My Favorite Natural Deodorant Brands That Actually Work

I’m back with another #AmbitiousSkincare edit for all of you! You may know that I’ve had a passion for skincare for as long as I can remember. I absolutely LOVE sharing my favorite brands, techniques, and all things skincare-related with all of you, and I get so excited to hear what your favs are because I’m always up for trying something new.

Today I’m sharing 3 of my favorite natural deodorants that I seriously couldn’t live without. I’ve gone through quite the trial-and-error process with finding a go-to natural deodorant for years now, and I’ve finally found 3 brands that I truly love!!

Remember to check out all of my go-to skincare products and tips in these articles, and head to the AK Shop to browse them all.

Read your labels: deodorant edition

Regular deodorant (like your good old Secret) is filled with tons of hard-to-pronounce ingredients and unnecessary chemicals, such as:

• Aluminum zirconium trichlorohydrex
• Phthalates
• Triclosan
• Parabens

And the list goes on and on…! The ingredients in regular deodorants, like the ones listed above, are used to clog pores, prevent sweating, allow fragrances to stick, and more. They’ve also been shown to interact with hormone levels and may contribute to an increased risk of cancers such as breast cancer. Putting deodorant directly on your armpits, which are porous, increases the likelihood that whatever’s in your deodorant can easily get into the other systems in your body.

Just for context: triclosan is a classified pesticide by the FDA!

What’s in natural deodorant?

While natural deodorants may still have a lengthy list of ingredients, they leave out all of the chemicals listed above and swap them for natural ones — even ones I use in recipes! Common ingredients found in natural deodorants are:

• Coconut oil
• Beeswax
• Vitamin E
• Arrowroot starch

Bottom line: with anything, be sure to read the labels for yourself so that you know exactly what you’re putting on your body.

Do they actually work?!

YES. A big hesitation in switching to natural deodorant is that it won’t keep you smelling fresh like regular deodorants do. I’ve found that these 3 deodorants truly keep me fresh all day long, and they DO NOT have a fake chemical scent like most regular deodorants do.

One caveat: natural deodorants like these are not meant to be antiperspirants. AKA they will not reduce sweating. Remember when we talked about the ingredients in regular deodorants above? Those chemicals are what clog up the pores in your armpits to prevent sweating. Because natural deodorants don’t have ingredients like aluminum, they’re not meant to give you that sweat-free feel.

But remember, humans are supposed to sweat! It helps us detoxify and stay cool. Add a lovely scented natural deodorant on top and you’re good to go!

Tips for switching to natural deodorant

I know it can be intimidating to switch to a totally different skincare product, so here are my tips for going natural with your deodorant:

• Start slow: because there’s such a big difference in ingredients, try using the natural deodorant just a few times per week to start so that your body gets used to it.
• Wait after shaving: this goes for regular deodorant, too! I recommend holding off on the deodorant right after you shave because it will get into all of the nicks and super open pores.
• Stick with it: this is probably my biggest on — stick with the natural deodorant for at least a few weeks! That’s when you’ll really be able to tell if you like it or should try a different scent, brand, etc.

Nécessaire: I’ve been using Nécessaire products for a couple of years now (their lotion is amazing!) and their ‘creamy’ deodorant used to be my fav. They replaced the ‘creamy’ version with a new gel one BUT I haven’t tried it yet! If you have tried it or plan to, let me know how you like it. I am going to miss the creamy version SO much.

Native: I love how easy and smooth Native rolls on and all of the incredible scents they have! Everything from coconut & vanilla to citrus & herbal musk. Their deodorants are aluminum free and they’ve also started creating plastic free packaging. If you are sensitive to baking soda, be sure to check which ones are baking soda-free!

Schmidt’s: this is an awesome option that I’ve loved so much! Their scents are great and it goes on silky smooth like regular deodorant. They are made with coconut oil, shea butter, and essential oils. No aluminum salts. No parabens!

I’d love to hear what deodorants or skincare products you’ve been loving lately! Drop a comment below to share your favorites.

See more of our skincare and beauty recommendations in the Ambitious Kitchen shop.