“Now, when I open it, I just want to stick my face in it because I love the scent so much.”Īs far as roll-on natural alternatives go, Aesop has one of the best out there, in my opinion. “We went through a lot of roses-grandma, sugary, you name it-before I found the right one,” she says of her fragrant pick, Moldova rose. Where traditional natural deodorants tend to pull from a repertoire of heavy herbal scents-eucalyptus comes to mind-Sturino’s has a light, floral note. Her brand replaces popular natural-deodorizing agents such as baking soda and alcohol, which can be irritants to sensitive skin, with a blend of antibacterial ingredients, like sandalwood and sage, as well as skin-nourishing coconut extract and antioxidant-rich vitamin E. Megababe’s Rosy Pits deodorant was a year in the making, part of a new generation of products that bring the science of natural deodorants up to speed. A lot of them had baking soda, which I’m allergic to, so I ended up with pits covered in rashes.” Sturino, whose mother is also a two-time cancer survivor, decided to make nailing the perfect aluminum-free deodorant her personal mission. “I tried all the ones people were raving about when it first became a thing. Not every natural deodorant works for everybody,” says Katie Sturino, founder of Megababe, a body-positive beauty line. “It’s really a matter of finding what works best for you. For Long-Lasting Fragrance: Aesop Herbal Deodorant Roll-On, $35.For Smoothing: Nécessaire The Deodorant, $18.For a French Pharmacy Find: Vichy 24-Hour Dry-Touch Deodorant, $14.For Sensitive Skin: Megababe Rosy Pits Daily Deodorant, $11.For California Scents: Corpus California Natural Deodorant, $26.For Soothing: Kopari Aluminum-Free Coconut Deodorant, $18.For Exfoliating: Kosas Chemistry AHA Serum Deodorant, $13.For Your Microbiome: Salt & Stone Natural Deodorant, $20.“Layer up with a little perfume and you’ll be good to go,” she said. This, she assured me, was Mother Nature’s answer to odor-free pits. “You should use this stuff instead,” she said, thrusting a clear phallic object into my hands-a deodorant made from crystallized rock salt. And given that my mother is a two-time breast cancer survivor, that potential truth, whether conclusive or not, hit a raw nerve. Admittedly, I had no idea that aluminum, the active ingredient in most antiperspirants, is potentially harmful, with studies having raised questions about its link to cancer. “Don’t you know that stuff is full of poison?” she said when I whipped out a stick of deodorant after an Ashtanga class.
I was persuaded to ditch my drugstore antiperspirant by a yoga teacher friend. Making the switch to natural deodorant can be a bit like taking a driving test: If you’re not fully prepared for the road ahead, there’s a strong chance you might fail before you succeed-at least, that was my experience when I first tried to convert 15 years ago. However, we may earn affiliate revenue on this article and commission when you buy something. All products featured on Vogue are independently selected by our editors.