To think natural deodorants don't work?

[Hangingover]

Has anyone had a good experience with natural deodorants? Being a bit of a hippy I finally succumbed to the advertising and switched to a natural brand. Feel a bit damp and a bit smelly a lot of the time for the first month. Nothing dramatic but I can't wear the same top two days in a row now if it's a tight one, it has to be washed. As it was quite a cheap brand I signed up to the Wild eco friendly deodorants that send you the refills in the post. Hasn't arrived yet. Had high hopes for it until I received an email from them thanking me for my order and saying a lot of people find they sweat more when switching to their product but not to worry as your body adjusts eventually. They also used the word "detoxing" several times which is usually a buying red flag for me.

Has anyone found there's a period of stinkiness and then everything's fine or do they simply not work?

The crystal stone ones work brilliantly for me, they don't stop me sweating but they keep me odour free far better than sure/nivea/mitcham (which didn't really keep me dry either). They last for years too, so less cost and less plastic waste.
I think it depends on your individual body chemistry though, as they work great for some people and not at all for others.

I'm using Dr Haushka rose deodorant which seems to work well at the moment.
I couldn't get on with Fit Pit. It worked beautifully for a few weeks but then the bicarb of soda would make my pits itchy.
Bionsen stung like a 🤬. I had to wash it off after a few minutes.

I’m loving the wild natural deodorant. I got a 50% discount code and bought the peppermint one. I think it’s brilliant.

I use Bionsen in the summer, pit rok in winter (the proper rock salt one that you use on wet skin). I don't sweat a lot, never have done.

I do use soap in the bath / shower though, not shower gel. Apparently it makes a difference.

@JuniperBeer

Deodorant basically just attempts to cover up the smell- antiperspirant physically stops you sweating.

Deodorant is fine for people who might not sweat a lot. But otherwise a decent antiperspirant is what you want!

This!

Deodorant is not antiperspirant; you can't be cross if it doesn't work as one!

I am fairly eco but I find tracking my cycle is better than going eco all month. For a lot of my cycle I don't actually need anything because I don't get sweaty; for about 5-9 days I need ALL THE STUFF.

I started using Salt of the Earth and found that using it every 3 or 4 days as well as my normal deodorant stopped me getting too smelly (like it was killing off bacteria that had been building up). Then over lockdown I switched to using full time as not doing much running round getting stressed and think I’ll stick with it.
Wearing a top two days in a row though - can’t imagine ever being able to do that!

...as in whatever deodorant I use

I use Pitrock (literally a crystal which you wet and run onto your armpit) and find it fine for a normal day. It stops the smells and I don't sweat all that much anyway.
If I know I'm going to be working until late on a hot day I might wear some "proper" Sure or whatever.

My parents bought me a crystal deodorant a few years ago, it was literally just a lump of soft rock you rubbed in your pits. It really worked for a few months, but then seemed to become less effective after a while so I stopped using it. I don't get particularly wet under arm though, just need to mask the smell of my sweat. Also don't do much exercise!

How sweaty I get mostly depends on the material I'm wearing. I can wear pure cotton for 2 days easily without it smelling. Polyester stinks by mid afternoon.

They are rubbish.

@NotMeekNotObedient

I've used the salt ones but they don't react well on my skin.

I now use Ben & Anna brand. Really like it.

It does work as a deordorant but not so much as an antiperspirant.

Ben and Anna are expensive for what you get. The containers are only half full, if that.

@ConnieDobbs

How sweaty I get mostly depends on the material I'm wearing. I can wear pure cotton for 2 days easily without it smelling. Polyester stinks by mid afternoon.

Yeah, this exactly. I use natural deodorants (currently just a big cheap lump of alum, but also nicely scented packaged ones in the past) and as long as I stick to natural fabrics they are fine. Synthetics, especially polyester and/or tight fitting, nope. But for me that’s the same with synthetic anti-perspirant/deodorants as well. A little less smelly at the end of the day with the non-natural one maybe, but still noticeably more than with natural fabrics. Also, only a problem where the fabric actually covers my armpit...polyester bras don’t pick up any smell.

I also only use bar soap.

To the people thinking that deodorants without a-p just masks the smell that’s not right, they have anti-bacterial properties so you don’t get smelly. It’s not the sweat that smells, it’s the bacteria acting on it. My big lump of alum has no smell at all, it just kills off the bacteria (same stuff they use in shaving cut sticks). Baking soda is another common anti-bac ingredient.

Another vote for Toms of Maine. It works in the subtropics where I live.

Whatever you do, don’t EVER use Driclor.

My god.

The only time I tend to get stinky is if I get stressed out - that horrible fear sweat, which in my experience can't be stopped by anything!

Oooh I heard about this on a podcast... apparently it's actually a different kind of sweat!

Thanks everyone some great ideas here. I think if Wild doesn't work out I'll go back to the salt stick and get DP to hide it after use so I can't accidentally smash it

Weirdly enough one thing I did find allowed me to not use any antiperspirant ages ago was growing my underarm hair out. Wonder if the fuzz is why DP never seems to need antiperspirant.

@user1471462428

I use pit rock which works as I’m a smelly person. I used loads of eco ones that didn’t work till I found that.

Same here. Pit rok works for me. If you prefer a roll on or spray like a normal deodorant the salt of the earth also works.

Wild didn't work for me at all

Lume lasts 72 hours for me. You can use it anywhere on your body. It has no baking soda, which gives me a rash.

www.bing.com/videos/search?q=lume+ad&docid=608014708872272077&mid=1616813D975044C869AE1616813D975044C869AE&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

Have known a fair few people that used natural deodorants that insisted they work. They didn't.

I tried loads but most didn't work and the ones that did gave me a rash, turned out to be the bicarb. I found a bicarb free one to try and it does actually work. I also only need to put it on every other day. I've been using it about two years now and wouldn't go back. It's called Nuud. Not the cheapest but I really rate it.

Have tried loads in the past with varying success, but have now been using The Natural Deoderant Co ones for a few years and they are a total game changer, quite expensive about £12 or so but lasts a few months.

Salt of the earth is pretty good for me.

I don't body sweat too much - more of a head sweater (yey lucky me), I gave up deodorant and shower every morning, but my skin was the reason as I found it clogged my pores, I am much better without anything.

Salt of the Earth (formerly known as PitRok) works. You have to apply generously—in the region of 80 swipes on each armpit.

I use salt of the earth - doesn’t stop you sweating but does stop smell. I am and always have been very sweaty person so this is a godsend. There is a transition period where you do smell because all the backed up toxins are leaving the system - 2 weeks I reckon. Took me years to find one that worked - I will never go back. Prefer this to pit rock which doesn’t work for me despite being similar I think.