Pity Party: Deodorants Mother Nature Will Love

As a Brooklyn resident, I can tell you that using deodorant is a personal preference. However, surveys say that 86% of American men use deodorant regularly, myself included. Somewhere around puberty, my mom made a comment about my armpits smelling like a sandwich, and I’ve been using it daily ever since.

Picking out deodorant can be overwhelming. Axe has such funny commercials, Old Spice looks so tropical, and this one smells like an avalanche blast! The truth is there should be a lot more that goes into selecting your daily pit shield than what you see on the outside.

Most people interchange the words deodorant and antiperspirant, but they are quite different. Deodorants allow you to sweat while neutralizing odor, where antiperspirants only prevent sweat. While more research still needs to be done, certain ingredients found in deodorant are known carcinogens and have been potentially linked to cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, and kidney disorders. The main thing to avoid is aluminum. Aluminum alters the body’s pH and stops the production of sweat. If aluminum is absorbed into the skin, it can enter the kidneys, lungs, and liver. Other things to eliminate if you are trying to be ingredient conscious include: penetration enhancer (this may sound like exactly what you’ve been looking for, but it’s actually what helps the aluminum and other toxins absorb into the skin,) synthetic fragrance, triclosan, talc powder, and BTH.

Now that you know what you’re dealing with, here are three aluminum-free and non-toxic deodorants that you and the environment will love.

Ursa Major: Hoppin Fresh ($18)

This little stick of sunshine was the hands down winner. The smell is bright and fresh and keeps you feeling the same for hours. The Kaolin clay controls sweat, the aloe soothes, and the hops (yep, the same that go into beer) help to combat odor. The ingredients are cruelty-free, sourced from sustainable family-owned growers, and don’t include petrochemicals, sulfates, silicones, or PEGs.

Aesop Herbal Deodorant ($35)

He’s a pricey date, but he delivers the goods! Aesop uses 11 essential oils to combat underarm stench. This spray takes a little getting used to, but the vetiver smell is intoxicating. The first spray feels hot, but within seconds it goes away. This is a great middle-of-summer tank top option, and it lets a bit of your natural odor come through.

Primal Pit Paste: Royal and Rouge ($8.95)

This one calls for an open mind. It is a hipster hippy extravaganza. It’s a paste, so you have to stick your fingers in it and slather it on. The smells are really great: Orange Creamsicle, Thyme and Lemongrass, Primal Spice, Royal and Rouge, and more. The deodorant also comes in light, regular, and heavy, depending on your stench flows. The main ingredient is baking soda, accompanied with coconut oil and baking powder. Pit Paste also make a pit primer oil to help transition you through the detox.