Natural Deodorant: Do They Work?

Clean and green products are becoming more popular, but when it comes to natural deodorant, do they really work? Well, you’re about to find out.

When switching to natural from a chemical-based deodorant, your body goes through a “purge.” This purge is your body detoxing from the chemicals as it adjusts to the natural deodorant. This process could last up to a month and most likely means that you will be sweaty and smelly during this time.

Each person has different chemistry, so I wanted to get a group of women to try 3 popular natural deodorants and give their opinions. We tried each deodorant for a month before moving on to the next. You might be surprised at what happened.

Natural Deodorant Brands

Kopari Charcoal, Crystal Lavendar, and Native Vanilla

Rebecca

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Before:

• Current Deodorant: Secret Clinical Strength and then Kopari’s original scent
• How Long was Your Purge: It lasted about 30 days.
• Experience During the Purge: I was stinky and sweaty.

Your Experience:

• Kopari: I wasn’t a fan of the scent of this deodorant. Halfway through my workday, the smell got strong. I found that I would have to reapply constantly. It could be because I was purging on this brand.
• Crystal: The scent was decent, and it kept me dry and the smell at bay. I didn’t have to reapply, and it didn’t feel sticky.
• Native: This was the best smelling of the three. However, it left a white residue on my clothes. I change my clothes a couple of times a day, so this was extremely inconvenient. Otherwise, this deodorant would have been the best.

Conclusion:

• Which was Your Favorite: Crystal
• Will you continue using natural deodorant: I will, but I’m going to switch back to Kopari’s original scent. That is my favorite natural deodorant by far.

Anthea

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Before:

• Current Deodorant: deOder
• How Long was Your Purge: I think it took about a week with the first deodorant, which was Crystal. I had been using natural stuff for a bit, and it still felt like I had a transition period.
• Experience During the Purge: I smelled bad! I had to re-apply a lot. It felt like I was sweating more than usual.

Your Experience:

• Kopari:  It has a smooth consistency, so it applies softly, but it feels wet, and you have to let it dry. I feel like my armpits are itchy and damp.
• Crystal: The first week did not smell great. It never really got better. It doesn’t work if your armpits are a bit wet when you apply (like right after the shower). I had to reapply all the time, and it got to the point where I felt like I smelled terrible as soon as I put it on.
• Native: Love, love, love, this one. From day one, I smelled great, and it lasted the whole day. It gets a bit messy sometimes when applying and leaves white marks on black clothes. It was the only one that my husband didn’t complain about the smell.

Conclusion:

• Which was Your Favorite: Native
• Will you continue using natural deodorant: Oh, yes!! Native is a top contender. I’m trying a couple of other ones to see if there’s one I would like better. I would find something with a cleaner application and something that doesn’t leave residue on my shirts. But that’s not a top priority, and I do like that I smell good.

Melissa

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Before:

• Current Deodorant: Kopari (original)
• How Long was Your Purge: I’ve already gone through the purge since I’ve been using natural deodorant for years.
• Experience During the Purge: N/A

Your Experience:

• Kopari: I found that I wasn’t a fan of the smell of the charcoal one. Also, it does leave a darker film on underarms.
• Crystal: I liked this one. I found it doesn’t have a smell, and even with the AC being out at my job, I don’t feel too stinky at the end of a 10-hour shift.
• Native: I liked the scent of this one the best, but I couldn’t get past the white residue. Especially during the summer months when I wear tank tops daily.

Conclusion:

• Which was Your Favorite: Crystal
• Will you continue using natural deodorant: Yes, either the Crystal or the Kopari’s original scent. 

Alex

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Before:

• Current Deodorant: Secret Clinical Strength.
• How Long was Your Purge: This is hard to say, but I think it lasted about three weeks. Not sure if it lasted that long or if it was because I was using the disappointing Crystal brand.
• Experience During the Purge: My pits were sweaty and smelly! Extra smelly!

The Experience:

• Kopari: I love the smell, feels light on the skin, and hubby is happy that he isn’t laying next to a field of onions at night anymore. I can see myself using this long term, and I’m satisfied with the results I get all-day.
• Crystal: The first two days were unnoticeable. Then day three hit. When I lift my arms, I smell like a field of onions. My armpits feel sticky all the time, which leaves a feeling of being dirty.
• Native: Smells great and left me smelling good at first, but was getting residue on my clothes. I would reapply in the afternoons, and after a few weeks, I started to smell again.

Conclusion:

• Which was Your Favorite: Kopari was by far my favorite! Feels clean going on, I love the smell of it, it kept my BO under control.
• Will you continue using natural deodorant: I am going to keep this going at this point. I might smell on occasion, but honestly, it’s not that bad. The one thing that takes getting used to is sweating, cause my old clinical strength handled it all! It made me start thinking about what I was putting into/on my body.

Closing Statement

Wow, it’s incredible that each person had a different favorite. One of the most challenging parts of switching to a natural deodorant is getting through that first 30 days. The next challenge is finding a brand that works for you. Have you been thinking about switching? Or do you already have a natural brand that you love? Please feel free to leave a comment sharing your experience.

If you’re interested in more clean/green products, check out my Kopari Review (here) and my Honest Beauty Review (here).

Photos of myself, Anthea, and Alex by Anthea Marette Photography

Photos of Melissa by Rachel Neumann Photography (edited by myself)

Any of the brands mentioned above does not sponsor this article. However, some of the links may contain affiliate links which may generate revenue for the site when clicked, or when a purchase occurs. The information in this post is my thoughts and preferences.