I’ve been using deodorant since I was around 12 years old. I funny thing is, I am quite sure I didn’t need to be wearing it that young as I didn’t hit puberty until I was well into my high school years. I was what you might call a “late bloomer.” 
Nonetheless all of my much cooler girl friends started wearing deodorant so I figured I should too. Then somewhere between high school and university I switched over to anti-perspirant. I didn’t just want to smell good, I wanted to avoid any moisture at all in my armpit area. And up until a few months ago I was on a strict Dove anti-perspirant regime (the cucumber scent of course!)
But with more and more natural options becoming available and many of my friends making the move away aluminum-based options I figured it was time to try something new. Also there are many who argue that the aluminum in anti-perspirants can cause cancer, clog your pores and cause irritation. The research is inconclusive though, so take it with a grain of salt and do what feels right for you.
I decided to try two different “natural” deodorants – one stick and one powder.
The Greeench Herbal Deodorant Powder ($7.95)
This is a talc-based deodorant that contains thyme, rosemary and tea tree. You can also use this as a foot powder! It has a noticeable tea tree smell which I don’t mind at all. To apply you pour a small amount into the palm of your hand, rub your two hands together and then “pat” it into your armpits.
What I love about this deodorant is that it actually keeps me dry. It doesn’t just cover your skin with fragrance, it actually works to absorb moisture and keep you feeling dry. I would say it lasts about 6 hours before I feel like I need to re-apply. It’s not going to last you 24 hours but that’s the trade-off when you use a more natural product unfortunately!
What I don’t like about this is that it’s messy. No matter how careful you try to be you’ll end up with powder on the floor, on the counter and like on your clothes. If you do end up with some on your shirt it’s easy to dust off but still – it’s annoying.
Tom’s of Maine Natural Deodorant Stick in Lemongrass ($4.29 US, $6.88 CAD)
This aluminum-free deodorant stick is claims to offer 24-hour odor protection. This is just not the case. It smells lovely (the lemongrass scent is light and fresh) but it works for maybe 6 hours max. At that point if you start to sweat you will just smell like..well…BO.
What I love about this deodorant is the ease of application. It’s exactly like a traditional deodorant or anti-perspirant and you can apply it super quickly and easily. It also smells really nice!
What I don’t like about this is that it has a kind of oily consistency so when you apply it, it feels really wet. You have to give yourself several minutes for it to “dry” before getting dressed otherwise it will transfer onto your clothes. It also doesn’t keep my armpits dry, it just help neutralize the odor. Plus it doesn’t last for nearly as long as it claims.
So what’s my verdict? Although the Lush Greeench Herbal Deodorant Powder is messier to work with I would choose it as the winner between these two options. Switching over from anti-perspirant is hard because I don’t like to feel sweaty and the Greeench Herbal Deodorant Powder keeps me feeling dry and comfortable.
Have you tried any natural deodorants? Let me know your thoughts on anti-perspirants vs deodorants in the comments!
Chantal says
I was all about the Dove Cucumber anti-perspirant as well! And I’d say maybe a month ago I switched to a deodorant. With the breast cancer history in my family I want to put the best odds in my favour and if there’s a smidge of reason to believe that the aluminum can help contribute to cancer then I don’t want it on my pits!
At first I did not like the feeling of wetness (I don’t sweat profusely, but you know what I mean), but now I don’t notice it anymore.
Megan Joy says
Same here. I am getting more used to having a bit of moisture on my underarms. As long as it doesn’t smell it’s totally bearable. At first I hated it though!
Beyond Blush says
I’ve been using natural deodorants for a few years now, but I haven’t tried a powder version yet! Right now I’m loving Lavanilla’s deodorants
Megan Joy says
Oh I will have to check that out! I have heard cream deodorants are the new craze and work really well!
Nicola says
JK Naturals (jknaturals.com) offer a number of natural deodorant options in both sticks and creams. All are handcrafted with clean ingredients. I love the Lemongrass and Rosemary and it works which is even better. My 12 year old daughter loves the JK Naturals Teen deodorant too.
Megan Joy says
I definitely like stick deodorants over creams so I will definitely check out JK Naturals! Thanks for the suggestion
Jen says
I’m currently using that Tom’s deodorant and quite like it! More effective than other natural deodorants I’ve tried. I must check out the Lush, though! Sounds great
Congrats again on the new addition to your family! xo
Megan Joy says
Thanks Jen! It’s been awesome being home with her and James the last month
I think maybe I should try a different scent in the Tom’s deodorant because a lot of people have recommended it!
Elaine says
Did you end up trying one from Saje? Lovefresh and Leaves of Trees (both Canadian!) make ones that I hear are really good. I’ve tried them both and I like them but to be honest I rarely even wear deodorant!
Megan Joy says
I did like the one from Saje! I added a drop of lavender oil before I applied it and I used it for a long time but eventually it started falling out of the container and so I stopped using it
I’ve never heard of those other two brands so I will have to give them a try!
Jane says
I second the Lavanilla deodorant! (It’s alumminum free and I got it at Sephora) I use the plain vanilla scent but they have lots of other ones that smell great! I wouldn’t say it works quite as well as a normal anti perspirant, but it’s easy to apply and does a decent job! (Also apparently they have a new “sport luxe” formula which I’ve heard works even better!) Another nice thing is they sell it in the travel section up near the register at Sephora so you can try out a smaller size before you commit!
Megan Joy says
The Sports Luxe one definitely sounds interesting! I had no idea there were so many other natural deodorant options. It’s great that Lavanilla is available at Sephora, several of the ones I’ve seen are online brands only.
Jodi says
I use Mitchum, which I love! I don’t think its natural but I am pretty sure it doesn’t have aluminum in it.
Megan Joy says
I had
Megan Joy says
Nice! I think aluminum free is the way to go
Andy says
That’s a switch I’d love to make but I’m just too worried I might get really gross and smelly. I really love spray deodorants, and they’ve recently become more available in Canada, so I definitely can’t see myself straying from them!
Megan Joy says
I tried a spray from…Dove I think? It’s amazing how fast it dries! They need to come up with an all-natural spray option