not in use.
I recently ordered a piece of jewelry that came in a round metal tin with a screw lid; it was the perfect size to house my Ethique deodorant bar.
Ethique did not work for me. Not even one day of success. I smelled like total funk within an hour of application, and all I had done was sit at my computer and type blog posts like this one.
My husband tried it and while he's famous for having success with every deodorant, this one he hated. He hated the scent, he hated that even if made him smell “not like B.O. but something else bad,” and he despised how it grabbed onto his underarm hair and was uncomfortable to apply.
However, my tween who is becoming more environmentally aware loved the idea, took the deodorant, and now uses it daily and smells better with it than anything else she has tried. While Ethique deodorant didn't work for me, I am still intrigued by the brand and may try some of their other products in the future when what I already have is used up.
I decided to then try deodorant from Humankind. Offering stylish containers and low-waste refills, Humankind looks to reduce your plastic footprint while still offering high-quality products. I have to say the pretty deodorant container appealed to me and I liked there were five scents to choose from. I went with the neon container and the Coconut-scented deodorant.
The product arrived quickly. The container is a great shape, it works easily to roll up the product, and the cap stays on well, this would be easy to travel with. The formula is a fantastic consistency, similar to “traditional” deodorants. And I liked it… for about two weeks. And then one night snuggling on the couch with my kid watching a movie she said, “I don't want to be rude but you kind of stink.”
For previous deodorants, I smelled the issue before others but maybe from being at home so much this year I'm not as aware since I'm not as exposed to non-my home and body smells.
On the other hand, no one likely is surprised to find my husband positively adores this deodorant and has decided it is by far the best one he has tried yet. It doesn't grab onto underarm hair, it works all day even when he spends it working in the garden or exercising. He's about ready for a refill and says he doesn't want to try any others. But my journey for natural deodorants isn't over which means his supply of my rejects isn't over!
Again Influenced by Influencers, I Try Kosasport Deodorant
I should know better, but I assume other influencers do the research and weeks of trial as I do. Maybe they do, and maybe they smell like roses and rainwater after a 60-minute Peloton ride no matter what they rub on their pits and that's why all the products they love I don't. And I do not love Kosasport, the deodorant from the clean beauty brand Kosas.
I liked the concept of Kosasport, using a blend of shikimic, mandelic, and lactic acids to fight body odor while also reducing underarm pigmentation. I have found wiping my pits with a bit of Pixi Glow Tonic, which is glycolic acid, helps my natural deodorants work better. I also liked that this deodorant was a roll-on, like Apothekari, which has been the most effective for me.
Whew, this stuff was terrible. The rollerball on a squeeze tube is a mess – either the ball is too dry to move or it drips product everywhere. I chose “Serene Clean” which is supposed to “smell like a spa.” I think it smells a bit like sour milk, which is not spa-like at all.
The product doesn't dry quickly and I had sticky pits even an hour after application. And an hour after application I had not just sticky pits, but sticky pits that smelled like fermented milk with top notes of B.O. I think this may be the worst natural deodorant I've tried and it sent me back to Apothekari.
Influenced by You… I Try Real Purity
I had multiple Wardrobe Oxygen readers tell me they had tried the roll-on deodorant from Real Purity, a cruelty-free skin and body care line made in the USA, and found it extremely effective. Learning that I can trust your reviews more than those of influencers, I bought a bottle of Real Purity roll-on natural deodorant.
And you're right, this stuff does work. It's a roll-on, the formula isn't too sticky or dry, and I can stay odor-free for several hours. However, I do not like the smell, which to me smells like citronella. And the citronella/bergamot/bug spray smell for me lasts all day. It doesn't bother me when I am outdoors slathered in bug spray and sunscreen and such, but when at home or out and about, it's not the fragrance I want to smell or be associated with.
My husband also thinks it smells like bug spray and doesn't want to use it. However, few reviews mention the smell so maybe it's just me? I find Apothekari to be a similar consistency and container with scents that are more to my taste.
Fall 2021: I Try Bite Deodorant
You may have heard of Bite toothpaste bits, a sustainable plastic-free alternative to traditional toothpaste. Well Bite, expanded from just offering toothpaste to deodorant, which is also with sustainable, plastic-free packaging and shipping. While I didn't like Bite toothpaste bits, I did like the concept and that it was a woman-founded company, and wanted to see how Bite natural deodorant fared.
Bite deodorant is completely plastic-free. You receive a reusable aluminum container and the deodorant refills are compostable paperboard. It's easy to slip the refill into the aluminum container and you press from the bottom to push up the deodorant like a push-pop. I got the Deo Trio, which had an aluminum container and three scents of deodorant – Neroli, Rose Vert, and Santal. I started with Neroli.
The first week I tried Bite Deodorant I was not a fan. I didn't think it could keep up with me and felt it was very similar to previous natural deodorants that seemed to have to be applied hourly to keep the funk at bay.
But over time, it seemed to work better and I seemed to master the process needed for success. If I showered in the morning, applied when my skin was dry, and did a second application mid-day, I'd be stink-free. I also liked the Neroli scent, which is sexy but subtle and didn't smell bad when I did over-exert myself and got a bit of B.O. mixed in.
I also really like the consistency. I have been using Apothekari exclusively for over a year because not only is it effective, but the roll-on formula didn't cake, crumble, or stain my clothes. I liked Apothekari so much that I was hesitant to try another stick version of natural deodorant. But Bite Deodorant rolls on nicely, doesn't crumble, isn't brittle, and one refill lasts about as long as a traditional stick of deodorant.
It has been six weeks of using Bite Deodorant and while I don't find it effective if I haven't showered that day or if I am doing a serious workout, I find it to be an effective everyday deodorant and a great choice if you don't like a roll-on (Apothekari continues to be one of the best natural deodorants for me).
Update: Sadly, Bite Deodorant went the route of previous natural deodorants, and a couple of weeks after this initial review I was finding even if it was a chill day working on my computer in a climate-controlled space, I was smelling funky at noon. That being said, my daughter liked it and used it until the scent she liked ran out.
And this is where my third update ended. I went for a while using traditional antiperspirant/deodorant combinations but as I have experienced before after a while I started smelling like hot metal which grossed me out. So I returned to the natural deodorant search.
Summer 2022: You All Influenced Me to Try Nuud
As someone with soft curves and over 40, gravity has affected my curves and I find working out and hot weather causes me to sweat and itch under my breasts and stomach. In a Facebook group, I am in, someone recommended Nuud not just as a natural deodorant but as a great product to prevent that itchy yeast issue I was dealing with. With a few of you recommending Nuud in the comments as a great natural deodorant and alternative to Lume, I decided to buy one of the small tubes to try it out for both purposes.
Nuud as a deodorant for me is… eh. It doesn't work any better than any other natural deodorant I have tried. I found I had to reapply, and after a few weeks, it no longer seemed as effective. I also didn't love the cream in a tube application and it was pasty under my arms, hard to spread.
However, Nuud deodorant is fantastic for dealing with the itch one may experience on parts of the body where sweat and heat can get trapped. Under the breasts, the stomach, the crotch, and yes, even the underarms. A little goes a long way, one of those tiny tubes may get you through an entire summer season. I have repurchased Nuud more than once but don't use it as a deodorant.
Winter 2022: Influenced by my Family, I Return to Native
My daughter is now at an age where like the rest of us, she's being influenced by social media. And she saw plenty of ads and influencers rave about Native deodorants and the exclusive scents only available at Target. My husband and daughter went on a Target run and both came back with different scents of Native deodorant. And both of them became instant fans.
When my Apothekari bottle ran out, I borrowed my husband's Native Bergamot & Pine deodorant, expecting the same instant underarm rash from baking soda I experienced in 2017 but would deal with it to not be stinky at an event. I was thrilled to find not only was I not stinky but not rashy. I grabbed an extra one in the pantry that I bought during a Target deal and began using it regularly.
I am thrilled to say that Native never caused a rash, and while I do need to reapply during the day if I'm not just working from home or lounging on the couch, I have not gotten the stinky man in the woods or cat pee smell I have found with other natural deodorants. My current favorite is Jasmine & Cedar and I like how the scent dissipates but doesn't completely disappear.
Summer 2023: I Try Lume Deodorant Again
If you're on social media, you've been hit with ads for Lume. TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook are all coated with the founder as well as influencers raving about the new and improved Lume. Considering I had a great, then terrible experience with Lume, I decided to try again and see if it has improved with time and company growth.
You can now buy Lume deodorant in a range of places and I chose Amazon, knowing if I hated it I could just take it to my local Whole Foods and return it. Lume is available in a stick, in a tube, and in a range of different scents as well as unscented. Not liking Lume's original unscented scent and knowing from personal experience I don't enjoy my pits smelling like warm lavender, toasted coconut, heated roses, or pine trees and I have never been a baby powder kind of person, I chose Clean Tangerine.
I may be dating myself, but folks my age and older likely know the chalky fake tastes of children's medicine. They were grape, or like baby aspirin, they were orange. And when you catch a whiff you're transported to an uncomfortable part of childhood where you're sick and being forced to consume this sicky sweet grossness. Well, Lume's Clean Tangerine smells like liquified baby aspirin. And the scent dissipates right around the time the effectiveness wears off.
I wore it to an outdoor lunch with friends. I drove there in an air-conditioned car, we sat for a couple of hours under an umbrella on a breezy day in the high 70s/low 80s, I was wearing a T-shirt dress and sandals. When I hugged my friend she asked if I was wearing new perfume (I wasn't). She said I smelled citrusy. That was the Lume, not the fragrance. I can't recall any other deodorant that an hour after application folks mentioned the scent.
During the lunch, I didn't have alcohol, and I didn't get sweaty, but by the end of the lunch I took a whiff of my pits and I smelled as though I hadn't showered in the past couple of days. Yup, that same week I headed to Whole Foods to return my tube of baby aspirin… I mean Lume deodorant. And I went back to Native.
I find I usually use Native but still use Apothekari. If I will be out for the day, I'll pop my Apothekari spray in my bag because it's so easy to reapply and the bottle is small and secure. But I am concerned with the hotter and more humid days coming if these deodorants will hold up.
Which Natural Deodorant Should I Try Next?
So for now I have a winner, but I am always interested in seeing what else is out there, especially with my natural deodorant track record. My husband and daughter continue to be perfectly happy with their natural deodorants, smelling fresh and feeling good.
I haven't given up and would love to hear from you. Based on my experiences, do you think there is another natural deodorant that will work for me? Have you had any success? Do share in the comments!
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I thoroughly enjoyed this post. Have you tried using glycolic acid or Curie? I usually use glycolic acid on the cold days, but I, too, am searching for a better for your pits deodorant. Thanks for the post!
I have tried glycolic acid and need to update with it! I think it helps but it doesn’t replace deodorant for me. I can’t even go a cold chill day just using it.
Hi Allison you should try super deodorant made in New Brunswich Canada….it works and I can usually go 2 days without reapplying sometimes more
it’s one that with apply your finger tips and I think that they are developing a stick version but the stuff is amazing
So I don’t have a deodorant of choice however I did like using my husband’s AX at one point. Since it’s so manly smelling I would rub it on heavily and then wipe it off with a tissue. I did this because I seem to be allergic to women’s deodorant. I wanted to talk a little about body funk. When you were mentioning your scent of cat pee and all you do is sit at a desk it reminded me, of me. My thought was I shouldn’t smell this way and I needed to figure out what was causing it and not cover it up. When that smell was present and the other one of skunk, nothing covered it or stopped it. I concluded it was the collagen supplement I was taking. As soon as I got it out of my system that smell was gone and I no longer needed deodorant or just not as much. So I just wanted to get that out there because you did mention you take vitamins. Some of the vitamins could be the cause of it all.
Hi! I enjoyed this detailed post
.ostoy I use Lume, which has been better for me than any drugstore deodorant except Certain Dry. I just ordered some superdeodorant.com from Canada because I had a smelly day or two on the Lume (!although it seems to be working again). Have you tried Super?
Native gave me a horrible rash and Lume stopped working and if you don’t use the product right away it smells terrible in the package
I’m curious for you to try Primally Pure and see how it works?!?!?
Thank you so much for this detailed review. I’ve never had much success with natural deodorants so this is very helpful. Is Apothekari the only company who sent you items in PR and provided a coupon code? The website you provided no longer exists.
The only company website that opens is “Apothekary.co” which is different than the one you are talking about – “Apothekari.com”, yet the packaging and products look identical. Only difference is the spelling of the company name. This makes me wonder if there is something funny going on here. Almost as though this is a scam company trying to mirror a real company or vice versa.
When searching online, I can’t find any reliable comparisons/reviews for “Apothekari”, other than with bloggers, which is odd. Given my past experiences with natural deodorants, its also comes across as odd that its the only one you liked. As mentioned above, the company website will not open. Perhaps they are no longer in business, but all this makes me think they are/were a pay for play scam company using bloggers to promote their scam. I would really love to find something that actually works; not one that only works when someone is incentivized to say so.
Wow, I hate that blogs have made us all so cynical! The owner of Apothekari reached out to me a few weeks ago to let me know she was shutting down her company. COVID took a hit and she didn’t find it beneficial to keep pouring money in and is going in a different direction. I have not gotten round to updating this post but will now. I don’t want to steer anyone in the wrong direction, especially since the site is now down. It was a legit company. References to other sites mentioning the company:
https://www.cosmeticproof.com/2022/08/apothekari-spray-natural-deodorant-review.html
https://phamix.com/product-category/natural-deodorant/
https://montecristomagazine.com/beauty/swapping-antiperspirant-for-natural-deodorant
And the company on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apothekariskin/
I used this product for years and am glad I still have two bottles in my linen closet when I stocked up.
Thank you for following up on this. Its reassuring to know that the company was legitimate, although disheartening to hear they couldn’t survive the challenges brought on by COVID. I hope the owner finds success in her new venture.
I have definitely become more cynical since PR tactics/affiliated links exploded all over social media. I mean, who hasn’t come across influencer posts proclaiming, “This is the ultimate product! Use my affiliated code and give it a try”?! I have fallen for several of those. Now, I always double and triple-check reviews and references before buying into any hype. So, when I hit a dead end trying to find a company page/products, my immediate instinct is to assume it was a scam. It is frustrating how social media has reshaped our perceptions, but being cautious has definitely saved me from regretful purchases. Thank you again for your response and update, as well as the references. I really appreciate your time and effort.
I’ve tried many natural deodorants and found the woodsy/pine/cedar ones can smell too closely to BO. Way of Will tea tree and pumpkin seed is the best natural deodorant I’ve ever tried. It has a bit of a cooling feel and a pretty strong mint smell that I surprisingly like. I’ve been on a plant based diet for 16 years.
Have you heard of the deodorant Dr. Squatch It claims to remove all body odors even though it is marketed as a mens deoderant. Would be interested to see your experience.
love the post! I feel your pain going around looking for natural desodorant!
After trying many deodorants I fell in love with Hey Humans. I used to get it in Target, but now I only can get it on Amazon.
Hope you can try it!
I’ve been using – Soapwalla Natural Sensitive Lavender Mint Aluminum-Free Deodorant Cream.
I started with – Soapwalla Natural Aluminum-Free Deodorant with baking soda. Cause a little rash but I didn’t sweat all day but the scent didn’t last as long. I found if I bought both and used a travel container, I was able to mix half and half which stopped sweat and smelled great. Been doing this for 2 years now and it the best product out there. I never suffered with the transition BO. Purchased on Amazon made in the US all natural ingredients. Both containers mixed last 3 months.
Cheers Shannon
I am curious about your thoughts on the brand Pit Liquor!
Try Curie! Saw it on shark tank and now I need to know how it stacks up against the rest of the natural deodorants.
I do need to revisit this post and try some new natural deodorants! Thank you for the suggestion/
I tried it! It worked wonderfully out west where there was no humidity but sadly when I got back to Virginia where I live full time I started experiencing the same thing the author mentioned where I get a mix of BO and the deodorant scent itself. I had two different scents of Curie and when I noticed the mixed BO/scent smell I switched to the other scent, and it helped for maybe a couple weeks but then I’d get that bad smell again. Will be trying Salt and Stone next!
Does anyone have solutions for onions in the netherregions?
Have you tried Salt and Stone?
I have been on my own up and down journey with natural deodorants. The most recent one I have been using and so far I love everything about is FÜR ingrown deodorant. I would love to hear your thoughts on this one.
Have you or anyone in the comments ever tried Humble brand deodorants?
I’ve liked the scents I’ve tried so far (Bergamot+Ginger and Palo Santo+Frankincense), like that they have very few (and easy to pronounce!) ingredients, and find that they’re particularly good for light to moderate activity days – as in, I don’t know if they’ll hold up if you, say, run marathons or do any extreme sports/intense gym workouts, but this otherwise seems to work well for day to day.
Additionally, as someone who struggles with psoriasis, I always choose the sensitive formulas which are made without baking soda, so they may not always keep me the dryest but I still find that I don’t smell *bad* even by the end of the day, and they’ve never once left me rashy – so for me personally Humble is a definite win!
I’m curious to hear other opinions though, especially if anybody has tried both the sensitive and the original/nonsensitive formulas, and if they’ve found a noticeable difference between the two.
It took me a while to get through this entire article but because of the up and down of this journey I wanted to share what is my holy grail! I know everyone is different and none of the natural brands worked for me. I will say I ordered a sample pack of Little Seed Farm deodorant to Mexico and this visit was over 115° a record high with the biggest drought. I used for the first time this deodorant and didn’t smell. What? I would sweat but no smell. I love the bamboo stick to apply as it keeps my fingers clean especially when I’m in a hurry. I highly recommend it!
I like the Raw Sugar deodorant right now – the Beach Rose scent. It’s not organic, but it doesn’t seem to have horrible things in it. I mean, it has fragrance, and zinc ricinoleate, but it actually seems to work well for me.
Try Hey Humans.
My search for the perfect natural deodorant ended. I found that some use Glycolic Acid which I use for my face and had on hand..
It works amazingly well – can’t believe it and am very thankful. I read that it doesn’t work for all but glad it did for me. The Ordinary sells a nice size bottle for maybe 13 dollars or so? I still use a little deodorant occasionally which was Lume and it works fine.
This post influenced me to try Apothekari, which I love! I’ve also really enjoyed using Salt + Stone – if you’re up for another deep dive, would love to hear your thoughts on this one.
That’s one I don’t know about and if you like Apothekari, I may try Salt + Stone next!
Have you tried Little Seed Farm?
Would love a review on it! I thought I was the only one who delved deep into the natural deodorant world, glad to know I’m not alone lol!
Little Seed Farms has samples. I got some a few weeks ago. It didn’t work well for me, maybe 3-4 hours, but, they do have some nice scents.
I have been going between:
Lume – only a couple scents work for me. Not quite enough on extremely hot days.
Curie I use the stick for pits & the spray for bits. The Orange Neroli and White Tea are my favorites. Not quite enough on extremely hot days for me unless reapply. The spray is baking soda free and gives a quick re-fresh.
Glowing Orchid Organics, so far is holding up to hot summer days, great scents, Samples are available.
I have been using natural deodorants for about 10 years, so I’ve tried many & LSF is my favorite thus far! I keep a stick of native around for convenience when I’m in a rush or to take on the go, but LSF works just as well/better, lasts longer, costs less (based on how long it lasts), leaves NO residue so it’s best for laundry, and is also the best tolerated by my skin. Some other brands I’ve liked, but after using them for awhile my skin would start getting irritated. I’m not sure if it’s due to ingredients or consistency, but I don’t have sensitive skin otherwise. Other brands I’ve tried (some have since been discontinued): Arm & Hammer Essentials, the crystal, Tom’s, Hey Humans, Native, Raw Sugar, Lush, Saltair. LSF essentially “rubs in” when it’s applied, so the consistency is not an issue & there is no residue to worry about being seen/marking clothes. I’m a heavyset person who typically showers every other day, and LSF still works to cover/combat second day B.O. I got the sampler pack with all scents before committing, which included 10 (I think) small packets of cream deo, and I got 3-5 days of use from each packet. I liked most of the scents but some surprised me, and I definitely found those containing activated charcoal were more effective than the ones without. I just checked my last purchase date was May 31st, I bought 2 jars, and as of Sept 8th I still have 2/3 jar left + I think I use more than they suggest applying! 100% recommend.
Little Seed Farm works well, but all their scents are pointless because the base herbal scent is so strong. It’s all I can smell. The orange one came closest to masking it. The vanilla and cedar at best smells of cedar with no vanilla.
However, their body butter might be the most delicious scent I’ve ever experienced. It’s like birthday cake.
I’ve tried MULTIPLE so-called natural deodorants and have found one that works, doesn’t smell like much of anything, and doesn’t destroy my sensitive skin. It’s called Pretty Frank and is available on Amazon-give it a try!
I use Hiki which is marketed for plus sized women. The deodorant can be applied anywhere on your body and the coconut scent smells great. I became aware of this brand on Facebook a few months ago. I have used Lume in the past, but the new formula burns my skin and I dislike the underlying smell that all of their scents have.
Has anyone tried nfuse yet?
This was an amazing review, very detailed and honest. I’ve experienced the exact same, I’ve tried several different natural deodorants and they just don’t last. They may start out great, and then just stop working or give me a rash. I tried making my own natural deodorant, but it also gave me a rash and/or burned after a short period, due to the baking soda. So my go-to is Dove. I’ve recently gone back to the original Crystal Mineral Deodorant Stick, Unscented for the private areas and it seems to be working very well, even after cardio and weightlifting at the gym, I’m not experiencing any B.O…yet. It’s only been 3 weeks. I haven’t built up the guts to try it on my armpits, only, while at the gym. Hmm, may I’ll just do that tomorrow while doing cardio only, That will be the real test.
Anyway, thanks again for the wonderful review. I appreciated you testing a lot of the natural deodorants I was thinking about trying. Oh, and my husband is the same, what works for him, doesn’t work for me. And he barely puts anyone and still never ever has B.O. and he’s at the gym more than I am and still never stinks. Men’s body compositions are just different from women’s.
Have you tried Myro?
I feel like I spent years searching for the right deodorant! One that keeps me from smelling bad, doesn’t stain my clothes, doesn’t itch, and keeps working long term because going through the search again every few months is exhausting and so frustrating!
Like you, I tried “traditional” ones and then went natural, and then I landed on Myro and I LOVE IT! I’ve been using it for a few years now (I can’t remember exactly when I started, but I was using it before I got pregnant and my twins are already 17 months old, so I’d say at least 2.5-3 years) and it’s still just as good. I only apply it once in the morning and I’m good until the next morning after my shower (and I don’t always shower right when I wake up). I’ve been using the unscented most of the time but found that when I’m somewhere really hot where I do more things (like hiking) it doesn’t last all day. Last year I went on vacation in the summer and got one of their 24-hour scents and it truly lasted at least 24 hours (I didn’t try not reapplying every morning). I also love that it’s a refillable container with recyclable pods.
I went on a natural
deodorant journey around the same time as you and originally settled on Schmidt and native, but only the charcoal ones. My teens love megababe and lume – neither work for me! I recently found glossier’s unscented deodorant and it is by far the best I’ve ever used. No stink, no scent, just nothing. I’m obsessed!
I too was on the search for a natural deodorant. Baking soda causes a rash and some scents from Native work while others don’t.
The only one that I consistently like is Megababe – but only two formulations – the Geo Deo (multi-mineral blend?) and the Smoothie Deo (fruit enzymes).
I’ve been using these two since they were released in 2021 and they work very well, even on non-shower days. I also use the Megababe Space Bar on my pits in the shower and in the shower and I like it but I don’t take it on vacation and I’m fine without it.
Have you tried Tom’s of Maine? It worked great for me (lavender was the scent I liked). I’ve switched to Native for now, since they have a plastic-free packaging option, but am hoping Tom’s brings their cardboard tube back.
Four years ago, I and several other commenters all recommended using Milk of Magnesia. It’s what I continue to use and find 100% effective. People’s Pharmacy offers an easy roll-on version — I prefer the unscented:
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/store/body-care/aluminum-free-mom-milk-of-magnesia-roll-on-deodorant
I just read this article today –it sounds expensive but maybe worth it
https://www.instyle.com/beauty/skin/what-is-miradry
That seems pretty drastic to me, except in case of true axillary hyperhidrosis. Sweating has a pretty essential biological function in controlling body temperature, so any treatment that will eliminate sweat glands seems like it could have some bad unintended effects. Heat stroke is bad news, even before you get to some of the horror stories about Miradry treatments themselves. Even if they’re rare, seems like a pretty big risk if it’s mostly an aesthetic/cosmetic step.
Did you try the crystal stick? I have been using it for 20 some years. It works fantastic , never have to reply it even after exercise.,And I’ve been in the home renovation trade for that full length of time. I’ve even got up the next morning, not showered and didn’t stink till I got really hot and sweaty that’s on the 48-hour mark. If you haven’t tried it give it a shot there’s no sent whatsoever, not sticky, nothing to burn, maybe after freshly shaved
Underarms. I am a vegetarian though, have been most of my life. I have eaten fish when dining out still don’t stink. I really hope it helps you.
Raylene, just be aware that the Crystal deodorants contain aluminum (potassium alum). I assume you’re using Crystal because you want to avoid harmful substances. Aluminum is really toxic to humans, and even though it occurs naturally in the earth, it’s not something we should put in or on our bodies. Lots of articles online, but I think this one is balanced:
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/are-natural-alum-crystal-deodorants-safe
I have created my own plant based, chemical free, vegan skin care line for scrap years now. I have formulated a deodorant that many people love. It does not have baking soda, aluminum, yeasts, or any of the typical ingredients that people react to. It works w your skin’s natural biome & acid environment to defeat bacteria. If you are interested in trying my deodorant, it can be found at http://www.ArcadianBuffalo.com I hope to find it pleases the folks on a quest for a healthy working alternative!
The aluminum in deodorant thing being dangerous is a bogus claim made up in a chain letter during the 90s. We all fell for it, not sure how we haven’t recovered.
I had these issues with deodorant until I went organic. Detoxing was mentioned a couple of times–detoxing won’t consistently work unless we reduce toxins going in. I have used piper wai since it first came out, and most of the time can go a day or two with it (with a shower) without reapplying unless I’m having hormone changes. Remember, you can detox simply by taking large amounts of vitamin c–This will make your deodorant work much better. Think about it this way–If you have a dirty body and you put on clean clothes, you will still smell. Best of luck!!
Nuud! I love it!
Thank you so much for your article on natural deodorants, Alison. I’m so glad to know I’m not the only one to have problems with unreliable deodorants.
I switched to roll-on Crystal Deodorant 20 years ago after using antiperspirants since my teens. I wanted to use something that didn’t have so many chemicals plus I had problems with occasional plugged pores from the antiperspirants. The roll-on Crystal Deodorant has worked perfectly for 20 years. I’ve never worried about offending underarm odors. Then a week ago, I thought I had forgotten to apply my deodorant because of an unexpected funky underarm smell. So I washed and re-applied the Crystal deodorant and went back to what I was doing. An hour later, yikes! the odor was back. Since the roll-on Crystal Deodorant was a new replacement, I thought it hadn’t been shaken up enough or something had been left out of the deodorant’s formula by the manufacturer. It had to be a mistake!! My roll-on Crystal Deodorant wouldn’t do this to me. But, alas, since then I have been experiencing the same odorous problem. Since I’m in my mid-70’s, I was wondering if age-related changes might have had something to do with the deodorant’s let-down. Regardless, I’m on the path to finding something that will work. I’m not ready to have those “old lady” odors yet. ha!
Because my deodorant wasn’t doing it’s job, I decided to “surf the net” to see if the Crystal Deodorant Company had changed it’s formula or if it was being recalled. That’s when I came across your article. What a super find!! …..and with all the researched deodorant products to try!!
As for me, I’m going to stick with Crystal but try the Crystal Stick&Spray combination as noted in the readers comments. If that doesn’t work, I’ll try some the natural deodorants as mentioned in your article. Oh yes, I’m also going to order the liquid Chlorophyll drops for breath and body odors. Since gardening season’s here, I definitely need the liquid Chlorophyll’s additional boost of energy too.
Thank you again for your in-depth research article.
I just subscribed to the Wardrobe Oxygen newsletter and look forward to reading more of these helpful articles.
Try Hume Supernatural. Not Lume. I was confused at first at the name. It’s a probitoic, plant based formula. I have been down many of the roads you mentioned, and most of them have been long and smelly. I’m about a month into this deodorant (using Desert Bloom at the moment) and have been impressed with every aspect of it.
Yes. Please try Hume! I want to know how it works for you.
Cassandra: Are you still using it and any updates? Does it stain? I really want something that works line Lume. It smells weird but not like BO. I don’t smell and the weird smell goes away when I air myself out a bit. My clothes don’t have build up that smells and makes me smell. I occasionally wear an older piece and I can tell from the smell. Even if it smelled like detergent, once I wear it, I smell the funk.
Same for me. I try everything. Some of it works for weeks, Some of it works for an hour, Deodorant, Anti-Perspirant, naturals, Alum blocks, wax sticks, gels, creams… And then just when you get it, everything changes. My bacteria evolve to defeat the deodorants. So I keep switching and try to stay ahead of the little monsters. It is expensive.
Try Little Seed Farm! I’m about to start my third jar and still loving it! I use the jasmine green tea scent and it’s lovely. The trick is to put it on right after the shower when your skin is still damp and make sure it is completely rubbed in to your skin. I used to use Native sensitive formula and it worked for a while but eventually I started smelling like actual garbage. Yuck!
I found this article after searching for possible reasons Lume was amazing at first and then stopped working, making me smell worse than if I hadn’t used deodorant. Have you ever gone on vacation and ran into a museum bathroom to constantly wash your armpits because Lume chose that day to betray you? Not fun! Anyway, I’ve been using thinksport aloe and tea flowers for a couple of years now. I LOVE the scent, and it consistently lasts longer than anything else I’ve used, but I hate the way it goes on. For now, it’s still my go-to because I never have to worry about smelling bad.
Much like everyone else I have tried a zillion different natural deodorants and I’ve found that I have to stay away from baking soda so that limits me. I have found a couple that do seem to work .. ISLAND DEODORANT is one that I’ve used off and on for several years and works good .. They have a baking soda and non baking soda formulation. The second one I just found within the last year is BEEKMAN 1802 MILK STICK … Very light scent which is nice bc I am super particular with natural deodorant smells and it seems to work really well so it’s my go to. I love this article so much so keep the reviews coming!
I stopped using deodorant last year. I stunk. I switched to the crystal. Amazing. I can skip for two days and not smell. Not an antiperspirant but I do understand now how deodorant clogs pores and creates smell.
I love that you took a very detailed journey as you explore what works and doesn’t work. Have you ever tried LUSH deodorant? So far the only deodorant that only worked for me is LUME. Also I find that I stink more when I drink a lot of caffeine, I don’t know why.
All I have to say is YES!!!!!!! Coffee makes me STINK like crazy! I have only one friend who has also admitted this happens with her too.
I am currently using Lume but I find it has a yucky yeasty smell as the day goes on, especially if I wear synthetic fibers. I wish I could FIND natural fibered clothing more easily.
I’m currently using lume but was looking for a backup as I know I’ll need something to put in rotation. Even when I used store brands I’d have to rotate between dove and degree. I tried piper wai and it burned me instantly, I’m so disappointed, I don’t have a husband to give my two containers to lol. I also kept smelling marijuana while wearing piper wai, not quite cat pee! I guess even the tiny bit of baking soda bothers me. I picked up kopari yesterday hopefully that works, if not I’ll just keep making my way thru your list. Thanks for sharing!! Ps lume does smell like yeast but it works and I’m an active person.
I love this article! I’m sick of filtering through all of the regular media/magazine sites and sifting through their top 10 lists.
So I’ve tried a lot of natural deodorants as well and the one that has worked best for me is Schmidts Charcoal Magnesium deodorant. I have had to reapply sometimes, but it’s the only one that’s passed the Texas summer humidity test and the hot yoga test! If there’s another one that can get me through Texas summers I would LOVE to know more!
I haven’t read all the responses because I’d be here all night, but here are the results of my personal investigations so far:
Love and Beauty and Planet: Didn’t work.
Hey Humans: Bought it at Target because it has cardboard packaging. But I hated the smell and it didn’t work.
Dove 0% (no aluminum): I assumed this would work fine, just like regular Dove. It didn’t! No good.
Tom’s of Maine: Again, such a mainstream brand I assumed it would work, but no. It’s a bit better, but not up to Maryland in May. I think I’m headed back to the aluminum-filled ones that actually work. I will continue to follow your adventures -thank you for taking one (many) for the team!
I used Secret antiperspirants all my life until deciding to go “natural”. Secret worked for the most part except during my period and stress days. I’ve been using Tussy Deodorant in a jar for 5 years now. Works great even after working out and stress days. It’s a deodorant so it won’t keep you dry but you won’t smell. Plus it only costs $1.29 a jar. You can order it from Walmart online. Great product!
Also you have to unclog your pores under your arms at least once a month preferably on a weekend. I use ivory soap and a loofah. Do not shave. Then I apply triple antibiotic ointment. No deodorant that day. I haven’t changed my deodorant in 5 years and I have no odor problem.
I stumbled on your site and have to admit … I LOVE your honesty. I feel like we are long-lost sisters …. I, too, have had “success” for the first few days/weeks of trying a new deodorant, and I have tried many many natural deodorants …. only to have complete “FAIL”. My biggest issue now is that I lost my taste/smell with COVID in October. I cannot smell anything … so even trying a new deodorant is fruitless at this point …. hoping this goes away before I lose all my friends! My only solution at this point … shower twice a day. (PS: I actually smell my pits …. hoping and praying … that I can smell BO!!!!!!!!)
Piper wai cream in the jar has finally stopped (or contained?) my b.o. I can wake up in the morning barely smelling, and my shirts can be worn a second day! Piper wai roll on was completely ineffective. I smelled within 2 hours. Previously, Secret worked for a 4 hours or so, on a cool, non strenuous day.
I have been using Crystal deodorant stick and spray for the past 4 years and have really liked it. The fragrance for the spray that I prefer is chamomile & green tea. The Crystal stick is unscented. It’s mineral salts. You must apply it on clean skin.
The roll on was also good, but I prefer the Crystal stick & spray combo the most. I did not like their more traditional deodorant. The smell was weird to me and it would sometimes irritate my skin.
My regimen is to rub the crystal stick all over my pits (whole area, not just crease) and then apply a few squirts of the spray. Then if I feel like I need a refresher during the day or at night I just use the spray. The Crystal stick can also last up to a year, so super economical!!
CRYSTAL Deodorant Stick (30003), Unscented, 4.25 Ounce https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000L978FU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_MDH93JG2TBW6WTJBPRB4
I honestly suggest trying Dr. Squatch’s Natural Deodorant. It works all day for me and even after sweating or working out or during work, it still smells great. They don’t usually stain at all for me but it’s happened a few times. Other than that, it’s great, my sister and my mom love their scents. Birchwood breeze is our favorite deodorant.
I should also add that I stains always come out and it happens every once in a while for me personally.
I used my husband’s Dr. Squatch hoping that it would work, it didn’t.
I have tried so many natural deodorants only to be disappointed every time. Some work for a few days while others did not last a few hours.After reading the reviews on this site I now know feel like we are on a mission to share what works. I currently have two options that work for me.
Wash your arm pits with water only ( No soap ever) dab a small amount of Phillips Milk of Magnesia on a cotton ball and apply it to your under your armpits. It dries in 20 secs, you will be odor free all day even after a gym work out. Detox your arm pits with a capful of vinegar once per week or every couple weeks if you need an extra boost of clean. No stinging if you shave, no white residue on your clothes and no rash ever! The key to this is no soap in your pits.
Another option that works for me is Peoples Pharmacy MOM unscented or scented deodorant.
Not sure if its mentioned since I didn’t read all 300+ comments. I love Each and Every. My favorite scent is Geranium and Snow Mushroom. They have quite a few and all are available in trial and full size.
I just bought a jar of deodorant cream from Little Seed Farm (Grapefruit Lemon scent) and a few of their soap bars. They’re goat milk based. I, too, have used Lume since they first came out, however they’ve changed the formula twice now… and all of their new scents smell like stinky poo poo cat turds or a burnt crusty BO coconut. Hopefully the LSF cream works out well, so I can sadly throw all that Lume I bought in the garbage can (shame because it was so expensive).
This is the next one I am thinking bout trying..how did it work for you?
Just swipe rubbing alcohol underarms following shower for effective odor control.
I love love loved this post. I was looking for reviews on new products because my salt rock only approach was leaving me feeling less than fresh later in the day (though I do love that it leaves zero residue on my clothes). So far the longest lasting one I have found was Primal Pit Paste (the charcoal one is baking soda free), but it leaves a residue on my clothes slightly staining them. I can say the burning you experienced with the grapefruit one was likely “phytophotodermatitis”, or bartenders rash, which is when citric acid reacts with UV light (I found this out the very painful-like-poison-ivy way using a lime bergamot natural deodorant). I have also discovered garlic to be a big cause of much B.O. for myself as well as friends that go the natural deodorant way. I will definitely be checking out a couple of the ones in your post. Thank you for the honest, and humorous, reviews!
I like primal pit paste also.
I try to switch my deodorant often and keep them on rotation, which may improve skin issues or effectiveness.
I really like some of the scents of Routine’s baking soda free deodorant and love that they sell tiny little samples so you can test the scents, but I don’t love applying it with my finger from a tub.
I have incredibly sensitive underarms with bad scarring under one and the point thing I’ve been able to use for years without a reaction is Secret’s cocoa butter scent. Routine didn’t bother me and I recently tried out Native with success as well, but 2 of the 3 scents in the trial pack I got smell awful.
I don’t think it’s “natural,” but I have been using Kiehl’s for years and love it. Hasn’t lost any effectiveness yet (knock on wood). Expensive, but worth every penny. https://shopstyle.it/l/bseWG
Omg, thanks for bringing up hormone stank. I thought I was deoderant proof, and it really ratcheted up when I started menopause!
No natural deodorant ever worked on me until I tried Schmidt’s. A few years back I went to a big Highland Games event and it was over 90 degrees out (unusual for the Pacific Northwest). We were there from mid morning until evening, outside in a big crowd. On the walk back to the car my friend said all she wanted was to get home and shower. I concurred but then I swiped my fingers under my underarm and was shocked all there was was the smell of the deodorant still. Not sweat or odor smell at all. My fav scents are the Earl Grey & Coconut Milk one and the Tang-Yang & Candela one. Neither really leave any color on your clothes as well (like the Rose & Vanilla one does).
Have you tried Crystal deodorant? They have a roll on and the solid mineral salt. I prefer the solid. You may still have wetness but I feel it helps with odor. So far many natural deodorants either make me stink or irritate my skin. Crystal does not.
Has anyone tried Slick Pits? Looks like a new product on the market! Has an awesome IG feed (@slick.pits) and seems believable! Think I might just try it! It grabbed my attention because it doesn’t have baking soda and a lot of these natural deodorants have baking soda which irritates my skin ugh.
Have you tried Pit Liquor from Distilled Bath and Body? That’s my next try. I have my fingers crossed.
I could cry, finding out I’m not the only one! I saw the ad for Lume and got so excited you could use it “anywhere”. I won’t after reading the comments. But I’m very sensitive to dairy and sugar, and my “nether regions” and breath get So Horrendous. It’s embarrassing!!!! I loved Native for years but then tried the Lavender and got a rash so bad I Couldn’t put my Left arm down. So now I’m trying to naturally solve my stink EVERYWHERE. I want to try the Chlorophyl drops. And am wondering if the Lavilin soap works well on the vag and butt. Please keep posting!
Hey Jen,
So i would suggest you actually try Lume, I have ALWAYS struggled with bad smells coming from my nether regions, i could shower and within a few hours it’d be smelly down there. I tried anti fungals thinking I had an infection and nothing worked. It’s affected my confidence and everything. I very recently decided to try lume (like this past week recently) because I said what the heck, what do I have to lose??? And it’s honestly completely exceeded my expectations. I have ZERO scent down there now, where as before it’d be skanky no matter what, i went two days without bathing, and still had zero scent, whereas before it would get pretty smelly. I’d say give it a try, it might work for you. I am a little worried now that it might stop working like it did for the blogger, because I have not been this fresh probably since before i started puberty, and I’m 36 now! If it continues to be this effective I’ll be a customer FOR LIFE. Good luck, if you try it, i hope it works for you like it’s doing for me.
I think Lume changed their formula. It was working flawlessly for me for nearly two months. All of a sudden, I smell like onions within hours. Super disappointed.
Lume was kinda fun and exciting to try bc of their ads, but the scented ones started off nice, hours later, the niceness did a 180° to staaanky. I even wrote to them to no avail. Not good customer service. Bye bye a lume…
Their return policy says it all. YOU have to pay shipping for returning a product they make… and it is SO expensive in the first place.
Do give Lume a try! I found it to be a gamechanger, and it has worked well everywhere I have used it. Formulas for things like deodorant, especially the natural formulae, do react differently with every person’s individual body chemistry. I look at it in a way as that the non-natural deodorant/antiperspirants may be less reactive and more reliable because they OVERRIDE and OVERPOWER your body chemistry. So it isn’t surprising that natural deodorants produce different results and experiences for different people at different times. I really love the Lume and am looking forward to ordering more.
I tried it and smelled like a homeless alcoholic.
The chlorophyll drops or the lavelin soap? And hilarious description!
What about Beautycounter deodorant?
“Death By Lavender” made by North Coast Organics:
This is the only natural deodorant that has ever worked for me. I love it, the scent is extremely subtle, and it lasts FOREVER. I’ve been using it for 2 years and I’m only on my 3rd stick! Highly recommend.
I love Nuud. The detox was dreadful, as was the shirt clean-out, but I’m about to order my fourth tube (a small to try plus a two-pack of the larger size has lasted me about 15 months, if memory serves) it definitely struggles against hormone stank, but it’s better against my body’s normal funk than anything else I’ve tried. I don’t shower daily (except aforementioned hormone stank) and I find that I can go two days on one application. It claims to survive normal showering, but I always feel the need to reapply after, even if I wasn’t bad going in. For hormone sweats, I usually have to do daily to twice daily.
How long was the detox for you? I just started using Nuud a week ago and I’ve never smelled this bad in my life… I’m trying to hang in there in hopes that it gets better. I’m currently washing my pits morning, mid day and evening with antibacterial soap
If memory serves, the detox lasted a few days, but I’d been on and off things like the crystal stick for years, so I wasn’t too jammed up.
i’m in love with Nuud, but i think the full detox for me lasted a good 2 to 3 months. tho i’ve never tried a natural deoderant before switching to this one, so maybe it took longer? but i think expecting to get your body used to something totally natural after decades of toxic substances is going to take longer that a week or 2. fortunatley, i did the switch during covid lockdown, so only my bf had to smell me, LOL. now i go 2-3 days before putting more on, and i exercise every day!
Yes! I’m in love with nuud, but read the article here because I’m curious about lume for other areas of the body but have such extremely sensitive skin.
I too am in the search for the perfect deodorant. I currently have a newborn and with the amount of food (and meat) I’ve been consuming for breastfeeding, I stink. My husband doesn’t smell even after a heavy sweaty workout. But I am blessed with strong BO.
The only thing that ever my armpit odor away was a yeast infection that left my pits itchy for weeks. After clearing it up with antifungal cream I was odor free for a few months! I guess all the smelly bacteria died off and had to repopulate but now it’s back with vengeance. I guess it was awesome when it lasted. Thanks for your honest and funny reviews!
The Evolve Organic Beauty one is superb: https://www.evolvebeauty.co.uk/collections/best-natural-deodorant . Much better than others I’ve tried, even in really hot weather or when exercising. I’m not sure if it ships to the USA, though.
I think you should try Smarty Pits. I really like it. It works for me with cardio and weight training.
Smarty Pits really works! I’ve been trying various natural deodorant for the past 2 years now. Ive tried it all from Lavanilla, Toms, Little Seed farm and literally dozens of others. The only ones that have work to any lasting degree were Death by Lavender and Lume. Even those lost effectiveness at around a month of use. I was losing my mind until I found a study by Dr. Callewaert observing how the armpits microbiome can be damaged by regular deodorant or even sharing a shirt or a washing machine with someone with funky body bacteria. This really hit home for me as I’ve been struggling with my smelly pits since my lifelong reliable deodorant mysteriously stopped working in college. It happened almost over night and I’ve never known why, but after reading his study it suddenly made sense. I was sharing clothes regularly with roomates and friends/using public washers for the first time in my life. In his study Dr Callewaert did a bacteria transplant from someone with a healthy microbiome…. But I won’t lie the process is a little gross and I’m no doctor so I figured the next best thing was to try and nourish the good bacteria to bring balance back to the kingdom of my pits.
There’s plenty of hype surrounding probiotic deodorant right now and they all promise to do just that. What they don’t tell you is that the “probiotic cultures” in their deodorant is made up of the same bacteria in your Greek yogurt. Why? Because it’s cheap and readily available. Good for your gut? You bet! Good for your armpits? The bacteria literally die as soon as you put the deodorant on because they just weren’t made to live in your pits. Poor little guys.
Smarty Pits is the only deo I found that doesn’t use that weird probiotic cocktail. Instead they use plant based prebiotic fiber and baking soda to help balance your skin’s acid mantle and get your pits back to normal.
Ive been using smarty pits for 2 months now and it’s completely changed my life. I used to smell a little even immediately after scrubbing my pits in the shower. Now even if I forget to put my deodorant on I don’t have to have an anxiety attack because my pits just dont smell that bad anymore. Huzzah!!
Thank you! I am going to try Smarty Pits. Lume has begun to make me smell worse than I did before using it.
Try primal pit paste.. in charcoal!!
It’s not “natural”, but Old Spice has quite a few aluminum-free deodorants. I was a Secret Clinical girl forever when I ran out one day, tried my husband’s, it worked, and when I went to the store to re-buy I realized Old Spice came in a 2-pack for $5!
Two caveats to Old Spice: 1. Check the scents in the store before you buy, because some of them are weird. 2. Old Spice is not intended for users who shave their armpits. I use the gel because I found that the solid cakes up and makes it impossible to shave without clogging my razor with deodorant. And it stings when applied to freshly-shaved pits.
I don’t know if you or any of your readers have the same issue that I do, where basically I smell immediately after showering (even after scrubbing my armpits with a clean washcloth and soap and then also washing with body wash). This makes it basically impossible for any kind of deodorant or antiperspirant to work on me. What I’ve found work best is using Hibiclens on my armpits, then spraying with Scully’s Deodormint, and once that dries, applying a stick deodorant (currently using Native’s coconut vanilla which works fine as long as I follow the steps listed above). I have tried dozens of natural deodorants and the problem is that I have overactive aprocrine glands and soap doesn’t seem to eliminate the bacteria. So an antimicrobial soap is the only thing that gives any sort of deodorant or antiperspirant a chance to work!
Try using a pure Castile soap like Dr. Bronners. Life changing.
Lol all that ever did was dry my skin. I stink before I’m out of the shower.
A clerk at Merz Apothecary in Chicago gave me a hot tip: Use crystal deodorant first. Once dry, use a natural deodorant on top. I have had success with this method and use Thai Crystal (the crystal brands are all the same) followed by Native Sensitive solid (no baking soda) as the second layer.
I’ve had good luck with Aromaco from Lush of all places. it comes in a solid that goes on very smoothly. If you go into the store, they will cut off as much as you want of a larger block.
Maybe this sounds silly but have you considered buying two deodorants & switching between them at any given time? It might help to have a rotating basis of two every few weeks or so, rather than trying to finish one brand & finding it starts to stink. Personally I just use Arm & Hammer – even though I’m a very smelly, sweaty & hairy person (thanks, genetics!) it gets the job done. Usually don’t have to reapply unless I’ve been working out heavily/ stuck in brutal humidity all day.
Attitude (Canadian brand) recently launched a line of natural deodorants in cardboard containers. I like them but I do not need to use strong deodorants. Maybe you could give them a try?
As a great affordable option (maybe to alternate) I love WELEDA roll-on 24h deodorant in citrus. Not sure if it’s in stores in the states but should be on amazon.
There are so many comments that I didn’t have time to read through them all, so maybe this has been brought up. I started using Schmidts Magnesium and Charcoal because of a blogger recommendation(One of the writers at Emily Henderson’s blog) and it works better than my drugstore deodorant. It’s about seven dollars at Target. I tried Tom’s as an introduction to natural deodorants and it would work enough on an easy day of no heat or exercise but any activity with a lot of sweat and I smelled. This Shmidt’s works even with a hard workout. I love it and don’t use the drugstore one anymore. Hopefully it won’t stop working. It has a very faint fresh smell when it goes on but that goes away fast so it is pretty odorless. That has been my problem with a lot of deodorants, I want them to be unscented. It is a medium charcoal color which is a visual distraction, but I haven’t had the color get on my clothes.
never tried the one you mention but after hearing it contains magnesium, I believe it. Magnesium is a surprisingly effective deodorant. I make my own deodorant with magnesium oil that both my husband use. My husband was very skeptical but he tried it and loves it. He claims it’s so effective he doesn’t even need to use it everyday. I do use it everyday because as a side benefit the magnesium is absorbed through your skin and it saves me from buying a separate magnesium supplement. I also use it on my scalp once a week because it’s very good for hair too.
For me, any deodorant combining charcoal and magnesium appears to work well. Schmidt’s has expanded their charcoal & magnesium-based line with Water & Wood and Here & Now (sensitive), if you’re interested in switching up your scent slightly. Right now I’m taking a break from Schmidt’s with Raw Sugar Vanilla Bean & Charcoal. I’ve had very few issues with stains or odor with any of the above, though the Schmidt’s does pull and pill a bit on underarm hair if I’m in a hurry and don’t let it warm to my body – I only routinely remove underarm hair in summer.
My first foray into natural deodorant was Schmidt’s Rose & Vanilla – an oily, skunky disaster that I handed off to my kid who asked for deodorant (he’s 7 and not stinky, but active and eager to feel grown up).
Corpus. I have been using it for 2 years and it has not failed once. No rash, no itch, no cat pee.
I love Corpus too! Smells amazing. I use Santalum…unisex scent…there are lots of options.
I think coming across this blog and reading all the comments was eye opening! I went through menopause early and started having issues with deodorant/antiperspirants no longer working like they once did. I switched up brands so many times I lost count. Tried every single commercial and natural one available on the market (including mens & clinical ones) even the solid crystal salts….I’d either break out in a rash or they were ineffective.
Bought Lume well over a year ago…and FINALLY something that works…..no rash…..all day protection, HALLELUJAH!!!
We tried the Unscented and Lavender Sage, both worked equally well and the scent wasn’t strong or last long at all…perfect…doesn’t compete with our fragrances. I was soooo happy , that I placed a large second order in a few different scents, and loved all of them….Hubbie started using…loved them too!
Then during lock down I was running low, so placed a huge order (as there was a discount sale on) and several new scents to try…but, sadly I could not be MORE DISAPPOINTED!!!
They recently — unbeknownst to the general public — changed (“new & improved”) the formula and it no longer works for more than 4-5 hours on me and after a week I got a very bad rash!!! The new formula is barely scented at all and has a strange chemical smell in the container.. I was truly shocked at first, and thought it was just a bad batch, so opened all of them checking on amount of fragrance, no luck!
I wrote the company to discuss my options — since I’d spent almost $100 — they said I could send only one opened container back for a refund, because they don’t take returns on opened ones.
WHAT?!?
You completely changed the product, added “unnatural” ingredients, removed the natural frangrace and never notified the consumer….I call that false advertising!
Guess they’re not too concerned about their customers, huh?
So, basically I’m back at the beginning again searching for a natural deodorant that works and won’t give me a rash…..a needle in a giant haystack, UGH!
I guess I’ll be ordering new ones to try…wish me luck…I’m going to need it in this constant hot humid South Florida weather!
Oh no! I have used and loved Lume for several years now — it works literally 100% of the time for me, zero stink. I hope I don’t have the same experience with the new formula 🙁
It doesn’t work for me! Maybe only 2-4 hours after application on clean pits. Then boom stank begins
I’m so glad I’m not alone. ALL OF THE SUDDEN, it isn’t working well for me at all. Used to be great – sure I had the occasional BO the next day, but recently, more and more often, it seems to be really bad the next morning (As a matter of fact, I just found this article, because as I was sitting here on a work conference call, I realized that I stunk – and it hasn’t even been 24 hours since my last shower – so I went searching for info on why it would stop working.) I’m glad to find that I’m not the only one, but really disappointed, because I really loved this product, and it had been working for well over a year and a half before this.
I’ve been using Lume for almost two years and have been stink free/rash free the entire time. Ordered two sticks back in December – lavender sage, my favorite. Opened one of the sticks and immediately noticed it smelled different. I didn’t think anything of it and continued to use up the rest of my tube. Then I put the ‘new & improved’ Lume on my pits. It. Was. Horrible. The smell was like cheap Dollar Store lotion. I tried it a second day and could not handle the smell. I reached out to the company and asked about the change in scent and received the same message about changing their binder based on customer feedback. They are going in the trash as I cannot return them. I will try some of the ones suggested in the article and in the comments.
I’ve purchased Lume recently in the scent, Jasmine Rose, both the stick and the tube. This is my first time ever trying Lume and I thought the jasmine rose scent can’t be a bad choice. However, I noticed that Lume has a very disagreeable smell underneath the floral scent of the product. It has a cheesy smell which made me think that perhaps I may have gotten a bad batch, or that my two are old and going bad. The smell is terrible, but I still use the stick because after a while the smell of cheese and flowers disappears and so far I haven’t had a problem with wild smelling body odor. It’s just getting through the initial application of eau de cheese. Needless to say, that I will not be repurchasing Lume. Killing body odor with something that stinks itself just does not work for me.
I’ve also been on a natural deodorant journey. It’s not the sweating that bothers me but the stink! Two that liked but I am thinking I didn’t give enough of a chance are: Alvera All Natural Roll On Deodorant. I like the Almond and Aloe Vera but I would like to try other scents.
Nfuse Magnesium Roll On Deodorant. I use the Rosemary Mint. Lately I’ve been using it on a return bike ride from swimming… biking home for about 15 min in the Louisiana heat and I don’t feel stinky when I return home. But I need to bring it to the next level and wear all day……
Would love your research results on Alvera and Nfuse as well.
thank you for your research and dedication. this post made me crack up. i am in the same position, i really liked lume during the winter when i’m not sweating but now that i had my second baby and it’s over 100 degrees every day its not cutting it. i stink so bad! i really didnt want to go back to regular deodorant (axe gold for me is what worked) because it leaves a film on me and makes my skin rough and dark. i will be checking out some of the ones you tried and others mentioned in the comments. i cant do anything with baking soda either, i tried toms and my rash was so bad I woke up with what looked like ground beef smeared across both armpits and had to call out sick from work so i could put ice packs on my armpits all day. please keep updating us on different ones you try!
I am so grateful your post found me! I am fairly new to natural deodorants (secret clinical all the way!). When I was pregnant with my first kid 3+ years ago, I switched to a Crystal roll on that worked perfectly, but I think it was the hormones bc once the babe was born and I was done breastfeeding, it stopped working. Currently using Native which seems to work but has turned my pits into a dark mess (due to the baking soda). So I tried Schmidt’s sensitive which is free of baking soda, but after 3 days I broke out into the worst rash that I am still recovering from. I have been getting IG ads for Lume and Nuud and am interested in trying either one. Lume seems to be working for most Based on the comments I’ve read here, but am curious about Nuud. I’m excited to continue following you on your journey as I begin mine ❣️
I have been using Nuud for at least 6 months now. I like it very much. I apply it daily even though it states you can go longer. I do get a slight B.O. smell after working out, but that happened for me even when I used regular deodorant. It does not have any scent and it is not sticky at all. You only have to use a small amount, so a tube of it lasts for quite a while. It comes from The Netherlands, but it still arrives quickly to the U.S.
I have tried most of the deodorants mentioned. I have never been truly happy with any of them. I have been using Saje natural deodorant for a couple of months, and I love it. It really works and lasts all day. It’s a spray mineral salt with a bit of fragrance. I highly recommend it.
Does the spray nozzle ever clog up? I’ve been using a similar salt spray deodorant but the salt always ends up clogging up the nozzle/hole. Very annoying.
I am on week 3 of Pit Liquor. The concept seems good, but I am still detoxing.
How about trying and reviewing “typeA” deodorant? I’ve been using lume,and it’s been working for me for about 2 months, but it’s expensive.
I have tried Tom’s (didn’t work), Love, Beauty, and planet (didn’t work), Lume (worked but I might be allergic to…at least some scents), and Each and Every. My daughter has also tried Native and Schmidts and wasn’t satisfied.
You should definitely try Each and Every, it seems to be the best that we’ve found so far.
I absolutely love Each & Every! It is the only one that has worked for me. The Cannabis and Green Tea is the best, as I don’t like super strong scents.
I love this post. Have tried many but not all of the list. Currently still using Lume that lasts enough for a whole day of low activity but still better than anything else I have tried. I am curious about Ethique solid deodorant which has bamboo in it and is baking soda free. But this is fun to follow, thank you for being the worlds guinea pig!
I love this post. Have tried many but not all of the list. Currently still using Lume that lasts enough for a whole day of low activity but still better than anything else I have tried. I am curious about Ethique solid deodorant which has bamboo in it and is baking soda free. But this is fun to follow, thank you for being the worlds guinea pig!
Could you please try crystal deodorants next!
I totally agree with crystal deodorants! I’ve used them now for decades and found the crystal to be the most effective. Inexpensive, non- irritant and last forever (unless you drop and break it, lol!)
I was going to write about Crystal as well! I use the liquid roll on in the lavender scent to moisten my pits, then use the rock on top of that, has worked well for me for several years! However I will say I recently discovered they make a spray version that I was excited to try but it gave me the dreaded armpit rash that I’m now trying to clear up, need to take another look at the ingredient list to see if there’s baking soda in the spray….
Thank you so much for a detailed and regularly updated post! I’ve tried many of the same, with similar results. Would love to see you review By Humankind next! The ingredients seem somewhat promising, so I’d love to see how it compares
I use EO tea tree and lavender spray. It works. When I’m lazy I’ll find any kind of lotion, stick two drops of doTerra’s onguard and call it a day. Yes, you’ll smell like on guard but better than BO. On the less lazy days I’ll do onguard with coconut oil. I live in 100F plus weather in summer. It’s not humid though…and like you said, chemistry is different.
That said, I’ve heard others say they use tea tree (aka melaleuca) with the coconut oil and it’s worked for them. I don’t like tea tree so much (which is why I don’t use the spray that often) but if you don’t mind it, give it a go.
I just ordered lume because of the commercials, lol. I just put it on and I’m feeling a little sting, so not sure about it. I came looking to the internet to see if there were others who got the sting thing. Haven’t found it yet, but loved your review of stuff!
I got the sting using lume too and it smells bad on me makes my clothes stink. I read amazon reviews with people with chemical burns so I stopped after it stung so it wouldn’t get to that point
I used Degree I scented for a couple of years, but then realized I had slight BO even right after a shower. My armpits had a glaze, for lack of a better word, that seemed to have sealed in the BO smell. And they sort of hurt, maybe like a slight rash would feel. I decided to stop wearing deoderant, snd being in the middle OF THE COVID Pandemic quarantine seemed like a good time to try it. For a week, I scrubbed and shaved my armpits ours every day,, and followed with a bit of Lady Anti Monkey Butt powder, which is mainly cornstarch and calamine powder. My armpits immediately felt better. Six weeks later, I’m only using Lady Anti Monkey Butt powder as deodorant. Just realized I don’t even think about using deodorant anymore? And even went bike riding yesterday, snd didn’t smell. However, we haven’t hit fill in summer yet, and I’ll probably have to go back to regular deodorant at some point, but my armpits feel SO much better after six weeks with the powder. It’s good stuff.
Young Living’s Mountain Mint Aroma Guard. It lasts 24 hours for me, starting with a clean body, and touch ups work really well if I need a few more hours before a shower is convenient. The scent is peppermint, to myself, I smell a little like candy, in a good way, so even if people smell it they probably just think someone has eaten a mint, so I think it blends in with our society, haha. This has now been my go-to for at least two years. It doesn’t stop you from sweating, but that’s healthy, right? I’ve never tried anything better for me. Here’s to your search!
I started Lume a couple of months ago, and I thought I had found my best deodorant ever. It worked perfectly for the first few weeks. I used the whole ‘stick’ and then ordered the tube, both unscented. I have to say that I am glad I am not alone in the stink department. Where at first I was lasting an entire day, sometimes til the next day, with zero stink and minimal sweat…now I shower and scrub really well in the morning and all I do is sit in front of a computer and am sweating and totally stinky within like an hour! I was wondering if maybe I should get a scented one. But I should not just be completely smelling in less than two hours! This happens even with a new shirt, no shirt, a tank top…I have gone and taken the shirt off to see if it is “lingering smell” but nope, it is me.
I scrub, completely dry, apply in the entire pit area, every crease…and still stink. Imagine if I were actually moving around!!! I am so disappointed. Of course it works perfectly for my husband. smh.
I recently purchased Lume and it doesn’t work very well. My clothes have a funk and there is NO WAY I would last 72 hours without stink! I’m in the same boat as you, I can do barely anything and smell bad. The ONLY thing that works is baking soda mixed with water into a pasted…I can use it and not have it irritate my skin like so many other people do. BUT it stains dark clothing (not permanently) so you get lovely pit stains when you sweat, PLUS it kind of drops from your skin when first applied. I cannot use regular deodorants, I smell way worse than if I didn’t use anything. It must be something with our body make-up? I wish I could be normal in that area! SO embarrassing!
I normally use Degree, but want to switch to a Natural deodorant. I have tried both the Lavender Sage and the Jasmine Rose and for me, they both off an off-scent to them. I can’t get past it. It does work at eliminating the ammonia scent BO I have in my nether region, but that sour off-scent is just to much for me. I bought a few more to try. type:A Deodorant – Natural Active Ingredients, (The Dreamer – White Floral) and Ursa Major Natural Deodorant – Hoppin’ Fresh.
This post is gold- please do update it!!
I’m a stinky human and have tried so many of the things, with similar experiences. Lime worked great for me for two weeks!!! And then I started to smell like a dirty frozen burrito I left in the microwave food too long.
Then I switched back to dove antiperspirant. Which I still don’t love.
I just heard of Nuud Deodorant and ordered a bottle. Hopefully it works! Seems sciency enough (then again, so did Lume). We shall see!
I have been using Nuud for almost a year and love it (but dont love having to apply with my fingers). The big test is summer weather!
Native caused my armpits to stain badly. I loved Lume until it broke me out. Magsol was next one I thought it was promising. Magsol Jasmine scent in travel size was working well but scent was not my favorite. Bought Masol lemongrass as full size, and was disappointed (didn’t apply smoothly, almost felt like there was sand in it). Then tried Routine (pretty glass bottle, Canadian brand, pricey). It was working good then at the end of finishing the jar, broke me out. Now using Myro. I tried Myro at the same time with Lume. Lume was better at controlling odor, so stopped using it. Myro seems to be controlling odor, but it feels little too wet when I apply. Luckily doesn’t seem to stain my clothes or my armpit.
But just came across Nuud. Thinking about trying it. Anyone had success with it?
Hi Alison,
I too have tried a million different natural deodorants. I live in South Carolina and I need something that WORKS. I can’t wear anything with baking soda in it, which rules out most of the popular brands. The only one I’ve tried that actually works (meaning I don’t smell) is Real Purity. But most miraculously, I don’t have WET arm pits. Did I mention I live in South Carolina? It’s not the most wonderful scent—it’s rather herbal smelling, but I find it works best. Anyhow, just thought I’d share!
Thank you for your honest reviews, Alison! We are over the moon that our Apothekari Lavender Bergamot deodorant is working for you and fingers crossed that it continues to do so. Thanks also for letting us know about your issues with the Grapefruit Ginger. Your feedback will help us to improve. Hope you and your family are safe and healthy during these extraordinary times.
I’m glad that I stumbled across this blog, and that you gave Allison some of your product to try. I have long wanted to switch to natural deodorant, but have not really had luck with any that I’ve tried. I’m very active, and a firefighter by occupation. I get sweaty on a daily basis at work. I’m also potentially exposed to different chemicals every day at work and since so much is absorbed through our pores, I’m trying to “clean up” my skincare since that, at least, I can control. I’m ordering some of your Lavender Bergamot and I’m excited to try it out. Fingers crossed! 😉
So excited to hear this. Creating the deodorant has been a labor of love. I really hope that you enjoy using it and thanks for your order! 🙂 Sharmani
Any luck with distribution via Amazon or something in US? Interested…but don’t want to pay $12 shipping in addition.
Not on Amazon, but possible in future? You’re welcome to contact us directly – not sure if posting details goes against this page’s guidelines so don’t want to do that here, but you can find details on our site.
Is APOTHEKARI still in business?
Yes, my friend just placed an order recently! It is a small business so the site may be wonky at times (I can relate with this site!) but you can shop at: https://apothekari.com/ and the deodorant is at https://apothekari.com/skincare-products/category/deodorant/
I ordered a deodorant salt from Amazon, and found it work great. I only have to use once a day..even during hotter months. The down fall for me is it does burn after you apply it to freshly shaved armpits.
No one here has mentioned Soapwalla deodorant. I’ve been using it for 3+ years. It is actually all natural unlike a lot of other ‘natural’ deodorants. Just because it is aluminium free, does not mean it isn’t filled with out toxins. I’ve tried lots over the years:
Tom’s of Maine still has crap in it and the boyfriend stunk. I tried a million and one homemade recipes and had horrendous rashes. Even without baking soda, the rashes were so bad, I couldn’t wear a shirt or put my arms against my sides. It looked like I had chemical burns. I tried every natural options for 3 years and nothing but burns Seriously, who puts up with burnt armpits for that long??? I went back to Dove for a few years and then I back natural again. First with PitPaste. It was okay. Nothing great, but not terrible. Then I found Soapwalla! I’ve used the lavender, the citrus and the sensitive. I enjoy them all. I apply immediately after I get out of the shower at night. I do not reapply in the morning. Most of the year that is fine. In the heat of the summer or after a very sweaty day, I do not smell fresh and clean, but I do not stink. I just accept that it is natural deodorant and sometimes you have to wipe the pits down and reapply in sweaty situations. I’ve tried Schmidt’s too and the first couple of days I had a bad rash. I went back to Soapwalla to let it heal and then tried Schmidt’s again and no rash. Every once in a while, I get irritation, but I only get a bad rash if I change things up.
For a variety of reasons, I still prefer to use an antiperspirant. However, I’m extremely sensitive to most scents (migraine), so it’s been a struggle. Many unscented products either aren’t actually unscented or smell faintly like plastic. My compromise is to use unscented Dove Dry Spray antiperspirant topped with EO Lavender deodorant. On weekends, I usually just use the EO. It’s not ideal to use 2 products, but, for me, it beats the alternative.
Thank you for the post. I have gone through almost all of the ones you have and the same reactions.
I was getting rashes even from the regular ones. I thought it was just me.
Have you tried Each & Every? Really good highly recommend!
Thank you for the post. I have gone through almost all of the ones you have and the same reactions.
I was getting rashes even from the regular ones. I am excited to try out Lume
https://pitpolish.com/
This has been a regular in my rotation of natural deodorants for the last 3-4 years! I rotate it with Fat and The Moon, Primal Pit Paste, Native and Meow Meow Tweet.
Have you thought about trying Native again? I know it gave you a rash but I wonder if you gave it another whirl that the same thing would happen. I went on a similar journey (although in a Far less articulate and organized way) and landed on Native and haven’t looked back. I’m SO curious how it would hold up against these others you’ve since tried.
They also have a baking soda free one that does not give people rashes! That’s the one I’ve been using for a few years now.
In the winter, magnesium oil works for me, but I like something a little stronger in warm weather.
I’ve bought just about every “natural” deodorant I’ve run across, but I kept getting rashes. Then I found Schmidt’s sensitive and been using it for at least a year. I like the jasmine, lavender and geranium scents. My family likes the sensitive coconut pineapple. I recently tried vetiver with sage, I love vetiver, but I think sage smells too much like BO. So, I haven’t been as happy with it. The buildup on my shirts’ armpits is annoying (I think I apply more deo than my family, because their shirts don’t have the symptom), I’ve begun spraying them before I put them in the wash.
I have found that, for me, the best option is straight magnesium oil. It takes some getting used to. It can sting the first few times you use. But it lasts me roughly 12 hours in the muggy heat of the south. Apply in the morning and go about my day and apply again after my shower in the evening. And it helps the body restore it’s magnesium levels. Two for one, gotta love that.
My husband started using and alum salt bar. You have to wet it, rub it on, the.n let it dry. It has worked so well for him. He used to smell so bad no matter how much he showered and deodorized. It may need to be reapplied during really hot days (Texas heat), but it’s been a nose saver and clothes saver. I have been able to use Thai Potassium Alum spray after showers with success, and clinical strength deodorant doesn’t work well for me at all.
Lume works great on my feet! What I am finding is that if my pits are damp at all, Lume doesn’t work as well. BUT if I make sure they are very dry, Lume works very well. I apply in the mornings and usually don’t have to reapply until possibly evening if I’m going somewhere. If I shower at night I usually do apply after. I used Piperwei for a couple of years and really liked it. But it is messier than I like compared to Lume unscented.
What has helped me a ton with my menopausal stink is changing soaps. Now I only use homemade natural tea tree soap. There are a couple of liquid tea tree soaps but they were too strong. I went on Etsy and found a lime tea tree bar soap that I love. Between using tea tree and a regular deodorant my stench is gone. I love this post thank you so much.
Hi Nina!
Do you mind sharing the link to the soap?
Thank you!
Sabrina
I switched to Lune over 6 months ago and it still works for me. I have to make sure I cover my pit area thoroughly though. If I miss a spot it will smell. I don’t like the feeling of having wet pits but at least I don’t stink. I also don’t like the way Lume smells (I’ve tried a few scents) but I find that it fades very quickly. I haven’t order any recently because I bought a two pack and it lasts me a while. I am hope they have not changed the formula.
This post is a godsend!! Used 2 1/2 tubes of lume faithfully until I broke out in a crazy rash right after i ordered a three pack. Called company and they offered z refund but now I’m stuck trying to find a new product. Tom’s is a joke but may try the Kai product based on those reviews. Soaking my pits in apple cider vinegar as my doctor told me to apply lomotrin for now. Not happy..
YES TO THIS! I used Lume for a couple of months and it was perfect and around May I began to stink terribly! I’m not sure why and I am still on the hunt. I just ordered “Type A” brand. I wonder what will come of this new one.
Hi there. I have used Lavilin natural deodorant since the 1980’s, and continue to love it. It is a cream that can last up to 2 weeks for some folks, I average 1 week. Wash pits at night, then apply to area where arm pit hair grows, whether you shave or not. Wash it off in AM or next time you shower. In hurried times, you can apply it in the AM before heading out, but ti lasts longer if left on during inactive time, i.e., sleep. Like Lume, it kills the bacteria that cause odors. Once you learn how long it stays active for YOU, it’s wonderful. If you don’t do that, when its effectiveness wears off, you will stink, boy howdy. I got used to it over a long road trip, and have kept to that application schedule for decades, never had an issue. Lavilin also makes a foot deodorant, I have never tried it. The underarm stuff, I cannot recommend it enough.
I am very intrigued by this. Does it leave any residue on clothing or white marks if you wear tops that show your pits? I am unfortunately very self conscious about that and often ditch deodorants because of that.
no marks and does work on BO. I just don’t like the off-smell it has.
Hi, I’ve used both Lavilin — the paste, the liquid roll-on, and now also the sport deodorant version. My husband loves the paste and yes, only uses it maybe once a week. However, I find the paste a bit too drying and difficult to apply, esp right after shaving. So I’ve mainly been using the liquid roll-on, which doesn’t last as long, but it does keep up for 1-3 days, depending on your activity.
I also found that my Trader Joe shaving cream wasn’t reacting well with the the deodorant, so I have to wash my pits again after shaving and before I apply.
It’s not cheap! But it works best of all “natural” non-antiperspirant deodorants for me.
My natural deodorant Journey is much like yours. One I tried made me smell like cured meat and fruit loops according to my brother.
The one that I have landed o. That works great is Bali Secrets in the Desert Rose scent (on Amazon). My only complaint is that the packaging does not hold up for traveling. Every single time I’ve traveled with it it end up leaking in my bag and covering everything in a crust. So I use a solid natural one when I travel but it eventually gives me a rash and I’m happy to return home to Bali Secrets.
I also love Bali Secrets. It works very well.
I want to share my heartfelt recommendation for Little Seed Farm! (https://littleseedfarm.com/collections/deodorant)
I was hesitant to try them because it’s not a stick but they were the #1 pick on Amazon for natural deodorant. I thought I wouldn’t like a jar of deodorant, but I purchased it plus their bamboo applicator, and it’s super easy to use, and even more important, it works!
I really like supporting them because they are a solar powered farm, run by a couple, and there’s no plastic waste.
What was cool about trying them them is that they have deodorant samples for free, you just pay a couple of bucks for shipping. It helped me to choose which sent to try in a larger size because they have several different options! The jasmine green tea one is my favorite. Give it a shot, I hope it works for you as well!
I second this recommendation.
I’m still on the search because I hate using my fingers to apply. Just bought Lume (fingers crossed) though I think LSF has a stick form on their website.
LSF, after the detox period, works well. I do sweat and I do feel a bit sticky at end of day, though. During our humid summers I may smell a bit by end of day as well. It’s the only one I’ve been able to use that doesn’t cause a rash and I’m pleased with how well it works.
I really loved Native and the Dove 0% Aluminum but Native caused me a rash and Dove is not effective.
Yay! Glad to hear LSF works for you as well! 🙂
Try their bamboo applicator (https://littleseedfarm.com/products/bamboo-deo-applicator), it makes life so much better (I.e., cleaner!!).
I switched to aluminum-free deodorant over 5 years ago and have been so so so so happy. Switched because the aluminum salts were leaving terrible stains & stink on my clothes that wouldn’t wash out. Totally solved that problem! It took me a while to find the right brand for my body—I went through 3-4 different ones from the local health food store/natural grocery and eventually landed on Tom’s of Maine lavender, which has worked fantastically for me for years. Plus it’s a normal price and available in the grocery store, so no special trips/orders necessary. Very handy.
This year, I’m trying to cut back on single-used plastics, and the Tom’s does use plastic packaging. So I did some research on deodorants with non-plastic dispensers and have had quite good luck with the Weleda spray in sage (comes in a glass bottle). It stings a bit if I put it on right after shaving my pits, but goes away quickly. The spray dispenser is a bit of a pain, but so far I’m quite happy with it. The sage is a 12h formula, so when this bottle is done, I’m going to try the 24h version (comes in citrus or rose). The Tom’s has really been the best for me. If they would switch from plastic to aluminum packaging, I’d go back to them in a heartbeat.
I would love to see a review on playpits. They just launched a line for adults and started making only for kids. Adults used the kids version. I just found out about it and am considering it.
Sounds like we’ve been on a similar trajectory! Except I made the switch like 15 years ago, also because I was sick of the aluminum and anti-perspirant ingredients ruining my clothes. It took a while to find one that worked, but Tom’s turned out to be the best one for me. Loved the lavender scent, it was easily available and very reasonably priced, and washed fully out of clothes. When I started trying to reduce single-use plastic (have switched to bar shampoo, moisturizer, etc.), I tried Weleda spray in the glass bottles and it worked pretty well (for me the rose was best). But I was super excited when I stumbled on a plastic-free version of the Tom’s last year and went back.
Tom’s suddenly discontinued the cardboard tube this spring for reasons the internet won’t explain (boo!), so I tried Native, since it’s also available in a plastic-free packaging, and it’s been pretty good. The lavender smells quite nice, if a bit more lastingly than I would ideally like. Sometimes it feels like it’s competing with my perfume, but it’s not overwhelming. And it works well on the BO side. Dry skin has driven me to showering every other day (or even every third day if I’m working from home and don’t go to the gym), and it holds up even through that with application in the morning and maybe again in the afternoon.
Holding out hope that Tom’s is just reformulating their cardboard tube, but for now Native is fine.
I just realized this is the comment thread from the original post and I just replied to myself. No wonder our stories were so similar …
It was because of an earlier review on this site that I tried Piper Wai and Schmidt’s. I have had STRONG underarm odor since I was an infant. I was using Mum deodorant as a five year old. All through the decades, nothing would work beyond an hour or two. I had some luck with Secret in the dry stick rollon form for a couple of years in the 90s – I could at least get to about 5 pm with minimal odor. But that stopped working. I tried Piper Wai in 2017? definitely 2018, and FINALLY I could end the day with minimal smell. I was 58 years old, and for the first time wasn’t stinky. (The Schmidt’s with charcoal was less effective, but a good second choice). Both are pricier. GNC carries the PW, but in small quantities. I now need to beware of the gray underarm stains on my tops, but the tops Don’t Smell. I’ll try dress shields, if they still make them. Thank you so much Alison!!!
I have great luck with Native, BUT – 1) I am constantly rotating the scents depending on my mood, and 2) I am post menopausal… And that took away so much sweat and BO issue that it’s hardly a fight.
Thanks for this write-up! I’ve been trying different natural deodorants and this list gives me some more ideas.
Also, it’s refreshing to see so many people with similar (bad) results with Lume! It frustrated me just a bit to see no bad reviews on their site, and made me wonder if I was doing something wrong! It kind of worked for me for a two months, and then nothing would keep me from stinking at the end of the day. With all the good reviews I saw, I tried to make it work for 6 months total, showering and applying daily, purchasing new shirts, spraying with the enzyme spray before putting my shirt in the hamper, and even shaving my manly pits just to see if that would help. And of course, when I posted a negative review, it was never published. Glad to see I’m not crazy here.
Anyways, thanks for letting me glean from your experiences.
Just wanted to reply to this as I’m over a month into Lume and I’ve yet to stop smelling! Went to post my negative review on their website and it’s STILL not up yet (it’s been a few days) so I have to wonder if they’re not approving negative reviews for some reason?
But just not a good experience with Lume at all. The only non negative thing I have to say is that it really doesn’t stain/linger on my clothes the way regular deodorant does. Then again, when I made my own deodorant, I avoided pot stains, sweating, that odd sticky feeing when you first apply, and was able to use a tiny amount in the early morning and have no BO nearly 24 hours later.
*sigh* Guess I’ll go back to making my own again. Hopefully, clay can substitute for the baking soda without staining my clothes…
I write them on Facebook and they actually answered my negative review.
I started Lume a couple of months ago, and I thought I had found my best deodorant ever. It worked perfectly for the first few weeks. I used the whole ‘stick’ and then ordered the tube, both unscented. I have to say that I am glad I am not alone in the stink department. Where at first I was lasting an entire day, sometimes til the next day, with zero stink and minimal sweat…now I shower and scrub really well in the morning and all I do is sit in front of a computer and am sweating and totally stinky within like an hour! I was wondering if maybe I should get a scented one. But I should not just be completely smelling in less than two hours! This happens even with a new shirt, no shirt, a tank top…I have gone and taken the shirt off to see if it is “lingering smell” but nope, it is me.
I scrub, completely dry, apply in the entire pit area, every crease…and still stink. Imagine if I were actually moving around!!! I am so disappointed. Of course it works perfectly for my husband. smh.
I’m going to put in a vote for Schmidt’s sensitive skin. The regular gives me a rash but the sensitive skin formula in jasmine is probably my favorite. I can’t wear antiperspirant due to an allergy to aluminum hydrochloride, so I’ve been through a lot of natural deodorants in the last few years.
I’ve been using native for over a year, same scent, no detox, mildly smellier in the morning before my shower, but otherwise, it’s perfect.
I have to say that I had a great time reading all the comments that this post generated! I didn’t realize that so many had decided to make the switch to natural deodorants as well. Once again, Allie, it was your post that made me want to give it a try.
I switched about three months ago and have been using Native. So far, I’ve only experienced one episode where I smelled like a truck driver who had been on the road in the month of August without any air conditioning ! My pits were smelling rank! But, after that, I’ve become pretty normal. So far, I prefer the Powder & Cotton scent over the others. I’ve been using Persil detergent since the day it came out, so I don’t have issues with my clothes being stained or smelly. But, I do use Certain Dri antiperspirant once night a week to help keep perspiration at bay. I’m so glad to read that others have dealt with similar or even worse issues when it comes to keeping our personal hygiene top notch.
Thanks again, Allie, for another great post that generated tons of comments and feedback.
Hi, I have been using NATIVE for about 4 months and am very happy with it HOWEVER my daughter started using it about a month ago and we’ve noticed all her tops under the arms straight after washing has a mouldy smell, she’s now washing her clothes with NAPISAN and WHITE VINEGAR to see if the smell goes away. I cannot figure out if it’s the scent she is using or one of the ingredients in the deodorant or maybe even some reaction between the washing powder and the deodorant ingredients. She’s 19 and obviously has lots more hormonal activity than me but I don’t seem to have the problem H E L P 🙂
I use Persil for all my laundry needs. It’s a bitter expensive, but cleans, whitens, brightens and leaves all mine and my husband’s clothes smelling wonderful. Give it a try. Hope it helps.
I use a brand I haven’t seen mentioned here: Type-A. https://typeadeodorant.com/products/deodorant (and they’re having a sale!)
It comes in a lotion-like tube and you must squeeze out and spread on to the underarms like a lotion, but if that’s not an issue, it goes work pretty well.
I switched off of antiperspirants when I started working for a clothing company that sold extremely expensive items and I didn’t want the “pit smell” to ruin my discounted $200 shirts. Almost all clothing I had developed a baked-in pit odor after about a year (and Oxy, etc did not fix it.) I believe this was a mixture of the aluminum salts and my personal protiens and body chemistry. I ruined many tops and blouses with this “baked in” odor.
I went through an odyessy similar to many of you trying to find a natural deod that worked, including trying to wax my underarm hair as I thought maybe odor was lingering there (very unsuccesful). I am sensitive to baking soda and had horrible breakouts, bumps and redness.
The thing is…I feel I have a salty, sour-dairy like B.O. that even soap and deodorant are only barely keeping at bay. I do consume a lot of dairy but I wash every day with soap and water, shave (so that acts as an exfoliant) and do not drink alcohol or use substances that would cause liver functions to pump out this really angry B.O. My clothing hasn’t been affected but if I have a long day, interview, event or other plans that require me to smell acceptable, I have to use Dove dry spray areosol and hope for the best. My guess is that I’m entering “change of life” (have woken up with drenched pajama top before) at just 40 years old, and my body just smells different 🙁
But also I think most people have lost touch with how a body naturally smells!
Type A lasts about 8 hours if you’re not doing much and about 2-4 if you’re up, moving, stressed, etc.
You might have a dairy “sensitivity” that causes an odor when your body breaks it down. I only say this because I -and several Family members of both genders- have a similar issue. Never had a problem digesting dairy, but it makes all of us stink. We even noticed my 5 y.o niece starting to have BO occasionally and, once we took milk out of her diet, it went away completely.
And I’ve only found non natural deodorants to keep the smell at bay when I’m eating dairy. But, like you, I’ve had to throw out many a shirt with caked pits and a baked in “something decomposing under a field of lavender/fresh linen” smell. And my foray into purchasing natural deodorants has shown little results even when not eating dairy on neither the stinking nor sweating fronts.
Just gonna keep my fingers crossed and hope to find/make a deodorant perfect for me one day!
I second the dairy sensitivity “ smell.“ When my daughter was 5 (yes 5) she suddenly started smelling RANK! It was the worst case of BO ever! And 5 yr olds don’t get BO! When I brought this up to her pediatrician, he recommended cutting out Dairy for 2 weeks and see what happens. Overnight, her BO was gone! To this day, I know when she had dairy! And it’s all over body odor…. feet too!
I’m very interested in trying Type A deodorant since I’ve been in Lume about a year and it stopped working. I also appreciate the OP very candid review. Looking forward to seeing more reviews.
Persil will take out the pit stains/smells.
Love type A! I have hyperhydrosis so I use antiperspirant when at work or needing to be western culture presentable. But if I’m at home or with friends Type A is perfect and works even with my extra sweat. I’ll also note, not all but definitely this deodorant is one you can put on if you have odor already. It zaps it and then keeps you fresh. Love that’s it’s not just helpful for odor prevention but can also remove odor in a pinch unlike plenty aluminum deodorants.
Posts like this are why I love you so! So honest, informative, and relatable 🙂 I started checking out natural deodorants after you first wrote about them and also passed the ones I didn’t love on to my tween. I’m cracking up reading this now because the one I like best (and have been using the longest) is the only one Karl hates – Schmidt Charcoal and Magnesium. So I guess it really does depend on your body chemistry!
It really does depend on your body chemistry! One of my favorite Schmidt’s scents is the Lime Bergamot. At least it smells wonderful in the tube, but when it combines with my body chemistry it smells like ammonia! :-/ I haven’t had problems with any of the other Schmidt’s scents I’ve tried, just that one.
It does depend on your body chemistry! My favorite Schmidt’s scent is the Lime and Bergamot, however it DOES work for me beautifully. I end the day smelling like lemonade
That’s my favorite Schmidt’s scent, too! It just doesn’t like me, lol! So I have to stick with scents like the lavender.
I second this! Lol that’s the only one I love as well.
Wow!This post certainly hit a nerve. I’ve never seen so many impassioned responses. It makes sense that different things work for different people – in the same way that perfume smells differently on different folks. I also wonder if switching periodically between two products would help, like with shampoo. Anyway I’ve been using Raush Herbaderm for years and find it gentle and effective. https://www.amazon.ae/Rausch-Herbaderm-Deo-Spray-Fresh/dp/B07MW3YR43 The only problem is that I can’t find it in the US and have to stock up when I go to Switzerland.
I have tried a number of natural deodorants and I keep coming back to plain baking soda applied with a powder puff under my arms. I get rashes from any baking soda containing deodorant in a paste/cream formula. Very rarely, will the plain baking soda start to cause a rash and that is solved for me by applying diluted apple cider vinegar and letting it dry. Changing the ph seems to stop any irritation.
I too have had quite the roller coaster ride while trying to find a natural deodorant that works, doesn’t irritate, and doesn’t coat my clothes. Often they work for a while, but then suddenly the stink returns. I repeatedly blamed whatever new deodorant I was using for the sudden stress stink.
However, now I believe the problem is my perimenopausal hormones (and yes, stress) that suddenly change my chemistry. I started to make progress when I (a) addressed said hormones with a functional medicine doctor, (b) stopped using products with “fragrance” (common endocrine disruptors), and (c) started using deodorants with probiotics.
At present, I keep a stable of deodorants: (1) Primally Pure for stressful situations; it has never failed me, but it leaves a white residue on my clothes (not as bad as others tho). (2) Native Lavender & Rose and Jasmine & Cedar (fragrance free varieties) for daily use because they contain probiotics, applied 2x/day (morning and before bed, because we tend to sweat at night!). (3) I am currently testing All Good Deodorant in Rose, Geranium & Jasmine (smells amazing) because it is baking soda free and contains saccharomyces enzymes that help to break down odor. (4) An emergency tube of Secret Clinical — I haven’t needed it for almost a year, but it’s reassuring to know it’s there!
Hi Allie – I always enjoy your natural deodorant reviews; thanks for the updates here! There are so many options out there, it can be totally overwhelming to try and find something that works. I’ve been a natural deodorant devotee for a few years now, but like you I’ve had my share of product fails over that time. I discovered that I react to both baking soda and excessive essential oils (which are in most of these products!). Right now I’m loving a bamboo charcoal deodorant from Kaia Naturals: https://www.thedetoxmarket.ca/collections/kaia-naturals. I use the Sakura Blossom fragrance, and I find it smells pleasant and slightly flowery when I apply it, but the scent fades quickly and I just smell fairly neutral. I’ve tried the Juicy Bamboo and Cold Pressed Rose scents as well, and all of them were subtle and inoffensive. The company also has some products specifically for the detox stage – I haven’t tried these because I had been using natural deodorant consistently when I switched to this, so I figured I was detoxed already. 🙂 But I do like the deodorant a lot, and have been using it for the past 6 months with no plans to switch!
I’m a Primal Pit Paste girl, and have been for several years. My daughter has the coconut lime stick, but I love the Jasmine paste. I also… don’t shave my pits. I’m prone to mrsa skin infections, so skipping shaving has helped me. I honestly feel like my deodorant works better with long pit hair! Counterintuitive, I know. The deodorant has more to stick to…
I have been using Corpus brand ‘natural’ deodorant in Santalum (it comes in 4 other scents) for about a year and it’s the MOST effective natural deodorant I have found. Plus I love the sandalwood scent, which fades to nothing after about 20 minutes. Here are the ingredients:
Propanediol, water, tapioca starch, saccharomyces, ferment filtrate, sodium stearate, sorbitan oleate, decylglucoside crosspolymer, polyglyceryl-4 laurate/succinate, fragrance (parfum-natural), diatomaceous earth, caprylyl/cpryl glucoside, silica, polyglyceryl-5 oleate, sodium socoyl glutamate, glyceryl caprylate, citric acid.
I don’t need to apply it more than once per day, it does not stain my clothing, it does not morph into cat pee or body funk or anything weird and it has never broken me out. It’s a stick and even after a year of daily use, I still have product so at $22, I consider this a good purchase. Living on the humid East coast, I was finding that regular (Degree, Dove and so on) antiperspirants were making me smell horrible as well as creating a heavy, almost paste like environment under my arms when it was very hot and I was very sweaty. In the summer, I exfoliate my underarms in the shower daily and wipe them with pure witch hazel prior to using the Corpus deodorant. I find both those things also help in reducing perspiration odor and eliminating what I call ‘underarm paste.’
Regarding diet and body odor, I take alfalfa tablets every day and have for more than 10 years. I am on keto (previously did Atkins) so I ingest a lot of dairy products and eat a lot of animal protein. The alfalfa has made an incredible difference in how my body and breath smells plus it aides with regularity.
Young Living Aromaguard deodorant. I personally prefer the Mountain Mint scent.
I started using lume recently, and it worked for a few days. Little by little it stopped working. I bought the special detergent to wash my clothing, I had just bought new underwear then all of a sudden Lume didn’t work. I contacted the company and they basically told me to do what I was already doing. So fast forward a week. I literally stink. My underarms are giving off an odor worse than before I used it. Now my private parts are doing the same. Yesterday I washed my underarms 3 times, and replied Lume to no avail. I smell like an onion. I am going to contact them again about my refund.
That is really interesting that you say you smelled like an onion. I have used Lume for 6 months with great success although I did get an underarm rash when I first started using it (may be a coincidence. I also find it to be somewhat greasy but if it takes away the odor in my nether regions, so be it. However… this morning I woke up and realized I smell like onions! Never, ever had this before.
I’ve searched all over the internet wondering if it was just me, and now finally finding these comments is so validating. As soon as I saw the word “onion” I was like YES!
I’ve used Lume for almost a year now, and it took a week or two of applying more than once a day before I could go all day with just one application, but then it worked consistently for about 4-5 months. Then I started noticing the onion smell. At first just near the end of the day, but now I find myself reapplying many times throughout the day after getting a strong whiff of onions, and it’s gotten embarrassing. I’ve tried frequent armpit washing with various soaps, laundering clothes differently, etc. But it’s a problem even with new clothes, so I was starting to get a bit concerned it might signify a medical issue or something. I’m relieved it’s not just me that seems to have grown a resistant strain of onion odor-emitting bacteria! Haha
Guess it’s time to try something else.
*And a note to add to my comment above- the onion smell is WAY worse than my normal BO used to be before Lume, and now it has become the new normal. Compared to this, my old odor was so mild that now in hindsight I would have been better off using nothing
I am actually surprised on the negative reviews on Lumé as I’ve been using this product for a long time and it’s effective for myself, my family and those I have told to give this product a try. Of course everyone’s opinion is just that but, not sure if these are valid comments. Looking at others sites and reviews from thousands of users these comments don’t add up. But, personally would say you won’t be disappointed give Lumé a try. I love it!
I had the same experience as the author. Lume worked great for nearly a year and then just stopped. I have no idea what happened. I get 3-4 hours protection at most. Really bummed because I liked it. Maybe it expires – I had bought more than I needed up front. Prior to that, I used Native which was just okay.
I had the same problem too, I was SO excited to find a natural deodorant that left me non-smelly. I bought Lume in July and used with amazing results until just a few weeks ago (November) . So bummed! After reading her misadventures in deodorant land, I am afraid I too will have to switch sticks every few months to keep my body guessing.
Christine why would the comments be not valid just because they do not match your experience? That is really insulting to the others commenting. And it is really questionable that people have tried to post negative comments on Lumes site and they are not posting them. Maybe they have thousands pf positive reviews because they block the negative ones. I have been using Lume and while I raved about it before – it has stopped working entirely and I now smell much Worse. I am not doing anything differently – and yet I am experiencing what another poster described as smelling like an onion. This is really disappointing… and yes – my commentary is completely “valid”.
I totally agree, Carrie. I don’t understand why Christine would accuse us of leaving ‘invalid’ comments. I think it is so odd these days that if people have a different opinion people take it so personally. This is a review deodorant for crying out loud, not a life saving drug! Some people are going to like a brand and some people aren’t….that’s why there are like 1 million different brands out there. I also commented on this before and was a lume lover, but now i smell horrible, so I’m still on the search for the perfect natural deo.
Agree with Carrie. Christine, would n’t it be better if you wrote, “everyone has a different experience and it worked for me”? I think it smells awful. The company only gives a partial refund and only 1x. So if you try a different scent, you’re out of luck for a refund.
Yes – onion like!! I couldn’t quite place what I have started experiencing, only recently. I loved Lume for well over a year, and now, all of the sudden, I’m getting that awful oniony BO smell, several days a week – in December (in the northeast), with not a ton of activity (other than normal household non-vigorous activities – after workouts, all bets are off, but that’s not what I’m talking about here.) Speaking as a former “lume-enthusiast”, I can attest that these comments are completely valid.
This post had laughing so much! I share the same experiences with trying to find a natural product that works too. It is so frustrating and expensive. I am currently trying Lume but am on the fence if it really works for me. I live in S. Florida and haven’t gotten used to the mid morning sticky pit feeling and the occasional afternoon odor that shows up, and it’s not my clothing because my pits will stink while wearing a tank top. Secret and Dove completely quit on me and I could not stand the gross residue that had to be scrubbed off just so I could effectively shave my under arms. I will give Lume a little longer before I head back to drugstore to find another product to try.
Hello. I have horrendous BO and have since I got it. I tried Native and got lumps under my armpits, like my lymph nodes were swelling, so I stopped using it and that problem stopped. But I have odor and wetness issues, and the only thing I have found since Tom’s had to take their anti-perspirant/deod off the market years ago is Secret Clinical Strength Clear Gel. And I have never gotten more than 24-28 hrs out of my deod/anti-perspirant, ever. Just my two cents.
I am concerned about Lume. I’ve used it for 2 months now And It works AWESOME… but something (my gut) is telling me something isn’t right. I can go the 72 hours (literally moved a friend, went to a concert, after day 3 yard work) I stunk like the south end of a north bound skunk. I don’t have that bad of BO ever. I’m worried it is holding in body Oder and bacteria and then when wears off all that crap is coming out. This just doesn’t sound (or smell) right me ….anyone’s thoughts?
I have the worst BO ever with unscented Lume. It’s weird. I began using it and it worked reasonably well for me for maybe 5 days, although I had to touch up usually once a day. After about a week I noticed my body odor getting worse and worse. Worse than when I don’t wear anything at all. So your comment about the south end of a north bound skunk…yes. Espeically my right pit. It’s true that I did not pre-treat my clothing to get any residual odors and deodorant off of them, but I know that that isn’t the problem because when I got a new shirt I still smelled horrible within 1-2 hours of applying Lume. I know that it contains some kind of extract of almond, and I do have a sensitivity to almonds, so maybe that’s it. I truly don’t know. But I definitely find that the stench associated with Lume is epic, and I am trying to figure out my next move.
This happened to me. I used lume for 2 months and ran out. I never struggled with body odor or anything of the sort. I didn’t re buy a new supply and I smell foul. No natural deodorant is working for me anymore. I have washed and scrubbed my pits to no avail. I don’t know what Lume did to my armpit chemistry but it’s bad.
Having the same issue. It worked first few weeks, then I started to smell bad and my armpits started to get itchy. Really disappointed
I started using lume recently, and it worked for a few days. Little by little it stopped working. I bought the special detergent to wash my clothing, I had just bought new underwear then all of a sudden Lume didn’t work. I contacted the company and they basically told me to do what I was already doing. So fast forward a week. I literally stink. My underarms are giving off an odor worse than before I used it. Now my private parts are doing the same. Yesterday I washed my underarms 3 times, and replied Lume to no avail. I smell like an onion. I am going to contact them again about my refund.
THIS!!!! I am experiencing this right now..from the beginning I barely had BO & when I started using Lume I did not stink at all. Now I legit smell worse than I ever smelt before. (Not a great time to randomly start smelling like a skunk when you are visiting your long distance partner blehhhh)
Yes!!! So glad all of you are sharing your experiences because this is EXACTLY what has happened to me. I replied with my full story to another thread of similar comments here, but I wanted to echo what you all have said in case others reading have this problem and think it’s just them or that they’re doing something wrong. Nope. Barely had any BO before, Lume worked fine for a few months, then BAM! Oniony, skunky BO that is powerful and resistant to being tamed. The worst.
I see a lot of mixing of terms here — deodorants (which mask odor) and antiperspirants (which eliminate sweating, generally with aluminum). Regardless, after giving up antiperspirants for medical reasons, I tried pretty much every natural deodorant out there. The only one that has worked for me (and my husband!) is this one, which is based on magnesium (needed by our bodies anyway) rather than aluminum (never needed by our bodies and quite harmful).
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/are-all-natural-deodorants-free-of-aluminum/
I second this one, which is basically milk of magnesia in a roll on applicator. Sounds weird, I know, but the stuff works, is safe, and is inexpensive. I alternate this and Kopari, which is the only other one my skin has tolerated.
I second this one, too. Milk of magnesia in a roll-on works wonders. Not keen on coconut oil based natural ones because of oily stains on white tees…
If you’ve not tried the roll on (ignore the stick) by Real Purity you should! One of the best sellers at Whole Foods. I asked when I was overwhelmed and had tried at least a dozen from the aisle at WF’s. The person who worked in that dept said real purity was by far their best repeat seller. It’s got no baking soda! I’ve never tried anything as awesome. Considering trying Lume for the fun of something new but with all the contradictory testimonials maybe not!
I used Real Purity for about 10 years and loved it. But a year ago it just stopped working. I’ve tried Native, Lume, Lavanila and others and the would work for a short time then stop. Lume was probably best but the two scents I have smell like sour milk. I’m thinking I might need to go a different route because I believe I’m perimenopausal And my hormones have changed drastically. Use to have mild BO, the last couple days it smells like onions. So frustrated.
Yes, IMHO it’s not the scent, it is just how the deodorant smells. SOUR! Yuck!
I didn’t see this posted in any of the comments so I felt the need to share!!! The MOST IMPORTANT PART of LUME is following their getting started rules and de-funking all your old clothes that traditional deodorants have trapped BO in! if you go to their website and getting started they have all the info there! ALSO, Lume just came out with a 5 scent sample pack of little mini tubes to try out which would be great to figure out what scents you’d like (I love my minis, they are perfect for a purse or travel!).
I admit that I wasn’t able to find any enzyme spray to de-funk my old clothes and so didn’t follow that step, but when I got a new shirt I still smelled absolutely horrible within 1-2 hours of applying Lume. Apparently I am the only person on the planet who smells so much worse with Lume than even going without deodorant.
It’s not just you! I smelled so awful, even after wearing a few different new shirts, that I finally just had to stop using it and went back to a regular deodorant, which is working great.
I have been using Lume for a couple months now. Was a total devotee until last week. All of a sudden I stink… bad. Worse than I ever did before with traditional antiperspirant or Schmidt’s and Native. It’s awful. And disappointing. I did the laundry de-funk and know it worked because I had several weeks to months of stink free wear. I read somewhere (can’t remember and didn’t verify) that Lume works by paralyzing bacteria (for up to 72 hours). So my husband and I were wondering if it only paralyzes certain types and now other opportunistic bacteria has taken over? Whatever it is- I’m back to the drawing board.
Really glad to read this as I got here by googling “Does Lume stop working?” I’ve been a big fan for months but lately I’ve been stinking so badly! And yes I cleaned my old clothes with enzyme stuff but the most recent complaint from someone () was only within a few hours of putting it on (but yes I was running around a bit) with a brand new shirt, laundered once, never worn. I had wondered if my body was getting new bacteria that were taking over perhaps with the eradication of my normal colony of bacteria. Glad I’m not alone and not only that everyone’s experiences, it does make me wonder if we’re just killing off one set of bacteria and then another set colonizes and then we have to switch to a different brand to kill different bacteria or something, who knows! I also have been on some kind of antibiotic (including IV infused daily) for about 6 months, but have been antibiotic free for about 4 weeks now and I wonder if that can contribute? (Even through external vs. internal…etc). I’m especially bummed because after initially trying Lume and it working as promised, I bought a whole bunch a bit ago….and now I reek.
My search for an effective deodorant expanded to natural products with similar missteps and false starts to what I’ve read here. My search ended when I started to make my own. My formula has modified slightly since I started, not because it was ever ineffective, but because a thicker consistency travels better, applies better, and lasts longer.
My current process:
1. I splash a little bit of witch hazel into a small (1oz) jar with a tight-fitting lid.
2. I add my own preference of essential oils. (Highly customizeable, and easy to repeat with consistency once you develop the right balance.)
3. I fill the rest of the jar with unflavored Milk of Magnesia.
4. Shake well and let sit overnight.
5. Use fingertips to apply to underarms.
I started out using 1oz glass tubes with roller ball caps, but the cleaning process is…tricky. I like the cleaner convenience of a roller application, but cleaning a jar is easier and quicker. And fingertip application of a liquid is simple enough you establish daily routine of it.
My husband requested I make my formula for him so he could try it out, and he insists it works better than any deodorant he has ever tried. I offered to develop a different “manlier” scent profile (and even tried out a few options), but he insists he likes my original formula best.
My original scent profile:
5 drops Frankincense Sacra
20 drops Clary Sage
20 drops Lavender
Over time, I’ve snuck in a touch of Rosemary and White Fir, or Scotch Pine, or some other evergreen essence into his for just a teeny-tiny boost of “manly” scent to his. And I’ve tried other scent options. Bottom line, the Milk of Magnesia combined with a bit of Witch Hazel is the effective deodorant part. Any added EO’s is just for your choice of scent. (Whichever EO blend you choose, the scent profile lasts and lasts and lasts with this formula.)
I was so relieved when I saw this comment, the jasmine lume made me smell awful within an hour right after taking a shower and minimum sweating. Not even a BO scent just terrible smell, it did not mesh well with my body for some reason
I am in the same position as you. I did not wash my clothes with any enzyme wash but do not believe that is why I smell. I have noticed the smell while in a bathing suit (nothing near my arm pits). I’ve used Lume for a week to week and a half. I loved it at first. Yet, the last few days I smell awful. I never had BO before. I mostly needed deodorant/antiperspirant to help with swearing too much. My sweet really did not stink like onions before. Now though, I get nauseous by the gross onion funk smell. The smell starts within an hour or two.
pfffft…. Washing clothes may be important initially but when you have been using it for months and suddenly you smell worse than ever and within hours of application… it ain’t your clothes!… i come to this informative thread and awesome post because i googled.. “Lume deodorant no longer effective”… so glad to see it isnt just me!!!… i was a native user for a few years and it is the best so far for me although in summer or workouts.. i need to reapply… i also cannot use anything with Baking Soda so i use their sensitive skinversion… but am truly disappointed in Lume when i once thought it was the bomb diggity!!
I was already using an enzyme spray before I switched to LUME and it made no difference. the deodorant has a sour smell that will not go away on me.
I’ve been on this quest with similar results. The best were primal pit paste and Schmidt’s – no smell AT ALL – until I broke out from them. Kiss my Face cucumber left me smelly by the end of a day in an air conditioned office. Tried Lume and wasn’t a fan. Finally went back to Secret and then to Degree when Secret failed me as it always does. Degree worked better than ever, for about a week or two. In crept that invasive smell again. I picked up the Lume in desperation and now, for some reason, it’s working! I’m using the rose scented one. I noticed the other night during a workout that I had a sheen under my arms which explained the sticky feeling. But I’ll take that over the smell! I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one whose husband can use them all. Oh, I even tried Every Man Jack, sandalwood. It worked ok but I smelled like aftershave. The quest continues!
I loved Lume until week 5 when I suddenly developed a rash. I wonder if it’s from being sweaty? It’s sad because I thought I finally found something that didn’t irritate my underarms.
Beware of piperwai. If you look up reviews of it, people say it stained their clothing. i had not noticed so i went to look at my clothing while using it and sure enough. my light colored bras and clothing had a permanent grey stain.
Like many of the commenters here, I have tried EVERY.THING. I’ve probably spent a 1,000 in natural deodorants to still smell like a pack of 12 year olds after gym class. I am also allergic to the high levels of baking soda and/or arrowroot many products use. I’ve been using Lume for 6 months now and I am still in love with it. I do notice that every couple of months I’ll get a little funky and I attribute this to a hormonal disorder I have. Since Lume seems to claim from their commercials that is is really the bacteria under your arms I thought maybe I get a bacterial overgrowth on occasion? So, as weird as this sounds I started once a month putting a Lush Mask of Magnominty facemask under my arm pits for ten minutes to kind of kill any build up under my arms. I’ve been really pleased how much better my life has gotten because of doing this–I don’t smell and I don’t have to go back to a non-natural deodorant. I am also glad to read all of thiese comments in addition to the article, because if/when Lume starts to fail me I can cycle through and try some of these other recommendations.
The baking soda free version of Meow Meow Tweet works great for me, no smell at all… but it stains my shirts! It totaled my favorite t shirt before I realized what was happening. It gave my shirt huge pit stain looking marks that won’t wash out no matter what. Tried oxiclean, vinegar, bleach, folex.. etc… its weirdly resistant. Smells good though, and no rash. Had to stop using it though because pit stains are not the look I want, lol.
Em, it’s probably too late now, but was it the traditional yellow armpit stain? If it was, a mixture of 1 part dawn dish soap, 2 parts hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda (I usually use enough to make it paste like) will help take these out. I use this on white tshirts from traditional deodorant stains, and it works well. Maybe this will work for you? It sucks when our favorite clothes get wrecked.
The baking soda free version of Meow Meow Tweet works great for me, no smell at all… but it stains my shirts! It totaled my favorite t shirt before I realized what was happening. It gave my shirt huge pit stain looking marks that won’t wash out no matter what. Tried oxiclean, vinegar, bleach, folex.. etc… its weirdly resistant. Smells good though, and no rash. Had to stop using it though because pit stains are not the look I want, lol.
This a great post. Just to add onto this, i purchased Corpus Natural’s deodrant, hoping being so expensive it would deliver on it;s promise….. I remember using Dove’s aluminium stick and God how great did i smell! But using this made me realize how horrible my B.O. is.
I tried Lume (Lavender Sage), which definitely works for 24 h, but it has a weird fragrance of it’s own self that i just couldn’t stand. I am going to try Piperwai as it has good reviews, but if that also doesn’t work then i am going back to Lume.
The only natural deodorant that I found really works for me is the Kiss My Face brand. However, I think they have gone out of business as I cannot find them and AmZ does not have them anymore.
I have tried other brands and not satisfied. It truly is a dilemma.
I am so upset because I used KMF Peaceful Patchouli for many years and now it’s no longer available. I have tried various natural deodorants and have not yet found one I like or that works. The fragrance free don’t work and I can’t find another one with Patchouli. I am very sensitive to most fragrances and haven’t found one I can tolerate. I just heard about Lume but none of their fragrance options sound like something I can tolerate. Have tried other deodorants and got a headache from the scent.
Kiss My Face was bought out & they’re finally getting product back into the pipeline. Vitacost has it in stock.
Hello, after many tries, PHresh works best for me. But some of the fragrances are definitely better than others (the floral ones can smell sickly sweet on me). Also, although they come in stick form, sometimes it’s better to use hands to apply…the stick can be crumbly. I wish it were a tad softer, ie, more creamy or lotiony. But very effective. I use it more when I know I’ll be more sweaty, including trips to Mexico.
Im currently using Lume and so far it is working for me. I didn’t like the unscented kind but i love the Jasmine and Rose scented one. I tried to switch to a non-aluminum based deodorant since im starting to have an allergic reaction to Secret. (I’ve been using Secret for over a decade). Tried pure Alum Rock and the Crystal but it didn’t work for me. I like it for that fact that it keeps me dry and no smell but i had an itching and redness from using it. Saw the Ad of Lume and was intrigued so i decided to try it. So far so good. I also ordered Native Sensitive which i will try after i finished my Lume. With Lume i prefer using my finger to rub it instead of swiping it. I get better coverage and it really lasts the whole day until the next day. I don’t know about detox but i didn’t experience any kind of body detox from my transition to an aluminum based deodorant going to natural.
Everyone keeps saying ‘Lume’ is ‘natural’.. How can that be..?.. there are many ingredients that I can’t begin to pronounce, and certainly must be lab produced.
I have tried so many aluminum free options without much luck. I wonder how much I have spent over the years. I’m currently using Primal Pit Paste Zinc formula along with the oil because my skin is sensitive. Most days I do well. If it is super hot and I’m outside doing yard work or hiking it doesn’t hold up. I have my Lume order in and I’m curious how it will work. I’ve switched because of the link between aluminum and Alzheimer’s. Both of my biological grandmothers suffered with the horrible disease. I also find that ditching the aluminum has made my auto-immune disease less inflamed. Even my face looks thinner. I have tried EO, Native, Burts, Pure Haven, Crystal, Jason, and others. My husband just shakes his head as he applies Old Spice.
SOOOOOO, I’ve been using LUME for a few months… It worked wonders at first. I was so, so, so pleased. However, recently, when my B.O. returns, it surfaces HARD. HARD as in I have been awoken from my sleep just from the stench. Hard as in I can still smell it after soaping & scrubbing vigorously in the shower (I shower AM religiously; sometimes PM). I’ve continued to use it bc I still have it and don’t want to return to traditional D.O.
It is summer so I expect to sweat more. Also smell more. I’ve also increasingly awoken in the middle of the night with what I call “anxiety sweats”, which I feel, from my experiences, smell more (shrug). Anyways, if this thread is still active and any commenters have good advice/ can relate, let me know. I don’t want to return to traditional deodorant, but I’m getting to the point where I can’t handle it.
I’m giving Lume a try right now, but went with unscented since i couldn’t test any of the scents beforehand. I’m not sure I like it, and I’m still having to use it every day after showering. I might go back to Lavilin, which I get on Amazon. It’s a little more expensive, but it works great!
I regret buying the unscented one. It smelled like paste. Ugghhh. Lume only works for dry armpits. Once you sweat it washes away the product and you end up getting a weird smell in your armpits
Yes. True! My experience anyway. In truth I smell horrible using Lume. So weird.
Yes. LAVILIN is where it’s at. This stuff WORKS. I tried everything else for years- my sis has to use prescription deodorant (because she won’t give LAVILIN a try).
I buy it at my local co-op-it costs around $20 but lasts for MONTHS. Read the reviews on Amazon and scrub your pits REALLY well during the first week.
I apply with my fingers as the provided “mini spatula” doesn’t work for me.
I agree Rachael, LAVILIN is where it’s at. I’m surprised more people have not tried it. Although expensive, it does an excellent job of keeping away the funk!
I used Lume for almost 3 months. I didn’t have a smell problem before using it and I have been using natural deodorants for over a decade. Lume is by far the worst deodorant I have ever used. I smelled better not using any deodorant compared to using Lume. I would put it on and smell within an hour without even sweating. I gave it a whole 3 months because I had bought 3 tubes. Well finally I used my old deodorant again. No smell in 48 hours and I live in Arizona in 115 degree weather. Lume does not work for me.
I am so glad to see that I’m not the only one who smells worse using Lume. I, too, have been using natural deodorants for decades. So I was really surprised by the stench coming out of me when I used Lume. Just heartened to see I’m not the only one. Have you found any other natural deodorants that don’t make your pits red or itchy? This is my problem and why I tried Lume.
I’ve been using Lume since late June. It worked so well at first. After years of PiperWai, I was excited to have something that worked without the rashes. However, the last few weeks, I smell awful. Awful awful awful. Rotten onion BO. And it’s so embarrassing, I’m a hairstylist so I’ve got my pits in peoples faces all the time, I cannot smell like this. I’m going to try over the weekend to figure this out, if that doesn’t work, it’s back to PiperWai. I may have rashes, but at least I don’t smell like my son after working at fast food.
When I started developing the rash from Native, I had a fairly new one that I had just ordered. I decided to try hydrocortisone for the itching/rash and it worked. Now I put the 1% hydrocortisone before my Native, I buy the target brand so it’s only about $2. This works for me, but obviously is not ideal. I ordered Lume and just came across this page so I’m freaking out a bit.
I’ve been using Lume for about a month and I have no complaints. I have a pet bird (green cheek conure) that loves to snuggle in my armpits (silly bird lol) so I wanted to find something that would be less toxic to her, should she get it on her feathers. I smell like an absolute nothing using Lume, and I also notice it seems to have an anti-perspirant effect on me, even though it does not claim to do this for everyone. Anyway, if it stops working I’ll go back to traditional deodorant and just make sure to only let my bird snuggle when I have long sleeves on, haha.
This…right now….this is what is happening to me. Does it pass? What did you do?
I’ve been using Lūme for about a month and ended up with a horrible underarm rash. Raw, red and painful in the crease. At first I thought it was a yeast infection. I live in FL, so heat is no joke. I started drying under my arms with a hairdryer etc and cleaned the applicator really well and ended up with the same rash in the other pit. So I stopped using the Lūme all together and went back to my Secret that I had left over. After a week or so, the skin started sloughing off and then everything was back to normal.
I just started using the Lūme again, thinking maybe it was just the wetness and heat that caused the irritation, yet here we are the next day, and my pits are reminiscently itchy again. I’ve not been sweaty at all just being lazy in my house. Ugh! I really liked Lūme too. I never got the 72 hours out of it, but would at least get 24. Add to that it held up perfectly after a summer day at the theme parks. Unlike my feet.
Hi! I have this same rash but I can’t stop using it because it completely blocks B.O like no others. I have been putting diaper rash cream because I think my pits are way more sweaty with Lume, I’m thinking because it’s water based. Idk but I don’t want to stop wearing it ever. This rash is so itchy though. I don’t want to smell and I hate this rash but people around me can’t smell a rash so I am torn.
I’m suffering now with a horrific red rash/itching & burning under just one armpit & I know it’s from the Lumê. I’m so .
Glad to know I’m not crazy though!
Wonder what’s in it we’re allergic to???
I had this same experience with Lume and what I did was put a Lush Mask of Maginimity mask under my armpits for ten minutes when the stench re-arrived and it would go away for a few more months. I have hormone issues because of PCOS so I can get really stinky. Maybe try that out? But, I definitely understand the scrub your pits and still the the smell–that happened to me to–and now with doing the mask it isn’t.
I’m trying this mask thing, thank you! I think I have the same issue.
Jessica,
Hace you tried to make your own deodorant? I don’t know of you are alergic to baking soda, if not I strongly recommend the recipe from wellness mama. It is the only one that works for me.
I know exactly what you are talking about! when i am not using deo when im at home…i have the worst BO of my life. never had this experience with another deo.
I currently use Lume only for a couple weeks and like it. In addition to using that though I also drink liquid chlorophyll as an INTERNAL deodorant. I have been shocked at the success I’ve had with this product. It REALLY WORKS from head to toe, breath to butt, liquid chlorophyll is a stinky persons lifesaver. If I ever have to switch deodorant my next option will be magnesium based. It’s a mineral we all need and most of us lack. Hope this helps!
My sister had the same experience. She said Lume was great… at first. But after a while she smelled worse than before.
I am trying Lume, but I’m only a week into it. This post is making me think I need to have my natural deodorants on a rotation, where I use one for a month and then switch to the other one for a month.
I had the SAME exact experience with Lume. I’m close to giving up on my natural deodorant journey. The only thing that seems to help is swiping my underarms with hydrogen peroxide after showering and before applying. I’m baffled.
I also have BO return with a vengeance, I just don’t see how that is healthy. It’s blocking the bacteria from coming out that can’t be good for the lymph-nodes I’d think. But dang I love this product
You need to check out Rustic Maka! They are an all natural, family company. I love their products, especially the Dream Catcher deodorant. No baking soda in the Dream Catcher. They also have detox kits that really work. Plus it is all cruelty free!
Hi team How to Survive Switching to Natural Deodorant! I have struggled with this for several years and resisted and continually gone back to anti-persperint aluminum deodorants that are bad for my body but have kept me smell free- yay! Well I finally decided to make the commitment over the past 6 months and am going through the lovely process of bodily smell acceptance and change- mmm- roses and BO lol! My dear friend who is a beautiful goddess angel health beauty music guru told me I have to accept the process and my body will adapt. But I am a Jersey girl and we don’t always do well with smelly pits haha! Well I made the mistake one day of not finding my Schmidts and throwing on some Secret and my armpits have been rebelling against me for the past month or more- painful sad face! I am very grateful to have found this blog because I don’t know where to turn or what to do with this rash, odorous and transitional process- it’s worse then trying to grow out bangs lol! I am searching for a pleasant solution and to understand what creatures exist under my arms so that I can make them happy and smell free in a natural way! What are these trolls??? I am ordering LUME based on reading this blog over Native but it kind of seems like maybe Deodorant is like shampoo and conditioner and you need to find a rotational balance??? Thoughts?? Help?? Diet tips?? More Pineapple??
Love,
#thearmpitstruggleisreal
This was very interesting. I’m surprised that Crystal wasn’t mentioned anywhere though. I haven’t tried any other natural deodorants because I first bought a stick of Crystal in 2014 and I’ve been happily using it (the same one!) since. It’s not an antiperspirant, but it works magically as a deodorant. I often only shower every other day and it works straight through. And it has no problem keeping me odor-less through a very sweaty workout or a long walk on a hot day. I’ve found that the critical key is to apply (the mineral stick) immediately after showing. If I forget and wait even like 15 min, it’s not as effective for the whole day. It can be reapplied, but only if you wash your pits with a wet cloth. I’ve never experienced any irritation. And I love that it leaves no residue on my clothes, so I’m often able to wear shirts 2-3 times between washes if I don’t sweat a lot, and they never get crusty or stained.
I’ve also used it on my feet occasionally in the summer when I’m wearing flats that get stinky, and it seems to help.
I haven’t reviewed crystal in about a decade. I never found it worked for me but it does for my husband!
Have you tried Nuud? That one seems to work pretty well for me but I’m considering Lume to compare.
Crystal is alum right? That’s aluminum salts. It is the aluminum I am trying to get away from
I’ve been using Crystal over 20 years. I have the same experiences as you. It is indeed almost magical. My current stick has lasted years but I only have a small piece left. I was considering trying Lume. The review here is the most negative I’ve read on it.
I have mentioned Crystal and the pure Alum Rock. It worked for me but i had an allergic reaction after a few days of using it. So i switched to Lume. Still trying to see how i like it. Then i will try Native after.
I love my Crystal. It took getting used to not using an anti-perspirant, but as a deoderant it’s been a wonder. I can wear sleeveless and synthetic tops with no B.O.! Even through the hottest summer months. I’ve been using it since July and it hasn’t failed me yet. Plus it seems like that same rock is going to last me a decade or more. I definitely recommend giving it a shot.
My boyfriend uses PitRoc which I think is similar. He loves it (and I can vouch that he doesn’t smell, even after the gym) but I tried it for a few days on holiday and it didn’t work for me… Apparently there is a female version though so I may give it a go?!
I can’t use antiperspirants because I developed an allergy to aluminum. So far, I haven’t seen anyone mention the two products I use successfully — no irritation and no stink! I use Soapwalla during the cold months when I don’t sweat as much. It does contain baking soda, though, so if that irritates your skin, don’t use it. In the warm/hot months, I use Lavilin. Both are available on Amazon. The Lavilin is amazing.
If Lume ends up not working for you, try Native again! They offer a sensitive skin option now. No baking soda!!! I had the same issue with rashes with their original kind, but I’ve been using the sensitive one ever since (2+ years) and no problems. My mom uses Young Living brand deodorant. It is scented with essential oils and uses all natural ingredients. Toms would be anothe one to try. It’s more of a gel stick which I don’t like, but it usually smells very pleasant.
That is what I was going to say, the sensitive skin is the best I have tried!
I have been using lume (scented) for 2 weeks now and I’m already starting to stink again. It was perfect the first week and I’ve even done an armpit detox (bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar). My pits dont smell that bad, but the sweat that gets on my closes smells pretty bad. This is the first aluminium free deodorant I have used in years. I used to use dove, which I agree wasn’t fantastic, but worked most of the time. I’m going to try switching up my deodorant like you suggested.
If it is only your clothes that stink, make sure you got the residues off your clothes too during the detox period. The lume website recommends a couple pre-wash treatment products to get your old deoderant off your clothes (one is the Nature’s Miracle spray I think?).
I treat all of my tops with Nature’s Miracle and when I wear Lume (which hasn’t worked for me yet), my tops will smell like I haven’t worn deodorant in a week. This only happens when I wear Lume.
same for me! I have actually found that LUME works great for my lady bits. but doesn’t work A TON better than regular deodorant for my pits. I find that on super hot days it only works roughly 5 hours before I start to reek again. it seems to be more my clothes that reek than my skin. I treated all my clothes with natures miracle and also spray after each wear but it doesn’t seem to better lume’s capabilities. I’ve been using it about 3 weeks now and still…..only about 5 hours on hot sweaty days. on other days where I don’t sweat as bad it lasts maybe 10 hours before I start to smell again. I definitely has NEVER lasted 24 hours for me. if I don’t reapply before bed I REEEEEK the next morning. not entirely sure it’s worth the price.
I am in the exact same boat. I’ve tried tons of natural deodorants and none have worked for me. Degree stopped working completely. As did Lady Speed Stick (my two go-to’s for years). I went with arrowroot/coconut/baking soda, fantastic! the stink stopped and I felt great. Then I noticed my armpits were darker than my arms…like really really dark. Apparently this is a thing…SIGH. Okay lets go natural. EWWWW. No stop, wait, really. I don’t shave and I don’t use deodorant at all. What I DO do is wash my armpits as part of my morning routine. I just wipe out the pits and the private areas and I don’t smell terrible. Yes I still smell, that is my natural pheromones. That is you. When it starts smelling sour it’s time to wash (usually once a day). If the smell is tough I will wipe with alcohol. Bye bye smell. I’ve been doing this for months now and no one has said I stink. Yes I sweat, but you are supposed to. I’m not sure if this helps anyone just get off the body products bandwagon. You really don’t need as much as you think. Good luck!
Lume broke my pits out and turned them black within 48 hours of using it. One the second day my armpits were so irritated and on fire that I had to stand under a cold shower. I tried the unscented version. Tossed it.
I broke out in the ol’ baking soda rash from Schmidts but then I switched to their sensitive skin formula! I love the stuff, especially the unscented stuff. Even going to the gym and sweating pretty hardcore I never smell like BO. I just ordered Lume to try, so I’m pretty excited to see how that goes. But for the meantime I’m a devotee of Schmidts sensitive skin. I think I’ve been using it for a couple of years now with no ill effect.
Interesting blog 🙂
I JUST saw the Lume add and it intrigued me (thats how I ended up reading your blog). I proceeded to look up the ingredients and couldn’t pronounce half of them…which is usually a red flag for me…it does say “naturally derived” but really, isn’t everything naturally derived (then manipulated in a lab)? I was wondering your opinion.
Suggestion: I have also tried many natural deodorants, and have also dealt with baking soda rash BUT I have been using “Schmitts charcoal magnesium” for over a month now and am pretty happy with it…ya, its sold in the mens section but smells great for uni-sex. I used to use “schmitts rose lavender” but it was grainy and gave me rashes…i’m assuming because once you scratch your skin it will irritate very easily…especially with baking soda! ouch!
I think the whole “if you can’t pronounce it, it’s not natural” is blown out of proportion. All plants and animal as well as most molecular compounds have more exact scientific names that are difficult to pronounce. Dihydrogen monoxide is a chemical name for water. Matricaria recutita is a species of the Chamomile plant. Canis lupus familiaris is the scientific name for the domestic dog.
I know it probably sounds nit-picky, but trying to use short cuts like this to determine if a product is safe can make perfectly good products be passed up because most people don’t study chemistry or latin. I have seen products which are natural use almost exclusively the exact scientific names for each ingredient on the label before. I could pronounce almost none of them on sight but it was easy to find out exactly what had been used in that product.
I loved this blog review! I finally watched the Lume ad in my fb feed and laughed and liked the ad. Then I’ve gone looking, as I have learned to do, for reviews before I just BUY anything I see advertised no matter how cute the ad is! And this is the first review I decided to read. I too have tried several “natural” ones and they’ve been ok or varied for me but not lasted long. I liked that Lume was supposed to last for 3 days. I generally use Dry Idea which lasts me a long time, but I wanted to get away from all the chemicals.
I just wanted to say that I loved your writing, was entranced by the whole journey and will look for more from you! Just because, even if I’m not looking for actual products.
Thank you so much Miryam! And regarding Lume, I am still using it. I finished my first container, used the unscented, didn’t love it, and bought the tube and roll-on of the scented and I’m maybe 1/3 through the tube. Still works great!
I used to lume for about 6 weeks and it worked great but then started giving me a rash. Stopped using it for a month and started again but so did the rash. Very sad. I think the scented one smells like a musty tent so I will only use the original unscented. I hope they come out with some kind of floral, feminine scent in the future.
I loved using Lume original as well. Right before I was about to order another stick, I developed rash as well. I took a break like you did and tried again. But again, i started to itch and rash came back.
I am back to using Native, which works decently, but I think it makes my armpit darker and it does not roll on smoothly. I really wish I can continue to use Lume. Thinking whether if I should give Lume unscented try….
I tried Myro as well which glides smoothly (little wet feeling initially) and container is so pretty. But I did not think it worked well for me… (only used few days at a time. )
I too have this problem with the rash!! I am so sad! I waiting weeks and tried again and BAM rash again. I use the unscented. Blah. Off to the deodorant drawing board.
So I’ve been using Native for a few years now, and I like it, but it didn’t start out great. For weeks I smelled awful, was horribly sweaty, and had a rash. When I found out it was my body’s detox, I also found a recipe for a pit detox and tried it.
1 tablespoon bentonite clay
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1-2 tablespoons of water, to get a clay consistency
Mix in a glass bowl with a non-metal spoon. Spread evenly in armpits and leave on for 5-20 minutes. (start with 5, and work your way up as you get used to the mixture) You have to keep your arms raised because lowering them causes the clay to break up and fall off, so I usually apply before a bath and then rest my arms on the sides. Wash off with warm water and a washcloth. Apply daily for the first week, but after that, you can do the detox once a month to maintain. Sometimes I actually go a few months.
This detox helps clear everything out and doing that periodically helps the deodorant not have any issues. Also, say I shave at the sink because I want to wear a tank top, and end up with red bumps later. Boudreaux’s Butt Paste, or some Aquaphor clears it right up. I was extra sensitive and got lots of rashes again while I was pregnant, and the idea struck me to use diaper rash cream (since I was looking at baby stuff constantly)
I have always been majorly sweaty, and have sensitive skin. I constantly hated deodorants and just assumed they didn’t work for me, and I really wanted to kick the chemicals. Going the extra mile to keep things under there maintained allows me to use a “natural” deodorant that also does its job.
I am a HUGE fan of Lume! Been using it over six months now. I am a MASSIVE sweater, and honestly Lume does not help in that aspect. However, I’ve always heard that is healthy to sweat. Rids body of many toxins. I bathe /shower before bed. Before Lume, I would wake up smelling horrible. My sheets smelled horrible! I was washing bedding every other day. Ugh! Weather it is something in my diet, or just my genetic make up, it was GROSS! I tried every deodorant, antiperspirant, clinical brands, and even got a prescription from my doctor. NOTHING, I mean NOTHING worked. Lume was my last alternative. Let me tell you! This stuff was a game changer!! I woke up morning number one after using Lume, and WOW!!! NO stink!!!!! I still was doubtful. It was too good to be true, right??? NOPE!!! Six months later & I’m still in love with this stuff! And my sheets are lasting longer! Haha! Now, I do still sweat, but I’m fine with that as long as I don’t stink! Everyone’s body chemistry is different and will react differently to things. What works for one person may not necessarily work for another. But at least we can throw options of brands out there for people to try! Great article and comments!
I can’t express how comforting it is to see someone else that has the same sweating issues as I suffer from! My clothes all get shout in the armpits ever wash because the sweat stains are absurd! And like you said, it wouldn’t be so bad if I knew I didn’t smell! I JUST bought Lume and stared two days ago. After NEVER having a deodorant that could hold up to my sweating and Native started causing me rashes I turned to Lume. Really hope I get the same experience as you have had, thanks for sharing!!!!!!
So I am on the verge of buying Lume to try for the first time too. It’s actually been on my mind for months and I’m the type of frugal person that will evaluate then reevaluate my decision before buying anything. It’s such an aggravating process I do with myself. Anyway, I was reading on the Lume site about cleaning your clothes before trying Lume. Basically getting all of the oils and such out of your pit areas on your shirts and to use Persil(yay I have been contemplating using Persil for year, another blog another day) to “strip” your clothes. Did you have to do this?
I too over the course of the last few years have horrible BO smell under my arms and I sweat a lot. My hormones are out of whack and have been since having my son in 2010. To furthermore prove that I get hormonal/menstrual migraines monthly. I know this is all related and I surely hope Lume is my answer. I probably could’ve written some of this post I feel. I have tried all kinds of deodorants! Thanks for the blog post by the way.
Persil is our JAM! It’s the only thing that will get the funk out of clothes. We got it for activewear and some camping stuff that got mildewed but it is great for removing body oils and BO from clothes. However, we didn’t do an actual stripping before switching to natural deodorant, only on anything that still smelled funky after a normal washing. I didn’t change anything before using Lume.
I am on my second order of Lume. Right now I am using the tube as I found the roll-on messy. Lume says they changed the container for the roll-on and it should work better so I got the two-pack of roll-on and tube but started with the tube. I think it works for about 24 hours but my daughter says I still smell a little “like body.” Body is fine to me, BO is not and I think it continues to prevent that without irritation like I’ve found with many natural deodorants. Hope that helps!
I loved Lume! Used it for about 8 weeks then all of a sudden got a bad rash…didn’t hurt or itch but looked bad. I stopped for 2 weeks and tried again and the rash came back 🙁 Sooo sad! It really helped me from smelling for at least 24 hours. I am back to Navient and just reapply throughout the day as needed. I will try Lume again a month or so.
Are you still using Lume?
Lol..back to Native…darn autocorrect
Just the fact that Native autocorrected to Navient for you… I felt your pain. I’m in the same boat loll
Same issue for me. Were you using Lume orginal scented or Unscented?
I developed rash with scented one. Wondering whether I should try the unscented one.
I was using the scented one. I took a whole munch off and also started to apply a little less and now only to the parts or my arm out that grow hair (as per instructed by Lume rep). As of now, no rash! I had tried the unscented but not for very long as I really didn’t care for the smell.
Wow! Sorry for all the typos!
OMG so glad to read I am not he only one who got a Lump rash after 4-6 weeks–had to go to the dermatologist….gave it 3 weeks off–tried again—rash is back and awful! So bummed now I don’t know what to try–I am using organic baby powder….sigh.
I am now completely converted to Dr sweat. It’s not natural but has changed my life. Highly recommend.
Yes, I did use the 1 part persil, 4 parts water. I’m on day 4 of Lumē and it’s worked GREAT! Mind you I don’t do much at work, but I am a nervous sweater, and an ugly smelly sweat person at that.. anyways. The clothes detox had helped.
I’ve used Lume for a few days now and it works for the funk but I still get sweaty pits. Does Lume keep you funk free and dry too?
Lume and any natural deodorants will help with odor but won’t stop sweat. You will need an antiperspirant for that.
Any recommendations?
You won’t find a “natural” deodorant that prevents wetness. To do that, you need to plug the sweat glands, which is usually done with aluminum. One of the best antiperspirants I’ve ever tried is Certain Dri, the classic roll-on, applied at night. No smell, and you can use alone or along with Lume in the morning.
Thanks!
I love Certain Dri. I sweat like a man, (or worse) and I have found this is the only one I can use. I use the solid extra strength. The roll on for before bed I also use but not often. It sometimes stings and or causes my pits to itch even though I have not shaved since early morning. I do have sensitive skin. I have considered the surgery to cut the sweat glands but it is too expensive.
I’m curious… If you are going to use an antiperspirant with aluminum in it… why even use a natural deodorant?
I was tempted to delete this but I believe this is an honest question. And the answer is every person does what they want to do. A lot of people choose products like Lume not because it is natural but they wish for it to be more effective than what they purchased at the drugstore. I’ve learned over these years of blogging that people’s reasons for what they do and want are vast and we can’t make assumptions as to why as we don’t know them, their lives, and their specific needs. So I don’t ask, I just provide advice. 🙂
I started using Lume in January of this year, and I have to say that I love it! It’s the only product I’ve tried that keeps me completely odor free (pits and other bits!) I’ve only tried the unscented which does smell disgusting when first putting it on, but after a minute, there is no smell (for me, anyway). I think I might try the lavender/clary sage one next time to compare. Also, I can go at least 48 hours (with a workout in there) and still be odor free. I hope they never stop making Lume!!
I’m so glad it works for you too!
After reading this article (love your writing voice, by the way!), I woke up the next morning with the weirdest thought. I promise, this isn’t normal for me. I had a flashback to watching one of those mystery illness reality shows where the woman had consistent BO but couldn’t get anything to help it. She tried everything to help, including the ultra drastic measure of surgically removing the sweat glands in her arm pits. Nothing helped. Turned out it was her liver; it didn’t function like it should. Anyway, I haven’t been able to get this thought out of my head. I knew I had to pass this on to you because if nothing topical works for you, maybe it’s something internal. Thanks for the honest review of these products. I’m delighted to have found your blog.
Oh snap! Thank you for this. It did go away with Lume. I ran out of my container, tried the unscented again and I smelled weird so I am back to Degree until I get another container of Lume. But a good reminder not just for me but all who may be reading this article!
I loved Native, but I found that another issue with natural deodorants was…. staining! With colored synthetic blouses, I found that some deodorants left a dark stain, maybe from the essential oils, and some deodorants like Schmidt’s left a pale yellow stain on white shirts immediately that carried as far as my sweat would carry them. Did anyone else have this problem? So frustrating!
The last two I have tried have ruined my bras. I cannot get the stains out!
Yes!! All of my t shirts are staining with dark stains. I think it’s the oils.
I should have figured natural deodorants containing “activated charcoal” would leave grey debris, not just stains, but I thought surely they would be clever enough to solve that problem. NOT.
However, I think Lume should come with a big red warning sign ALWAYS STORE UPRIGHT! I tossed this into a drawer with other deodorant trials and when I took it out next day it was a slimy mess all over the lid and top, I had no option but to put it on by hand. It would have been less messy just to put in a jar; the top is useless.
I dropped my Lume Container and it cracked into a dozen pieces. I’ll always buy the tube from now on. It’s just a big fat mess! But where I get okay coverage for my pits, I get miracle coverage for my stanky feet. My feet stank is legendary. All my shoes are so permeated that they permanently smell that way. Baking soda, tea bags, coffee beans- nothing gets the smell out of my shoes. My stank is so bad that I can be sitting with my shoes on and I offend myself. I put Lume on my feet once or twice a week maybe. I bought a new pair of shoes. After a month my new shoes smell like… shoe leather. And my feet smell like nothing at all. My pits are not so miraculous. And it’s not “stuck in my clothes” because this is a brand new blouse and I already use Persil. It’s not nearly as bad as using no deodorant, and I don’t believe I smell offensive, but I smell… something.
I loved Crystal and used it successfully for 15 years but now I break out in a rash when I wear it. ♀️ With Crystal there was NO ODOR WHATSOEVER. I will continue to buy Lume for the feet miracle, but I don’t know about my pits. I have tried several other natural deodorants but I’m allergic to baking soda and the ones without it were just goopy and left me with a mild odor.
Check out Lume, it’s water-based. Not wax/oil like other deodorants, which is what stains clothes. Lume washes right out.
Lume worked for me too for a few weeks but then I started smelling horrible. Bad bo and a weird mildew smell that’s making all my shirts stink. My husband noticed it and was like, babe, you have to switch deodorants!
I’m so glad I’m not the only one! I’ve been using lume for almost 2 months. At first, it was great. Then I had to start applying twice a day. Then it stopped working at all. I’m back to using secret right now, but I really want to find a deodorant that is aluminum free.
Dove has an aluminum free one.
Oh my goodness so I’m not weird. (I posted a review on the Lume site but since they only put up the 5 star ones mine isn’t there) What I said was that I had tried pretty much every natural deodorant out there and within 2 hours (sitting motionless at my desk) I couldn’t stand myself. Tried Lume on the advice of happy family members; the scented variety smells like Preparation H so I switched to unscented. Sort of worked for a few weeks; although 72 hours? haha…barely 24. I’m now into the company for about $50 (those great BOGO offers) and I have at least $300 of brand new bras and shirts I’m going to have to throw away. I have tried presoaking in oxiclean, double washing, and the moment I put on a ‘clean’ shirt or bra, I smell like a lumberjack who hasn’t seen a shower in a month. I cannot get the reek out of my clothing. I have a sedentary job; I don’t run marathons. And I’ve needed to return home and reshower and change clothes 4 hours after the first shower, because I smelled so bad. I’m disappointed, and pretty angry about the cost of the clothing, and I’m going back to commercial products so I don’t offend every living creature within a city block, starting with myself.
Haha! I feel you there. Lume kept replying to people and saying they needed to make sure they cleaned their clothes well to get the previous smell out so they could see the difference with Lume but Lume was the problem definitely because my shirts were brand new. I used persil in a spray bottle and that worked. Spray it on the underarm and wash. Now that I switched to Dove I don’t notice my underarms during the day at all. I’ve been using natural for about 4 years and I’m just so happy to go back to something regular and cheaper. Check out Dove, they have an aluminum free one. My clothes are fine now that I’m not using Lume, even the ones I didn’t wash with Persil. You can also try Nature’s miracle to get the smell out. Good luck!
Same here! Tried Lume and thought maybe I was weird because it seems to work for everyone but me. I treated all my clothes and used it for about a month, but kept noticing I SMELL. And not in a good way. This happened even when wearing brand new shirts and dresses. I tried reapplying Lume, using a little more, showering, scrubbing– nothing works. It’s too expensive for me to feel like giving up easily, and I don’t want to go back to commercial products, but I am very frustrated. The odor is distractingly bad–I offend myself and worry all the time about whether other people are grossed out too. I have a sedentary job, am healthy and don’t usually stink, but Lume seems to bring out the funk for me. I also have an armpit rash now and they seem to be darkening, which hasn’t happened to me before, even when using Schmidt’s.
After using Native, the armpits of my shirts no lie smell like baby formula that a baby has spit up…that’s the only thing I can think of to compare it to. I’m not sure if it’s the baking soda in Native or another ingredient but I NEVER had the issue until using it. Now…I have to treat my shirts with Nature’s Miracle and wash them multiple times. Am I the only person who this has happened to!?
This has been a journey for me as well. I love that my white shirts stay white now, but I must have a dozen abandoned deodorants in the box under the sink. I do think everyone is different. Lume worked for me for a week or so, but when it stopped working I smelled worse than I have ever smelled in my life. I currently use two different ones that both work GREAT. I switch them up during the week depending on my mood and maybe that is why they are both still working. Rose Natural Deodorant with Magnesium is my favorite, though it smelled much too much like rose for me at the beginning (the scent faded after a month or so). This one seems to keep my pits completely dry! Perhaps the magnesium acts like aluminium? Regardless, it works. I do find that I have to wipe some off with a tissue sometimes. I switch it up with Public Goods unscented. This one goes on completely clean and clear, keeps me smell-free all day without re-application and seems to come off in the shower with just soap. If you don’t yet know Public Goods, I like a lot of their products. Good luck finding the one that works for you!
Which Rose deodorant do you use?
Hi Alison, thanks for such a thorough (and fun to read) post! I’m cracking up at the vision of your husband using all these natural girly deodorants…I too am a stinky woman married to a non-stinky man. My husband can go for an hour long bike ride in August, come back drenched, air dry off and NOT SMELL AT ALL. Meanwhile, we recently traced the source of a horrible smell in our bedroom to…my workout shirt that was in the hamper. Sigh. I’m going to try Persil after reading this!
I feel your trials! I’ve gone through a ridiculous number, natural and traditional, trying to find one that both a) doesn’t give me a giant rash and b) actually does something deodorant-like. The few that I found that fit those criteria smelled terrible on me. Life would be so much easier if all bodies worked the same.
I haven’t tried natural deodorants in a while…I’m going to have to try them again now that I have this tip from a commenter on another blog–after showering, I swipe my pits with alcohol, because apparently, there are bacteria that are unaffected by soap and water. These are why sometimes your deodorant stick smells bad after you’ve been using it for a while (if you’ve ever had that happen), because the bacteria left after you showered have been transferred to your deodorant. This trick has been making my regular deodorant more effective, so I am hopeful it would have the same impact on the natural ones.
Yes! This really does help! Glycolic acid also works, a lot of people use Stridex with the red cap. After using my Pixi Glow Tonic on my face, I wipe my pits with the cloth for this very reason. Thank you for sharing this!
I really wanted to say, thanks and me too!! I thought this was just me. I was having luck for a while having switched to using an ‘acid’ in my pits. But I still need to put something on after I ‘acid’. I think the issue with anything with baking soda is that it is very basic (ph) and skin wants to be more acidic. https://www.racked.com/2018/2/20/17021612/natural-deodorant-acid
I thought this explained the baking soda thing pretty well: https://www.lisaliseblog.com/2012/10/why-your-diy-baking-soda-deodorant-is.html
Great resource, thank you so much for sharing this!
I love this post so much. When I was a teenager I had horrible BO and used Mitchum like it was my job. Fortunately, my hormones have calmed down since then! It is awesome that your husband finishes up what stops working for you.
Yes! I used Stridex salisylic acid (I know I’m not spelling that correctly) as deodorant for about 9 months. It really works for everyday BO, but I noticed that when I was sweating due to stress or anxiety, it didn’t help the smell for that. So interesting! I bought the Stridex wipes in the red box. I still use them at night sometimes (I have a bunch left and I figure it can’t hurt), but I’ve added in my grocery store’s brand of natural deodorant during the day. It has a scent, which I feel helps to cover up my BO when I have stress sweat. Nothing has worked perfectly though.
I tried the natural deodorants too, and they just didn’t work for me either. They start off good, but then after about 3 weeks they stop. I too went back to regular deodorant, sigh….. but your descriptions of how you smelled are hilarious!! Cat pee, old dryer sheets and Froot Loops, and my favorite…..smelling like a funeral. LOL!!!! Love, love you and your blogs! 🙂
Thank you Paula!
Try Liken Plant Deodorant by Earth Sciences. I use the unscented version, stick form. No irritation and it works all day. I do have to reapply it every morning.
Ingredients (INCI): Propylene Glycol, Aqua, Stearic Acid, Cyclomethicone, Talc, Silica, Sodium Hydroxide, Usnea carbata (Lichen) Extract, Calendula officinalis Flower Extract, Carthamus tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Arnica montana Flower Extract, Coriandrum sativum (Coriander) Extract, Hydrastis canadensis (Goldenseal) Extract, Salvia officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Chamomilla recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Zingiber officinale (Ginger) Root Extract.
Thanks for this suggestion, if Lume stops working I’ll check it out!
Its now early March, are you still using Lume and liking it? I really want to try it and wanted to find someone with months using it and liking it.
I need to write an update! I finished my container of Lume, never stopped loving it, never started smelling weird. I went to use the unscented one after to get my money’s worth and I just did NOT like it. I haven’t bought another container of Lume yet but will this weekend. I’m back to a container of Degree I still had from beforehand but it’s not as effective as Lume.
Ive recently tried Dove 0% and week 2 and still
going strong! Im a nurse and it gets me thru my long shifts. Doesnt leave musty odors on my shirts and so far no rash! and i had no irritation on freshly shaved pits!
Ive recently tried Dove 0% and week 2 and still
going strong! Im a nurse and it gets me thru my long shifts. Doesnt leave musty odors on my shirts and so far no rash! and i had no irritation on freshly shaved pits! I also use an AHA body wash for my pits that I feel helps really clean and remove bacteria- but Im gonna try the toner trick as well! thank you for the great post!
Thank you for this, Ally!
That’s too bad about your Native reaction. Personally, I love this brand. It smells wonderful and I have never had an issue with it not working. It’s the only natural deodorant that’s work well is expensive but not outrageous. I’ve been using them for well over a year. I never had a reaction. I’m sorry you did.
Normal deodorants weren’t working for me – my 2 old favorites gave me a funky rash (cuuuute), and then my back-up hid the BO but gave me a weird kind of musty smell and stained my clothes.
I tried Kopari, and, 5 months later, I like it. The only thing is that I absolutely need to apply it every day. With standard deodorants, if I showered every 2 days, it would hold up against the smell… this one does not. But I don’t smell like the back of a musty cupboard OR like BO and my skin isn’t rashy, so… win?
(I<d get my husband to try it, but he never gets BO smell, so… not a reference. I'm so jealous.)
Love this topic. I converted to natural deodorants about 15 years ago when there were many fewer options. After initial trial and error period, I found Kiss My Face Liquid Rock worked wonderfully well for me, so that’s what I’ve been using ever since… until late this summer when I could no longer find it in stores — and boy did I search, even in multiple states! (Turns out Kiss My Face has been acquired and it’s unclear if their products will ever return to store shelves.)
Since I don’t want to stink, I tried several of the new natural brands you also tried (all uneffective for me) before getting suckered in by Lume’s facebook ad this September. I was skeptical, but I ordered the lavender sage, did the prep-work with my all of my shirts, and to my delight it worked a treat, even during a high-stress, 2-week business trip in a very hot and humid climate. I was thrilled. So when I ran out of my initial stick, I ordered the bundle of two sticks — lavender sage and unscented. A few days into using the lavender sage, I started to notice that my underarms were itchy and a little irritated and that Lume was no longer as effective as it had been earlier. Wondering if maybe the scent was the issue, though it hadn’t been before, I tried the unscented version. Not only did it not help, but by the end of the day my underarms were red and raw with a painful, itchy rash that took several days of topical cortisone to clear up. I was baffled. How could I suddenly react so differently to a product that had been effective and non-irritating to me for two whole months prior? Did I possibly receive a different formula previously?
I took a break from Lume over the holidays, but not having found a suitable replacement and wondering if it was just a fluke, I gave Lume another try this week. The first day I felt a little itchy, but by the end of the 3rd day I had developed the painful rash again! It’s so disappointing, since I didn’t have any of these issues with my first stick, and I found the product really effective for those first two months. As with all products, it may just be that I’m sensitive to a particular ingredient, or maybe the reformulated Lume (changed from a 48-hour to 72-hour odor control) just doesn’t agree with me. Either way, I’d love an update from you in a few months to see if it continues to be effective and non-irritating for you (or you other readers)!
Hi Melis! I came across your post and wanted to reach out and let you know, you may have recevied a stick with a new essential oil source for us. Rash rates are really low with Lume and for those who had a reaction to it, the good news is we switched back to our original sage source. If you reach out to [email protected], we will happily send you a new stick to try and see how it goes. I have a hunch you will do great. We want you to love Lume as much as you did before.
I used Kiss My Face liquid rock Peaceful Patchouli for years and it worked great. I have not been able to find a new natural deodorant that I like. I was considering trying Lume but they don’t have a Patchouli version and the comments here have not been positive overall. If you hear that KMF products are coming out by a new company, I would like to know that.
I very, very much appreciate that you are not claiming that “natural” is healthier and also that you highlight your issues with traditional products. I, too, hate that sweat+conventional deodorant smell (especially on my synthetic workout clothes–they smell worse than my non-deodorized BO!)
Holy grail product would: stop me from stinking, not stain my clothes, and not have a masking fragrance. Impossible? (sigh) probably. Thanks for your honest review.
I’ve been using the unscented Arm & Hammer Essentials Natural Deodorant. It’s not as powerful as the chemical-filled stuff, but I find that it works pretty well. Another plus is that it’s relatively inexpensive (I got two sticks for less than $9 from Amazon). Give it a try!
This is what I am currently using, but I definitely get the red skin from the baking soda, and I don’t feel it’s effective for the whole day (even with reapplication). So I’d like to switch.
Another suggestion to try is Crystal. It’s mineral salts, inhibiting bacterial growth which leads to BO. It comes in three formulations – solid (which you have to wet down with water before using), spray, and roll-on. I’ve been using it for close to a decade after I got tired of a regular deodorant/antiperspirant combo. I hated that the traditional stick was ruining the armpits of my clothing even after laundering, and that it started to gunk up so that I couldn’t shave.
Crystal has an original unscented which is what I use so that I can also use perfume oil, and several others like lavender, etc. I use the roll-on because I find it the most convenient. I’ve used the solid, but it gets tiring having to wet it down before each use, and it has a tendency to fall out of the container and shatter. Since it’s deodorant only, it won’t prevent sweating, but it does prevent BO. Also, I don’t expect to be able to work out and still smell fresh – but I put it on after showing every day and during my normal work, errands, Netflix day and I don’t smell like anything.
Or, it may just be that your body won’t work with natural deodorants. I tend to think natural formulations work better with people who are on the lighter end of the sweating/BO bacteria spectrum.
I was going to mention the same brand! I have been using the solid rock forever and then incorporated the liquid roll-on, I use the liquid to wet my armpits, then apply the solid over that and it has worked really well for me. I use the lavender scented roll-on 🙂
I tried it, and it worked, but I got a horrible, painful rash almost immediately (it looked almost psoriatic; in truth, I do have eczema). I’ve tried several brands, and I found that, for me, Native works beautifully. I’m lucky enough to tolerate the baking soda or non-baking soda scents (I like tho change up the scents because I’m just wacky like that). I’ve scene the Lume commercials (hilarious!!), but I’m not sure I want to mess with something (Native) that has been working for me for over 2 years!! FYI, I am a heavy sweater, was using the clinical strength stuff (it worked but every brand caused a rash–not as bad as the Crystal deodorant, but still uncomfortable) and wanted something without the aluminum. In addition, I suffer from lupus and am going through menopause (sorry if that’s TMI), both of which cause night sweats (double whammy many nights!!). I may wake up drenched and shivering, but I still smell fresh as the proverbial daisy!!
I recommend you check out Megababe Rosy Pits. I was leery of a rose scent, but it’s lovely and not overpowering at all (and you don’t smell like a grandma). I’ve also used the bust dust (works great, but leaves your bra kind of gross) and the thigh rescue (love)!
I have also been fighting a battle with switching over to natural deodorant. I made the switch about 4 or 5 years ago because I got tired of the residue that antiperspirant left on my underarms (and the gross clogging of my razor even after I scrubbed my pits raw beforehand!) and they didn’t leave me smelling fresh anyway. I tried Kiss My Face first (that went in the trash immediately, it was useless), then tried a homemade Milk of Magnesia concoction. That worked alright when combined with a roll-on perfume oil that I had. I eventually purchased Primal Pit Paste in the creamsicle scent but it didn’t work well for me. Piperwai seemed promising, but eventually I started to notice that I smelled like asphalt/tar. It was weird. I used Schmidt’s Bergamot and Lime for awhile, which worked great for me but the smell was too strong. I then got the Schmidt’s Magnesium Charcoal which worked okay but the smell got annoying after awhile. I still have it and use it occasionally but I don’t like to use it daily. I’m currently using the Schmidt’s sensitive version in Jasmine Tea and love the smell but it leaves a residue on my pits that the others didn’t, which seems to make me smell funkier. I’m tired of having to scrub my pits multiple times during my shower! I might try their Rose and Vanilla because the standard formula seemed to work well for me (luckily I’m not sensitive to baking soda). I refuse to use anything that smells like lavender. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve never been a fan of the smell. Reading your journey makes me feel less alone. I wish I were one of those people who could use anything (or nothing!) because they barely sweat, but I am a sweaty, smelly chick no matter what I do! I’ve gotten rid of all my polyester/synthetic tops and dresses, and I’m going to purchase Bac Out to pretreat the pits of the rest of my tops, per another reader’s suggestion. Since switching to natural deodorant, my tops don’t have near the same buildup that they did when I used traditional antiperspirant but I figure the Bac Out can’t hurt!
Have you tried Megababe? (megababebeauty.com ) I was hoping to hear some reviews on that one too. They also carry a product for under boob sweat and thigh chafe. It sounds great – but I’m curious to hear about others who have tried it. I saw it at Ulta over the weekend.
Have you thought about making your own? I did a similar search for natural options, and tried CertainDri and some other clinical formulas. Nothing really did the trick.
However, I’ve been really happy with a recipe I found online. It’s coconut oil, baking soda and cornstarch. Equal parts of each. I mix it up in a bowl. You can microwave the oil to soften it up, if it’s cold. If you’d like it to smell different, you can add essential oils, and I sometimes add tea tree oil, which has antibacterial properties. I store mine in an old face cream jar. (And I believe that the baking soda is optional, you could use more cornstarch, or arrowroot powder)
So far, it’s the best I’ve tried – lasts through long sweaty workouts, overnight camping trips and stinky summers in NYC. Give it a try!
Diane
I’ve made this recipe and it worked great and I loved it at first but the baking soda gives me a rash so I made it with more arrowroot and less baking soda and then it didn’t work to keep the odor away.
Love this detailed review! I have issues with most natural deos containing baking soda, but I had been using Schmidt’s magnesium charcoal for more than a month with great effect and no issues, until one day I broke out in a painful red rash. I switched to a magnesium roll-on I found on Amazon and it seems to work pretty well, but I definitely smelled ripe in the morning even without a workout. I just started using Lume (unscented) last week and I’m hopeful… so far it seems to last through the day, though I don’t think I can taper yet. I also have been taking their advice to use enzyme pre-treatment on shirt pits before laundering (I’m using biokleen bac-out), so we’ll see if that makes a difference. Another product that seems similar to Lume is Nuud – it’s based in the NL but they do free shipping worldwide. I tried it last year and it just didn’t last a full day consistently for me. I gave a tube to my mom and it works great for her – she only applies every few days and loves it.
I am OBSESSED with Bend Soap Co. natural deodorant. I have to use the baking soda free variety. Love this stuff! https://www.bendsoap.com/collections/natural-deodorant. Plus it’s helping a Mom and Pop company, which I also love 🙂