Smell Good, Feel Better: Natural Deodorant

I wish I had been blogging 7 years ago because I think I tried every natural deodorant out there and would love to review them. I was pregnant and hormones were wreaking havoc right when I was trying to use cleaner ingredients for the baby. 

Traditional deodorants contain aluminum (possibly linked to breast cancer), parabens (known hormone disruptor), triclosan (may disrupt thyroid, potential to create antibiotic-resistant bacteria) and phthalates (possible hormone disruptor). Lovely, right?! Honestly it's amazing when you start checking out the ingredients in products you use every day. If you haven't switched deodorants to something better for you, this is your sign!

My #1 natural deodorant pick

I tried a bunch of different natural brands and found that they didn't work great. When I did find one that worked it ended up staining my clothes which isn't helpful. I had seen the ads for Lume on TV and finally gave it a shot. It's been my main deodorant since. I have only tried the tangerine but may go unscented next time.

Lume is aluminum free and made without all the ingredients listed above. I was hesitant to buy because of the price tag but it does last longer since you truly don't need to put it on every day and it's worth it for a product that actually works well. Lume is PH optimized so it blocks odor before it even starts. It goes on solid and doesn't usually transfer to clothes. If it does I've never had it stain. 

My #2 deodorant pick

I keep a stick of Dove aluminum free at work and feel good about using this one but find it doesn't work as well as Lume and it feels a little more oily when you put it on.

Check out your own product health ratings

I am hoping to do a whole post on this soon but check out your deodorant on the Environmental Working Group website or app and see how your current deodorant rates. This app helped me a lot when I first started my clean living journey. I hope it helps you too!

For reference from the EWG app: Lume unscented scored a 1 (best possible score with a 10 being the worst), Lume Tangerine is a 2 and the Dove aluminum free is a 3. 

Whether you are just starting out on your natural journey or have been at it for years, your deodorant is one swap you can make for a healthier you today!