I am not a fan of conventional deodorant. Frankly the whole aluminum debate turned me off of the product years ago. I know, I know. I’m an ex-smoker(20 day smoke free!), I am most likely going to get some form of cancer. I just can’t handle the whole cancer thing through my armpits, plus the fact that 99.9% of deodorant companies test on animals really turns me of. So what is one to do when they don’t use conventional deodorant? Well they go natural of course.
And natural usually means smelly. Really smelly. Because of my desire to go au naturale, I have tested multiple “natural/aluminum free/organic/crystal/paraben free deodorants. After years of buying trying new brands, I have finally found one that works.
Fuck yeah.
Before I reveal the most awesome natural deodorant first I will tell you about some sub par naturals.
My first delve into natural deodorant was the Crystal Body Deodorant Stick. I chose this one because it has the lowest EWG toxicity rating of 0 (out of 10). No cancer. However having absolutely no risk of cancer most likely means having absolutely no chance of actually working. This deodorant crystal needs to get wet before applied and then when you do actually apply it, it really does feel like your rubbing a crystal in your pits. Which if you didn’t know, hurts.
Bye Bye crystal.
Trader Joe’s Unscented Deodorant w/ Cotton was my next attempt at smelling like a lady. Paraban and aluminum free is what drew me to this brand. Also it was on sale at Trader Joe’s. I am guessing it was on sale because it sucks. It smells like wax and seems to make me sweat more. Don’t know how this is possible but it is. The EWG has not yet rated it but after getting a serious rash on my lady pits I quit the product.
After the Trader’s Joe’s rash experience I gave up on deodorant. I stopped wearing it all together. I found myself warning people that I might smell and I think the Chef may have actually gotten into my stank. Marriage is really weird. A couple moths passed and I realized that I couldn’t stand the smell of me. So I went back to EWG, looked at all their deodorant and found that Tom’s Long-Lasting Aluminum Free Deodorant Stick has a EWG toxicity rating of 3 (out 10). I bought it and started using it immediately. Literally. I put some on while walking to my car.
Tom’s smells superyum. I got the Lemongrass flavor and when I put it on I want to put it everywhere. It smells that good. And it also actually works. For the most part. If I put it on before the restaurant I am guaranteed to smell 2 hours later. If I put it on before a nice relaxing day at home the stank never comes. I have really liked this brand and was getting pretty used to it being my ‘deodorant’ choice.
Until now.
My pits’ peeps
A few days ago my deodorant obsession emerged during a trip to Whole Foods. A giant NEW sign was screaming out to me: “Look at me lady, I’m a new deodorant you can try &…I AM A SPRAY!!!!!” I succumbed to the marketing genius behind that cardboard sign and caved. My new Avalon Organics Deodorant Spray was going home with me. I am proud to say I have bee odor free since that day, three days ago. I have worked, I went running, I did yoga, and the Chef & I even had a date night 
wink wink. No more smelly mcsmellerson. And the toxicity rating is only a three, higher than the crystal, the same as Tom’s but way the hell lower than my old all time favorite REAL deodorant/antiperspirant Degree, who’s rating is 6.
This is day 3 of smelling like lavender and I must say I am quite pleased. I just hope this relationships lasts forever.
My step dad never wears deoderant. He works in construction. The dude stinks to high heaven, but it never really bothered me. It’s weird how you get used to it with someone you live with.
p.s. Thank you for finding good deoderant before BlogHer
this is so weird! iwe are on the same quest! i started out with tom’s, but i think i’m allergic to hops (evidently, it’s a known skin irritant?) then i moved on to kiss my face and then to alba. my bff just recommended burt’s bee’s spray deodorant in sage. she says it lasts forever. maybe it has something to do with the spray? thanks for the tip! i’m done offending people and am going to snag some avalon organics!
Mr. EM and I have gone through the same deoderant issues. We used a Tom’s of Maine variety for years and it worked great, but once their company was bought out by Colgate they must have changed their formula because we both started breaking out in the pit area. We’ve tried Desert Essence, Jason and Nature’s Gate brands, all to no avail. Either one or both of us breaks out or they just don’t work at all. Mr. EM actually overheard some people at work talking about how he smelled when he was using the Nature’s Gate brand! So, he uses Degree and I use Dove, but I’m always on the look-out for gentler brands that actually work. I’ll have to locate some of the Avalon and give it a try. Thanks for the tip!!!
And have fun with Jill at BlogHer. She’s one of my good IRL friends!. You’ll love her!
I use the crystal body SPRAY and it’s great. no smell, and no fragrance. no rubbing the crystal on my pits. and you can spray it in your shoes and on smelly feet. and it’s a zero on the toxicity scale. but i generally don’t wear it unless i need it.
I’m going to have to look for the Avalon spray the next time I’m at Whole Foods. I gave up trying to use a natural product after failed attempts with Tom’s and TJ’s.
Avalon Organics is my friend!!! I am obsessed with smelling like lavender so I can’t get enough of those products. I have the deodorant, shampoo, soap, lotion etc…Last month I was very excited to find giant size Avalon Organics stuff at Costo. So, if you shop there, watch for it!
I’ll give it a try – love those Avalon products. I put the shower gel in the kids baths and they stink pretty!
I never heard of this EWG before I just read it. I looked up my deodorant on there assuming it would be like a ten or something because it is AMAZING and after years and years of failed deodorants attempts it is the ONLY thing I’ve ever found to work.
And it seriously works.
So anyway, I go to the site, and turns out my miracle deodorant actually has a rating of 1!
I have no idea how this is possible. Quite frankly I wasn’t going to stop using it even if it was a 10 because it is awesome. But now I feel even better knowing it isn’t.
Anyway, it’s called Certain Dri.
And it is fantastic.
You might want to layer up though, because it stops you from sweating and smelling, but it is unscented, so if you like that kind of thing you need to put something else on too.
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/product.php?prod_id=97296
great post! i’ve been a vegetarian for the past year. in addition i’ve tried to weed out the “bad” products around me. any insight helps.
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