Advertisement

News

Can an eco-friendly deodorant do the job?

Rating: NNNNN


Q: Which natural deodorants actually work? I’ve tried a few with no luck. I don’t want to smell for the last month of summer!!

A: Nothing like a three-month heat wave to put your natural deodorant to the test. I’ve tried a couple that barely survived my short bike ride to work – and it’s essentially downhill the whole way! But what’s even more frustrating is that many so-called “natural” deodorants still contain a lot of the same ingredients found in drugstore varieties.

None of the alt-deos contain aluminum, the pore-clogging anti-perspirant ingredient linked inconclusively to Alzheimer’s and cancer. Nor do they have triclosan (a super-persistent eco-contaminant found in many mainstream deodorants like RightGuard Sport Power Stripe, Speed Stick Clear, Gillette Power Stripe and Arm & Hammer Ultramax)!

But over half the sticks on health store shelves still contain petrol-based propylene glycol, which, in 100 per cent concentrations is antifreeze and is extremely toxic to aquatic life. Many, like Tom’s of Maine, insist it’s safe in small doses, while other companies have switched to propylene-free formulas. One health store manager told us customers complained that brands no longer worked once they became PG-free.

Besides PG, keep an eye out for synthetics like the carcinogenic preservative paraben. Avalon has phased it out, though old formulations can still be found on shelves. Check the ingredients.

Some vitamin shops sell a deodorant cream called Lavalin that is said to prevent BO for up to a week. Creepy. Its ingredients are largely natural, like zinc, arnica and potato starch, but it also has petroleum jelly and talc (a possible carcinogen illegally mined in India to the point of threatening tiger habitats).

As for which products work best? Read on. Note: body chemistries differ, so results can vary. Best to carry a stick in your bag for emergency reapplication.

TESTER 1 (female) TESTER 2 (female) TESTER 3 (male)
Alba Clear Enzyme
Enzymes sound effective, but I had to reapply before and after exercising and still reeked at the end of the night! Sticky, too. But better than Kiss My Face’s Active Enzyme, which died after 20 minutes on the bike.

Rating: NN
Luckily, this leaves no obnoxious lavender smell. It spreads on nicely and dries well. Went all day, didn’t reapply and did a power walk at night. No smell. But the harder I worked my body, the stickier my underarms got.

Rating: NNN
The worst. Showered at noon, went out to run errands and I had to go home and change shirt by 3. Sure, it was hot out, but still. P.U.

Rating: N
Nature’s Gate Organics

Masked Alba-induced BO initially, but persimmon scent mixes terribly with sweat. I woke up smelling worse than if I’d smeared mayo under my arms. Tried again on lazy Sunday and stank before brunch was over.

Rating: N
I’ve used this for years, thinking chronic armpit odour was the price I had to pay for giving up chemicals. Why did I pick this one in the first place? It just doesn’t work.

Rating: N
Is this even a deodorant?

Rating: N
Earth Science Liken Plant

Feels smooth going on but leaves sticky finish. Still smelled nice after biking around city all day. Almost gave it four Ns, but it didn’t hold up past eight hours. Needed to reapply, even though it has some propylene glycol.

Rating: NNN
A tiny bit tacky on the skin. After a fairly non-exerting kind of day, there was no errant wafting. I’m guessing this would be a winner for workouts.

Rating: NNNN
Saved me from Tom’s of Maine. Covered up BO, then lasted through six hours of dancing and drinking. Got home late and smelled surprisingly good.

Rating: NNNN
Jason

Fine until I finished working out – emerging BO made me switch to another brand post-gym. What’s the point? Full of chems, too (though Jason says it’s since taken some out).

Rating: NN
Sounds fresh, but herbs are way down on ingredient list. True, the stick goes on like a dream, but it stinks up the pits even if you’re doing absolutely nothing. Sure wouldn’t want to exert myself.

Rating: N
At first I was impressed. It lasted through a very sweaty two-and-a-half-hour workout. But it faded soon after. Not into the soapy herb-and-spice scent.

Rating: NN
Avalon Organics

Sign me up for a crate! Roll-on needed time to dry (try fan). But nice mint-thyme scent faded and kept me smelling perfectly clean right through evening run. Woke up 24 hours after applying smelling minty fresh! Wow!

Rating: NNNNN
It left a thick, gluey pool and stayed wet all the way to work. No matter. I did a major power walk in the evening without reapplying and stayed joyously whiff-free.

Rating: NNNN
Applied this before bed, woke up, went to two-hour kung fu session and it worked like a charm. I was still aroma-free the next day. I’m docking points for weird yellow sweat stains left on T, and wet roll-on format.

Rating: NNN
Lafe’s Natural Crystal

I’ve tried this one in the past. It’ll work for days, then stop. It’s very finicky. You have to apply it on clean, freshly showered armpits or it doesn’t work. And a few strokes won’t do. Try 20 to 50.

Rating: NNN
No tarty fragrance, no goop, no residue. I took a friend’s advice – wet it and applied 25 times. Much flapping of the arms later, I went for a strenuous hour-long walk. Result: sweat, but no aromas. A little mineral miracle.

Rating: NNNN
When used regularly, this one’s my favourite. Goes on clean and really eliminates odour. On long 14-hour work days when it can’t fail, I use it in conjunction with another brand because it’ll wear down eventually.

Rating: NNNN
Tom’s of Maine

This one loses points for having propylene glycol as its first ingredient (the company says it was too mushy without it). Fine for quick bike to work and sitting in air conditioned office, but died even before I hit the gym.

Rating: NN
Says it’s unscented, but a cloying vapour overwhelms at first. It mostly faded but did leave a slight vexing reminder. Wore for several hours, and though I didn’t put it through a boisterous workout, it seemed to do its job.

Rating: NNN
All I did was watch TV and surf the Net in my AC-free home on a hot, sticky day and I had BO within five hours. Gave up and applied next deodorant. Didn’t want to risk further stench.

Rating: N
Terressentials Organic

Masked emerging stench from Tom’s of Maine. Saved me during and after run. Would be four Ns, but chalky roll-on residue is unacceptable in tank top season! And is it really worth paying twice the price for pure ingredients?

Rating: NNN
In a hurry, so had to pat with tissue. Left subtle peachy smell. Wore it all day, went out of town, came back in the early hours and discovered next morning that all was well. A solid stink fighter.

Rating: NNNN
Roll-on left chalky residue all over my T-shirt. Applied at 3 pm after workout and it lasted through the evening. But I woke up with stinky pits. No good.

Rating: NN

Got a question?

Send your green consumer queries to
ecoholic@nowtoronto.com

Advertisement

Exclusive content and events straight to your inbox

Subscribe to our Newsletter

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

By signing up, I agree to receive emails from Now Toronto and to the Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.

Recently Posted