Hello out there! I hope you are safe and well in this strange and unimaginable time. I had been planning this review for a little while and after I kept spotting different deodorants to try it is finally here. What a different time it was when I started this a month ago, and now, in the midst of a lot of normal society shutting down in many countries across the world, to try and curb the spread of Covid19, it’s a great time to do some clearing out of old habits, lean in to some eco friendly vibes and support independent, sustainable and cruelty free makers, brands and shops.
Yesterday evening it was announced that we would have new restrictions here in Ireland, preventing us from going out except for essential trips, going to your work place if it is deemed an essential service and only brief exercise within 2km of your own home until at least April 12th. Many of our eco and sustainably angled shops are still open and operating as online shops. Please try and check them out and lend them your support – I have a list at the bottom of the article.
So now, onto the deodorant:
There are so many reasons to ditch mainstream deodorants and anti-perspirants; the abundance of plastic, unrecyclable packaging, the chemicals from sprays, aluminium clogging your pores, chemical ingredients and of course, animal testing done by most of the big mainstream multinational brands.
I’ve been on a mission over the last month to try out some of the most eco-friendly, effective and readily available deodorants in Ireland. I ordinarily cycle to work, (though currently I’m working from home!), and enjoy yoga, and I sweat, so I need a good effective deodorant that lasts all day, especially if I have something to go to in the evening too.
What to look for when buying vegan deodorant:
Conscious and ethical consumerism has to have a degree of detective work. Companies don’t advertise their involvement in cruel and unfair practices. Once you know the big offenders and the things to watch out for, it gets easier. Global brands have cottoned on to ethical consumerism and they are shameless at exploiting it. There seems to be an increasing amount of products labelled natural and ‘vegan’ hitting the shelves these days, whether it’s ‘vegan formula’ toothpaste or ‘vegan’ shampoo by global brands that test on animals and certainly have very little to offer those who have a real intention to shop ethically. The word vegan is not protected when it comes to being labelled on cosmetic products, and so, whilst the definition of the word vegan would be that something avoids animal exploitation by not using animal body parts either in the product or test the product, all vegan seems to mean to these big companies is the absence of animals in a final product. Read the fine print – check out who makes the brand and do some research to see if they or their subsidiaries test on animals. Ethical Consumer Magazine and NatureWatch are both great resources in this regard.
Some natural deodorants that, whilst using minimal waste packaging and chemical free ingredients, also contain beeswax, watch out for its Latin name, Cera alba, and therefore would not be suitable for vegans.
All the deodorants I have reviewed are cruelty free and are vegan. A couple are from brands who are not vegan as they use animal derivatives in other products, mainly beeswax.
My experiences:
My considerations were each deodorant’s effectiveness at keeping me smelling nice or at least not smelling bad, how sustainable and earth friendly the packaging is, where the item is made, its ease of use, ergonomics and ease of availability. Some were okay, some were great and a couple I didn’t get on with.
The following are my honest opinions based on my direct, personal experience. Salt of the Earth sent me a complementary deodorant to review, as did Ben + Anna who sent me their Nordic Timber deodorant to try out. So a massive thank you to both of those companies.
So without further ado:
- Ben & Anna
€11.75 from Cult Zero at The Green Door Market
Made in the Netherlands
Vegan Company: ✔
Packaged in: Recycled paper tubes, which are widely recyclable.
The Company: Ben & Anna is a vegan company founded by a couple named, you guessed it… Ben and Anna! Based in Germany, they wanted to make their own vegan, parabens free, not tested on animals, natural deodorant.
This and the following are both the most effective deodorants that I tested. It was super easy to use, the package is ergonomic, just pop it up and roll it on like a traditional roll-on. I first saw this in my parents’ cupboard and was intrigued. I bought the Lavender Provence scented one from Cult Zero in the Green Door Market. I was immediately impressed, it is available in many health food and zero waste shops offline and online too. Widely available, completely vegan certified and cruelty free company. As this one is easily available in a lot of shops, was super effective for me, vegan, cruelty free and in completely biodegradable packaging, this makes it in my top spot.
€14.30 at Reuzi.ie
Made in Ireland
Vegan Company: ✔
Packaged in: Recycled paper tubes, which are widely recyclable.
The Company: Wild Rose Botanicals are a dynamic wife and husband duo who create cold process soaps, natural deodorants and natural hand sanitisers together. They aim to create earth-friendly products including packaging and how the products are shipped. They are vegan, organic, palm oil and cruelty free.
There are 3 different scents to choose from; I picked ‘Orion’ which has lemongrass, eucalyptus, lemon and palmarosa essential oils. It smooths on like a roll on, a little stiff to push up and put back down again. The scent was strong and pleasant and kept me deodorised for the day. My second favourite, as they tick all the boxes! This was one I saw last minute and snuck in at the last minute, I’m glad I gave it a go. Available for online order from Reuzi.
€7.60 for 30g / €12.45 for 70g earthmother.ie
Made in Ireland.
Packaged in: A neat and beautifully designed tin.
The Company: Warrior Botanicals is the brainchild of inspirational, entrepreneurial Reidin. Based in West Cork, she produces small-batch skincare and herbal potions in honour of traditional herbalism, folk traditions, the seasons, the elements and the earth. She designs the packaging which is always beautiful and thoughtful. The products aren’t always animal-product free (she sometimes uses beeswax and honey from local sources) but she is transparent and honest about this.
I bought the Lavender Geranium from The Sustainable Store in Blackrock Market a year ago and instantly fell in love. The smell is beautiful, the texture was soft and easy to apply and keeps me dry for the whole day. Minimal, mindful and local ingredients are used to create a beautiful, eco-friendly and effective deodorant. Fantastic. I love this deodorant, it’s incredibly effective. Available from shops such as Nourish, Cult Zero, Skinfull Affairs, and online via Warrior’s own online shop and others.
€6.70 from Nourish, Wicklow Street, Dublin
Made in Ireland
Vegan Company: ✔
Packaged in: Nothing! This one is totally naked and I love it.
The Company: Palm Free Irish Soap is a small Irish family business that began in 1996 when they were trying to find an alternative to soaps packed with chemicals. They use fresh rainwater, only vegetable fats and 100% essential oils. With an emphasis on plastic-free, hand-made, artisan soap, they are also certified Vegan and Cruelty-Free.
This one is a solid bar, with no packaging, except for an optional small brown bag. It is originally heart-shaped, it is fragranced with lavender, patchouli and petitgrain. The heart shape not only looks pretty, but also serves a purpose and makes it easy to rub on under the arms. It’s effective in deodorising and again, I didn’t have to re-apply throughout the day.
5. Home-made deodorant, recipe from Sustainably Vegan YouTube Channel
Cost approx: €1.84 for 60ml
Made in my kitchen, Ireland
Packaged in: Reused container; ingredients came in a glass jar, recyclable tub, paper, and a small plastic bag.
Ingredients; Shea butter, coconut oil, arrowroot powder, baking powder and lemongrass essential oil.
I found this particular recipe online by ‘Sustainably Vegan’ Youtube channel. It’s cute, it’s funny and the recipe is simple.
I was surprised at how effective and easy this was, and I already had most of the ingredients in my kitchen. I made it in around ten minutes, left it to set, added lemongrass essential oil as it is apparently good for dealing with smells. It’s soft and goes on smoothly and cleanly and deodorises well, I didn’t have to reapply during the day. I will definitely be using this regularly.
€5.41 direct from the website, €5.99 in Holland and Barrett Ireland
Made in China
Vegan Company: ✔
Packaged in: cardboard.
The Company: Salt of the Earth began as a mother and son company in 1993, based in the UK. Most of their deodorants are manufactured in the UK, with a refill scheme for ones in plastic. The plastic-free offering, natural deodorant crystal is mad in China.
This one was effective, and entirely natural, as it is made from natural rock salt. I first came across this concept of deodorant (not this brand) when I was in the Ecologic shop in Pak Song, Thailand. I was delighted to find it is available here with no plastic packaging. It works well and is simple to use, nice ergonomical shape, just wet it or apply to wet ‘pits and remember to pat it dry after it’s been used. I like the way this works and how natural it is. I spent a lot of time deliberating where this one would fit in, considering where it is made and therefore its sustainability. Considering that most other products contain shea butter and other carrier oils from plants that, to my knowledge aren’t grown locally, I have decided to treat it as almost equal to the others. It is widely available in mainstream shops and health food shops.
7. Pit Putty
€2.65 Travel Size / €11.95 earthmother.ie
Made in Sligo, Ireland
Vegan Company: ✔
Packaged in: A tin so can be reused for various things.
The Company: After being inspired to switch to more natural skincare products after a friend’s personal tragedy, they set out to find natural deodorant, displeased with what was out there they eventually trialled their own recipes, testing for over 3 months. They are vegan, cruelty-free and plastic-free.
I love the ethos of this company and their scents – the one I bought was ‘Rose Geranium’, I found that I had to use quite a lot of this to make it effective, more than a pea sized amount, and was not very effective on natural (i.e. hairy) armpits unfortunately. Maybe some of their other scents are more effective, it could just be the case that I am a bit of a sweaty Betty. They make mini tins that are only a couple of euros, so well worth trying it out.
€11.75 from Nourish, Wicklow Street, Dublin
Made in Switzerland
Packaged in: Glass bottle with plastic lid and spray pump.
The company: Weleda was founded in 1921 by Rudolf Steiner and Dr. Ita Wegman. It began as a pharmaceutical laboratory with its own plant garden and is now a large manufacturer of personal care products with sustainability, fair trade and biodynamic cultivation at its roots. They have never tested their products or their ingredients on animals. Some of their products contain beeswax, lanolin, beeswax, lanolin, goat’s milk, lactose and honey, so unfortunately, not a vegan company.
I liked the simplicity of this one, it has minimal ingredients and comes in a glass spray bottle. Unfortunately, I didn’t like the smell, though it doesn’t seem to linger and does seem to neutralise sweating on bald pits for a short time. It unfortunately wasn’t effective on my natural pits. I will probably use this but more as a quick body spray than a deodorant I can rely on throughout the day. I like the glass bottle though and that will be easily reused.
€8.50 from Holland and Barrett
Made in the UK
Vegan Company: ✔
Packaged in: Glass jar with plastic lid
The company: I couldn’t find much about Native Unearthed on their own channels and their own website is not currently active. Their tag line is ‘Award winning deodorants which work’. They are inspired by kitchen based ingredients, aim to use no harmful chemicals and are both vegan and cruelty free.
In the jar, this deodorant smells divine, but unfortunately, this one really didn’t work for me. I felt smelly by the afternoon, I did have a few more goes and tried to apply more, but the texture is really quite hard, so it’s difficult to get out of the jar.
List of stockists, in and around Dublin, most also have online shops:
The Green Door Market – still open for business as an essential food supplying retailler
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