Natural Vs. Regular Deodorant: The Debate is On!
For the love of fresh armpits!
You might have noticed that the beauty industry is undergoing a resurgence to remove toxins and to introduce natural and sustainable ingredients into our favorite products. One of the most notable products getting a makeover: deodorant!
It’s not the sexiest of skincare products, but it’s certainly a necessity (or at least some of us think so)! With the help of our valuable Hip2Save readers, we’ve updated our favorites based on feedback. Read on to find out which ones we’ve tried and loved!
Natural Deodorant Pros & Cons
Natural deodorants and antiperspirants are growing in popularity because of their impressively clean ingredients. You’ll likely never see parabens or aluminum listed on the label, but with that onlinees a few stinky side effects and it’s up to you whether or not the benefits are worth it!
Pros of natural deodorant:
- They don’t clog pores, which allows your body to detoxify, releasing bacteria and chemicals like BPA through sweating. This will also help decrease your body’s internal temperature so you’re not as hot!
- Some have additional skin benefits, like formulas with witch hazel or essential oils that soothe the skin and improve razor burn.
- It’s a greener product, with eco-friendly packaging and biodegradable materials used on numerous brands.
- You can make your own and even customize the scent with essential oils. Head over to Pinterest for some DIY natural deodorant inspiration.
- The ingredients are honest, with no parabens, sulfates, or harmful chemicals.
- They’re moisturizing, with plant-based ingredients to keep your skin hydrated.
- They might reduce the risk of breast cancer and Alzheimer’s since they’re free of aluminum, but this has yet to be proven with concrete evidence.
Cons of natural deodorant:
- They don’t control sweating like standard deodorants do since the ingredients don’t block pores.
- They may not have the same powerful odor-stopping strength as standard formulations.
- Natural formulas can cause an oily build-up on the pits of t-shirts and blouses.
- It can take some time for your body to adjust to the natural ingredients and release the buildup from standard deodorant.
- They can be more expensive since the ingredients are more costly to source.
- Natural deodorants can be messy because of their eco-friendly packaging and plant-based ingredients.
Top-Rated Natural Deodorants
With so many natural deodorants on the market, we’ve narrowed down our list to a few highly-rated brands as well as our team and Hip2Save reader favorites.
Lume Natural Deodorant
“I recently switched to Lume and have been impressed. I used it during a week-long trip to New York and stayed dry and clean-smelling the whole day!”
Thai Crystal Deodorant
“I use Thai Crystal and have had absolutely no issues with it! All the other natural ones I’ve tried either make me break out or don’t hold up to a hot day or workout.” – Kristi
Schmidt’s Natural Deodorant
“Schmidt’s Natural Rose + Vanilla deodorant is my favorite, as I became allergic to regular deodorants two years ago. I’ve also made my own before and it works, but the ingredients have to be super fresh for it to be effective.” – Amber
Native Deodorant
“When it onlinees to natural deodorant, I feel like I’ve tried them all, but I’m currently using Native deodorant. It does an okay job. It only helps with scent and doesn’t stop sweating.” – Chelsey
Megababe Daily Deodorant
“Mega Babe deodorant has been my go-to recently since I have tried endless options and none seem to do the trick. My skin is super sensitive so the fact that Mega Babe is toxic-free is a win in my books. Living in Texas it is hot and I need something I can wear and not have to worry about re-applying over and over. So far so good!” – Ashley
Arm & Hammer Essentials Deodorant
“I use Arm & Hammer Essentials deodorant and it smells amazing, but I’m not gonna lie, it doesn’t do a whole lot for sweating so I usually end up applying it 3 times per day. I like using natural and plant-based products and regular deodorant causes an allergic skin reaction for me, unfortunately.
I also love that this Arm & Hammer deodorant is one of the cheapest natural options around. I get it for less than $2! 😱” – Taylor (me)
Little Seed Farm Deodorant Cream
“I tried a few different natural deodorants before I found one that works for me. I use a deodorant cream from Little Seed Farm and love it! It works just as well for odor as the Secret that I used to use.”
Standard Deodorant Pros & Cons
These are the formulas that you probably grew up knowing and using, and even with the surge of natural skincare, these classic deodorants don’t seem to be fleeting from shelves.
Pros of standard deodorant:
- Antiperspirants can block unwanted sweating to prevent underarm wetness through clothing.
- They typically do a better job at blocking odor even during the sweatiest of workouts.
- They’re widely available on store shelves making them easier to onlinee by.
- They tend to be less expensive onlinepared to natural deodorants.
- More household brands are testing zero-aluminum versions of their odor-fighting products.
Cons of standard deodorant:
- Antiperspirants that block the skin’s pores can cause irritation such as bumpy underarms.
- They can actually make perspiration worse due to bacteria buildup from blockage.
- Aluminum is suggested to be the cause of fabric yellowing in the underarm area.
- Some of the chemicals can cause allergic reactions such as propylene glycol and parabens.
Top-Rated Deodorants & Antiperspirants
You’ve probably seen these standard deodorants at your local drugstore, Target, and Walmart as they are highly-rated and more effective than many other brands.
Dove Clinical Protection Antiperspirant
“Naturals have never really worked for me. I have used Dove Clinical for years, and I have enough stockpile to safely assume it will be my deodorant for probably the next five years.” – Stacy
“I know I should care more about the aluminum, but I just can’t deal with sweating or the odor. I use Dove or Secret clinical strength – those are the only two that have worked for me.” – Jessica
Secret Outlast Invisible Solid Antiperspirant
“I am going to be the total oddball here, BUT I am NOT a fan of natural deodorant. It has never worked for me in terms of odor protection or as an antiperspirant, so I have always been an avid user of Secret and Dove deodorants.” – Bryn
Degree Clinical Protection Antiperspirant Deodorant
“Secret clinical is a must for me. Being pregnant, I sweat even more so I put Secret Clinical on in the morning, and then spray Degree Clinical at night and it helps.” -Alana
Dove Invisible Dry Spray Antiperspirant Deodorant
“I made the switch once to natural, and it totally messed up the underarms of my t-shirts and just didn’t do the job for me. I know it’s not the best option when considering the ingredients onlinepared to natural, but I just went back to the Dove Dry Spray, and I’ve been sticking with it!” – Emily
Secret Clinical Strength Antiperspirant & Deodorant
“I was all for Schmidt’s natural deodorant when I lived in a cool climate. When I moved to a humid and hot climate, I realized I stink a lot more and the natural wasn’t cutting it. I tried a bunch of high-end brands, but they weren’t helpful. Plus, I think due to menopause and hot flashes I needed to find something powerful. I started using Secret Clinical and it works great!!!! No stink, no sweat!!” -Jennifer
“I can’t live my best life without Secret Clinical. I’m sure it’s full of toxins, but I don’t smell like a zoo animal in the Arizona 120º heat 🤣 I wish I used natural, though!” – Lina
Old Spice Invisible Solid Antiperspirant
“I use Old Spice because I firmly believe that any lady deodorant doesn’t work!”
The results from our mini Hip2Save team poll:
7 for Natural Deodorant, 8 for Standard Deodorant!
A pretty close poll! Our team has some mixed feedback on their favorite deodorants, and it seems like finding an effective natural deodorant is hit and miss for a lot of people, while standard deodorants have much more powerful sweat-fighting properties. As with most products, the results may vary, as all of our bodies are different.
The real takeaway here? To each their own!
Give those pits a detox with our DIY underarm mask!
