A lineup of four Humankind deodorants in multicolored applicators.
Courtesy By Humankind

The Best All-Natural Deodorants on the Market

By Aileen Kwun
June 20, 2020
2 minute read

The first commercial deodorants sold in the U.S. date back to the late 19th century, when a Philadelphia outfit launched the brand Mum, packaged as a jar of cream to be scooped up and applied by hand to your underarms—a messy high-maintenance affair, to say the least. The more convenient stick form commonly sold these days didn’t make headway until the 1950s, as manufacturers began to introduce antiperspirants to their formulas, using aluminum-based compounds that temporarily block sweat pores. Recent studies, however, suggest that these compounds may be harmful to our health, and can even increase the risk of breast cancer.

No need to sweat it, though: There are several new all-natural options out there we recommend. Available in scented and unscented versions, Ursa Major forgoes any aluminum or baking soda additives in its stick deodorants, instead using a clean, healthy mixture of hops, aloe, kaolin clay, and various flower, root, and citrus extracts. For sensitive skin, the New York–based brand Malin+Goetz’s odor-neutralizing formula, available in eucalyptus or bergamot, has been a cult favorite for years. By Humankind, a personal-care startup looking to eliminate single-use plastics, ups the ante with a deodorant stick that leaves a lighter footprint with reusable containers. You can buy refills of the company’s refreshing scents, such as lavender-citrus and rosemary-mint, made from an ethically made, vegan formula touted as “so natural, you can eat it”—not that you, uh, should, though we’d understand the excitement. After a long winter indoors and all of spring spent in quarantine, we’re looking forward to warmer days outdoors and all the sweaty, summertime funk that comes along with it.