Keen to eliminate harmful chemicals from your personal care products, but not at the expense of your social life? These natural deodorants will keep odours, not friends, at bay.

By Sabrina Rogers-Anderson

You’ve probably heard that the aluminium in deodorants and antiperspirants can cause breast cancer. The good news is that there’s no solid scientific evidence demonstrating a direct link between the two.

The bad news? Antiperspirants and deodorants - like most of our personal care products - often contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals that may increase the risk of reproductive disorders, cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and other serious health conditions. Some of the most common culprits found in deodorants are parabens, phthalates, triclosan, aluminium and fragrance.

Natural deodorants offer a toxin-free alternative to traditional versions, but do they work or will your friends and family stop returning your calls?

Here are three you can trust to get the job done.

Entry level: MooGoo Natural Fresh Cream Deodorant

Don’t you love when you find an affordable product that works just as well as its pricey counterparts? After trying countless natural deodorants over the years, I never looked back once I tried MooGoo’s version.

If you’ve ever used any MooGoo products, you’ll know how incredibly natural and nourishing they feel on your skin. This Aussie company takes its ingredients VERY seriously and goes above and beyond the usual “free from… ” marketing taglines to include only the healthiest and  most evidence-based ingredients - many of which are even edible!

I haven’t tried eating the deodorant, but I love that it comes in a traditional roll-on formula, only requires a couple of swipes under my arms to get enough on (which makes each tube last forever) and has never once failed me.

I’ve never had so much as a whiff of BO come my way since I’ve been using it. I love all the delicate scents (Lemon Myrtle is my fave) and it even moisturises my pits and seems to help keep razor burn at bay. 

Pros: Effective, affordable, subtly scented, nourishing and available at many chemists.

Cons: It’s packaged in plastic rather than a more sustainable material like its competitors.

Price: $8.90 for 60ml

Mid range: No Pong

No Pong seems to have a cult following. Those who love it really love it and it’s won a ton of awards. I’m going to go against the grain and say it’s my least favourite on the list.

It comes in a round tin and you have to apply it with your fingers. I prefer my lip balm in a tube over a pot and the same goes for my deodorant. Who wants to get their hands sticky?!

While I didn’t smell like BO per se when I tried the Original scent, it didn’t make me feel fresh. I felt like people around me might be able to smell the strange scent emanating from my armpits. There are a ton of other scents, so maybe I’d feel differently about them.

Some reviewers also say the original formulation gives them a rash or even lumps under their armpits, but the issue seems to disappear when they switch to the Bicarb Free version.

Why am I recommending this if I didn’t love it? Personal care products are so, well, personal, and it could just be that I don’t gel with it. It has an average 4.6 out of 5 rating from more than 1700 reviews on Product Review, so you may want to try it for yourself.

Pros: Award-winning, available in supermarkets and chemists, and you’ll get your money back on your first order if you don’t like it.

Cons: It may not leave you feeling as fresh as other natural deodorants and you’ll have to get used to applying it with your fingers.

Price: $9.95 for 35g ($6.95 + shipping when you buy directly from the No Pong website) or $14.95 for 85g

Luxe: Totem Eco

I tried the entire range of Totem Eco’s luxe natural deodorants and I can confirm they’re freaking awesome. Nary a noxious odour to be whiffed even after a hardcore cardio workout and they’re not gritty nor do they stain your clothes.

They’re formulated with magnesium to control odours without causing irritation like other natural ingredients such as bicarb can. All the ingredients are top-shelf and mainly certified organic. It’s like applying a serum to your armpit. 

My favourite scent is Honey Myrtle, but the others are all nice too. I gave my partner the more manly White Cypress and Blue Gum scents and he didn’t smell like BO even after a long day on the tools.

While I love that the paper packaging is sustainable, I found it difficult to push the deodorant out and keep it at the recommended exposed length of 2 to 5mm. I kept pushing out too much and then having to tap it back in, but it would go too far back into the tube. After using it for about a week though, the deodorant sort of coated the cardboard and it now stays put. Totem Eco also sells deodorant pastes in tins if that appeals to you, but as mentioned above, that isn’t for me.

Pros: Highly effective, delicious scents, organic ingredients, vegan, ethically and sustainably made.

Cons: The price tag is higher, but each deodorant is meant to last three to four months. Getting the deodorant out of the tube can be a bit fussy at first, but it’s certainly no deal-breaker.

Price: $22.00 for 70g