I swear by this natural deodorant so much that I wear it to CrossFit and date night
We’re gathered here today to talk about deodorant — specifically, natural deodorant. So sexy, I know. Ever since I moved to Los Angeles, I’ve been trying to go more natural in my beauty routine, but the one thing I’ve never been able to do is natural deodorant. Not for lack of trying, though. Unfortunately, every single one I’ve ever put under my arms has left me a sweaty, smelly mess just a couple of hours after application.
The appeal behind most natural deodorants is that regular deodorants and antiperspirants are filled with ingredients that are not so great for you. It’s important to note that there is no conclusive evidence that aluminum in antiperspirants causes breast cancer. However, antiperspirants are also considered both a cosmetic and a drug per the FDA. Personally, I prefer using natural products whenever possible. (A hazard of living in Los Angeles, I guess.)
Let’s get this awkward fact out of the way right now: I am a sweaty person. While I don’t normally lead with this fact when introducing myself, it’s relevant to this conversation. I’ve always been sweaty — I blame my anxiety. Guys, it’s bad. I roll into my morning CrossFit class, and the second my palms touch the floor to do inchworms or burpees or whatever warmup is happening, I immediately leave big old sweat handprints on the ground. Again, this is just the warmup. I’m not even tired at this point. So you can imagine what the actual workout is like, and it should be pretty easy to understand why most natural deodorants have failed me.
Then, I got my hands on Freedom natural deodorant after meeting the founder, Ira Kaganovsky Green. She started the company after three of her friends were diagnosed with breast cancer, and she wanted to create a natural deodorant for them that actually worked. Traditional antiperspirants usually contain aluminum and parabens, neither of which is in Freedom.
The testing process
Excited to test it out, but also nervous because I was zero for approximately 10 natural deodorants at this point.
You swipe it on like a normal deodorant (not one of those pots you have to scoop and massage into your pits, thank goddess. That icks me out).Kaganovsky Green does recommend you rub it in a little bit, but TBH I rarely do that and it works for me. And you only need a tiny bit — about four swipes. It should be noted that, because these contain essential oils, you should patch test them first. I know, but put in the extra effort. It’s not really that much work.
A word of caution: Be careful when wearing dark colors. It’s made with baking soda and kaolin clay, which can leave a residue. Since my entire wardrobe is basically black and gray, I learned the hard way to apply it about 5-10 minutes before getting dressed. If I’m in a rush, I’ll rub it in. For the first couple of weeks, I was diligent about sniffing myself and carrying around a stick of it in my purse in case I started to stink. After a couple of weeks, I began to trust it.
Here’s the thing: It is a natural deodorant, so there are some days where I have to reapply in the late afternoon/early evening. But typically, that’s only on more-stressful-than-usual days, like when I spent six hours at the car dealership negotiating a car lease. I was wearing a cashmere sweater and my anxiety was at an all-time high, and this managed to last. It does last through a CrossFit workout, which is one of my main concerns because, hi, my gym is full of hot people and I’d like to not smell in front of them.
Note that this is not an antiperspirant. This means that it doesn’t have the sweat gland-blocking powers that you might be used to. Even so, I find that I don’t get uncomfortably damp. (I know, I’m sorry, but there’s really no other way to phrase that.)
The scents
Freedom deodorant comes in six scents: Lavender Citrus, Bergamot Mint, Frankincense Peach, Amber, and Sensitive Unscented.
I am obsessed with Frankincense Peach — it smells good enough to eat. (Technically, the ingredients are high enough quality that you could, but for obvious reasons — like it would taste bad — don’t.) And the Amber scent also tops my list. It smells sexy which, as we established earlier, is not exactly the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about deodorant. I joke that it’s my date night deodorant. (I crack myself up.) The Bergamot Lime is very spa-like, and heavy on the bergamot (in a good way). Reach for the unscented version if you find you’re sensitive to essential oils or just aren’t a fan of scents. Even though it doesn’t have a smell, it does keep you stink free all day long.
Final thoughts
Out of all the natural deodorants I’ve tried, this one has been my favorite. The scents are out-of-this-world amazing. If you’re looking to get on the natural deodorant train, I highly recommend starting with this one.
