10 Totally Natural Deodorants That Actually Work

Natural deodorants have a reputation for being a little bit lazy in the workplace (i.e., your armpits). Sure, you’d rather not spread a chemical-laden deodorant over your under-arms — but you also don’t want to find yourself stinking by mid-day from a well-intentioned but ultimately ineffective all-natural product. Ahead, 10 tried and tested deodorants that have proven themselves to be as helpful as they are healthy.

Let’s time travel for a moment. The first deodorant ever trademarked — way back in 1888 — was a paste-in-a-pot from the still-in-business brand Mum. Primal Pit Paste’s upgrade on that original concept feels anything but old-timey, though, thanks to its clean design and ingredient list that’s free of aluminum and all other potential toxins. What’s also important, of course, is whether it actually leaves you smelling fresh as a jasmine flower. It does.

If your goal is to not smell like an ursa major (rough translation: ‘big bear’), you might want to give this deodorant a try. It’s powered with odor-fighting hops and eucalyptus oil, as well as sweat-absorbing kaolin clay. What will you smell like? A pleasant spring day.

No animals were harmed (or otherwise involved) in the making of this vegan cream-to-powder deodorant. What else is it free of? Parabens, phthalates, aluminum — and any other potential-toxin you might have on your list.

Technically, this roll-on is designed for your daughter, little sister, or ‘tween niece — but it works just as well on grown ups (you are a grown up, right?), inhibiting bacterial growth for 24 hours with a gentle — and toxin-free — formula

Scooping up a tiny dollop of this citrusy deodorant using its tiny silver spatula feels a bit like you’re about to apply a luxury face cream. But instead, of course, it goes on your pits, scenting them with essential oils of bergamot and lime.

There’s a nice backstory to this all-natural deodorant: After a close friend with breast cancer was instructed not to wear deodorant by her doctor, Freedom’s founder set out to develop a toxin-free version free of chemicals suspected to increase risk of the disease. The resulting deodorant sticks strictly to chemical-free ingredients but still works wonderfully well at fighting odor.

A simple ingredient list of coconut oil, corn starch, baking soda, candelilla wax, jojoba oil, and probiotics fend off unwanted odor surprisingly well — perhaps thanks to that final ingredient, probiotics, which (just like in your gut) helps repopulate the good bacteria in your armpits that battle it out with the bad ones responsible for odor.

All kinds of natural ingredients are packed into this conifer-scented deodorant. A few highlights: oil-absorbing arrowroot powder and baking soda, moisturising shea butter and coconut oil — and of course, essential oils of cedar and fir tree to give it the scent of timber.

Eleven naturally anti-bacterial essential oils team up in Aesop’s spritzable deodorant to battle microbes responsible for you sometimes smelling so bad.

I almost don’t care whether this deodorant works — its pretty, palm printed packaging just makes me want to set it on my bathroom counter and stare at it for a while. Turns out, though, what’s inside is just as appealing. A 100% organic ingredient list tamps down odor and replaces it with a lovely lavender scent.