Okay, Frillies. You’ve asked and I am [finally] delivering. I put a handful of the best natural deodorants for women to the test over the course of many months and wanted to offer my thoughts on each one.
Deodorant v. Antiperspirant – What’s the difference?
First thing’s first – knowing the difference between a deodorant and an antiperspirant.
According to Native (one of our tested brands), Anti-perspirant prevents you from sweating. That is, the aluminum contained in anti-perspirant acts as a plug on your body’s sweat ducts and prevents you from sweating and releasing other byproducts of sweat.
Deodorant works by eliminating and absorbing the odors associated with sweat. They are free of all the harmful junk like parabens, aluminum, and synthetic fragrances.
Making the Switch to Natural Deodorant
Before switching to a natural deodorant, you should take time to strip away your old deodorant residue, as well as bacteria that can be hiding in your underarm pores.
A lot of people think they just wake up one day and make the switch from traditional deodorant to a natural product. You may not think that starting with a “blank slate” is important, but I have found that it’s the only way to see results when switching to natural deodorants.
What to do Before You Make the Switch to Natural Deodorant:
Something I like to do every few weeks is refrain from shaving my underarms for a few days. I feel like it really allows the hairs to keep from becoming ingrown and it’s nice to start fresh every now and then. Obviously, this is easier to do in the wintertime, but all year round is ideal.
- Start by shaving your underarms (or don’t if you choose to go au naturale)
- Then, exfoliate your pits with a pouf or loofa.
- After your shower, dry your underarms really well.
- Use an underarm detox product like Lavanila’s Underarm Detox Mask.
- Apply an even layer to clean, dry underarms. Leave on 5 minutes and rinse with warm water. Use 1-2 times a week as part of your healthy beauty routine or 3 times per week when making the switch to natural deodorant.
Once you’ve completed those steps, you’re ready to begin making the switch to natural deodorant.
5 of the Best Natural Deodorants for Women
No. 1 – CRYSTAL Invisible Solid Deodorant
This is a paraben-free solid deodorant that is safe for the entire family. Crystal has been touted as one of the best natural deodorant brands and I couldn’t wait to give this product a try.
I labeled this product number one because it was one of my favorites. It goes on solid and stays feeling dry and scented throughout the day.
When I say it feels dry, what I mean by that is I don’t feel like the product itself is moist on my underarms.
This natural deodorant is enriched with minerals, and provides effective odor protection with a light aroma, and no harsh chemicals. It’s powerful, but gentle and glides on smooth. Bonus — it also conditions and moisturizes skin while delivering the long-lasting 24-hour protection you can trust.
No 2. Farmacy – Freshen Up all-natural deodorant stick with moringa + papaya
I am a huge fan of Farmacy beauty‘s product. If you follow me on Instagram, you probably get to hear me chat about their CBD face cream, their makeup meltaway balm, honey and cherry products, and all the other goodness I love about Farmacy.
This product:
Provides a triple detox. Kaolin clay draws out impurities and moringa purifies + deep cleans, thanks to its antibacterial properties. Tea tree oil helps neutralize odors.
Brightens underarms. Papaya exfoliates + helps this all-natural deodorant reduce the appearance of skin discoloration. In fact, I feel like it also help keep my pores unclogged.
Cool + clear. Their unique formula provides instant cooling comfort and glides on completely clear for invisible odor protection. Peppermint, bergamot + rosemary keep you smelling fresh!
Free of: baking soda + synthetic fragrance in favor of farm-fresh ingredients.
This is a deodorant I prefer to use during the warmer months because of the cooling feeling. It goes on super smoothly and tends to feel cool, and almost moist, during the day. In my book, this is one of the best natural deodorants for women (and even the entire family).
No. 3 Native Deodorant Solid
Like their packaging, Native prides itself on being easy to use. Their deodorants are free of aluminum and includes ingredients you know and love like shea butter, coconut oil, baking soda, and probiotics.
I really like the way this deodorant feels when you put it on. It’s a nice solid stick and goes on smoothly in a nice thin layer. The scents are light, but so fresh.
No. 4 Metaphor Organic Deodorant Tin
This deodorant is a little difficult to apply, but feels so good on the pits. The Tea Tree Oil blend is my favorite and is only $7 per tin.
The ingredients are locally sourced and the products are handmade in Beaverton, Oregon.
No. 5 Lavanila Natural Deodorant
Lavanila is known as one of the best natural deodorants for women, so I had to give it a try.
This all-natural, freshly scented deodorant provides superior, long-lasting odor protection. Soothing essential oils blend with powerful anti-oxidants and beta glucan technology for daily defense and nourishment.
This product contains no aluminum, no parabens, no propylene glycol, and no harsh chemicals.
I love how smoothly this deodorant goes on and I love how fresh the scents are. I do notice a bit of a moist feeling during the day, but that is to be expected.
This product is solid, but sort of just melts onto the underarms which leaves a moisturized feeling all day long.
