Natural deodorants - are they better?

[motheroreily]

I recently bought my daughter a natural deodorant. She's only 8 so I thought she doesn't need an anti perspirant or anything with lots of chemicals. Just she's been sweating in this weather.

Anyway, then I started reading a lot about how natural deodorants are better for you and watching some YouTube videos. They don't have aluminum or parabens. But if you use them you'll have a detox stage where you sweat excessively and smell. Anti perspirants have salts which block your sweat glands and you need to swear that all out. But once you're through that stage it's fine. And you can do an underarm mask to help with the detox.

This sounds like a lot of effort. Natural deodorants are also more expensive. And I'm not sure I want to switch myself. But had anyone done it and found it better? It is worth the transition?

My skin isn't particularly sensitive and I'm not that sweaty.

Just interested to hear from others really.

I tried one roll on one and used it for a couple of months until it finished but I smelt of stale sweat by lunchtime, I am back to using Sure again. It’s a shame that it didn’t work well for me.

I love the idea but I'm 53 and menopausal and nothing seems to work that well now. My odour has changed :-(

Thanks for the reply.
That's interesting so you preserved for weeks and it didn't improve.

I think if they are soaping their armpits daily with a flannel and wearing clean clothing then they don’t need anything extra.

As well as effectiveness, I am curious to know if they leave marks on clothes.

I'll take the aluminium, I don't want to sweat and smell. Depends what you mean by better tbh

@IndieTara

I love the idea but I'm 53 and menopausal and nothing seems to work that well now. My odour has changed :-(

Dri-color at night every other night. Works like a dream! Then you can just use your usual anti-p and not smell.

@Finfintytint in my family I can assure you that no amount of scrubbing stops BO. My DH tries to tell me it does. He's wrong even for himself.

oh god no, I tried driclor and the itching and irritation was terrible

Then it’s probably down to the materials they are wearing. An additional scrub half way through the day if needed. It’s sweat that’s allowed to remain on skin and clothing that creates the odour.

In a word - no.

I started buying DH natural deodorant 3 years ago (just because I get it from the same online store I buy children's things from, not because he is incapable of doing it himself!) and around the same time pretty much stopped using any myself. I now use natural crystal deodorant only when it's going to be an exceptionally hot day and I'm likely to be out and about. I haven't noticed that I smell, and when I questioned DH he said he hasn't noticed (and isn't the type to hold back from politeness!). DH is a farmer and is quite happy with his too.

I buy natural crystal deodorant for DD, 9, who is very sporty and despite washing twice a day has started smelling a bit.
It was a bit too drying for me but Nuud is working out really well.

I had to stop using antiperspirants as they were giving me terrible irritations, even the ones for sensitive skins. It started when I was pregnant and just never got better

@Finfintytint seriously you have no idea. All natural materials - myself included. If I wore no deodorant you'd have to live in a different county.

Ok. Then you need to see your doctor.

Also, do you use biological washing powder?

I use the Crystal Natural Deodorant as pregnant and generally trying to avoid some chemicals (but I do use antiperspirant sometimes as well if know I need it!)

I haven't found the detox stage or anything and it does generally work, although I feel I need to apply it slightly more often. Actually thinking about it I find antiperspirant gives more of a funny smell when it's wearing off, not BO but a particular scent, which this one doesn't

Or fabric conditioner? This will prevent serious cleansing of clothes.

I've found that some natural deodorants are far more effective for me than the usual antiperspirant mainstream brands. They stop me smelling in a way that no Sure or Right Guard can do. Unfortunately, the ones that really work (charcoal & bicarbonate of soda based) also seem to really irritate my skin.

So yes, I think they work, better than standard antiperspirant. But I can only use them for about a week until I have to switch to something else.

@Finfintytint I don't think I am a particularly smelly person but I can smell BO within 15 minutes of a shower or bath on warm occasions if not applied. Granted I'm sure nobody else would smell it at that stage but I know it's there

I use a mix of a crystal deodorant and a natural roll on one, I find they work well. I do have some underarm hair (I only trim it) and live in a hot country so I’m not often bundled up in clothes, and I am a bit “musky”, but I like that and it’s not offensive (I shower every day). I’m a bit of a hippy these days though so I don’t care to mask everything about my natural body. Not for everyone I suspect.

I've found the salt crystal ones work very well. None of the others worked for me. Tried native and wild based on recommendations here and they were both crap.

I’ve been using Wild deodorant for about two months, was really sceptical at first but it’s working! It does leave white marks on clothes though so have to get dressed carefully!

I hope so. I've just ordered some "wild" deodorant

Ive tried natural deodorants and they just don't work for me. Mitchum roll on and im sweat & BO free all day. Apart from that im pretty low chemical and eat vegan so its an acceptable exception for me.

@WinterAndRoughWeather i find that 'warm skin smell' that you get on a lovely hot day is totally different to BO and i actually really like it, both on myself and other people. Same as with sweat caused by exercise it has a totally different smell.

Stress / anxiety sweat is the worst.