I was excited about Jason Tea Tree Oil Deodorant, $6.95, because it contains zinc to block sweat, as well as tea tree oil to kill bacteria and help with smell. It made it through the run test -- but just barely. I still think it's a viable option for colder weather or people who sweat less than I do.
While Dr. Hauschka Deodorant, $22.95, works fairly well, there's one clear downside: the price. It's by far the most expensive natural deodorant on the list. However, if you have extremely sensitive skin and you don't mind splurging, the aluminum-free deodorant has some qualities I loved. It's extremely gentle with witch hazel and sage, and the fragrance is light and refreshing. It's a roll-on, but it dries quickly.
No, the name of For Pits Sake Deodorant, $7.99, is not for everyone (I've got this one hidden in my underwear drawer), but I wouldn't have included it if it didn't work. The lime and clove scent of this natural deodorant is fantastic in a borrowed-from-a-guy sort of way, and because it contains aluminum-free baking soda, it has sweat-absorption capabilities that many of the others do not.
First, let me say that the Nature's Gate Herbal Blend Deodorant, $6.29, in tea tree and blue cypress is intense. It's like walking through a field of soaking wet Christmas trees. But I found that all that powerful fragrance -- which comes from essential oils -- was really helpful at blocking B.O. Plus, it mellowed out by the end of my run. In addition to a ton of extracts and oils, this natural deodorant contains vegetable enzymes to neutralize odor -- and the smooth solid glides on clear.
It's made with USDA certified organic ingredients, and the Fresh Fig scent is warm and sweet and delicious. Plus, the main ingredient is coconut oil, which has tons of benefits from killing bacteria to soothing irritation. This natural deodorant passed the run test with flying colors, and I thought it was going to be the winner -- and then I decided to wear it on a steamy Sunday afternoon while I cleaned my apartment. Can you guess what happened next? All that scrubbing and sweating was too much for it. I'm saving this one for the winter, or a nice, leisurely brunch.
As a beauty editor I'm game to try just about anything -- but when someone asks me to test a natural deodorant, I break into a cold sweat.
It's not that I don't love natural products -- I do. But when it comes to deodorant, give me my Secret Clinical Strength any day -- because in my experience, even the best aluminum-free deodorants don't do what they're supposed to. Namely, keep us stink-free.
Recently, however, I noticed a slew of new natural deodorants hitting the shelves. With hopes that they would be better than their predecessors, I came up with a way to test the aluminum-free deodorants without having to be publicly smelly. I wore them on my morning runs during the two hottest weeks of the summer. I did a mid-way sniff test as well as a post-run smell test to see how the formulas held up. And the ones that scored the highest got an all-day tryout on weekends -- when I would be seeing my closest friends.
Not surprisingly, they didn't all make the cut. But these are the 12 best natural deodorants that made it through to round two. They're ranked in order from my least favorite to my favorite, and I spell out what makes each one special. I recommend taking a few for a test drive -- and then letting us know about your experience by writing a review on their product pages.
