"As a fitness instructor, runner, and person that takes a picture of her switched-off curling iron before she leaves the house in order to avoid being anxious all day, it’s essential to me that my deodorant works. It also means that I fall under the umbrella of “crunchy wellness person,” and that I want to love natural deodorants; however, swapping my Costco pack of Dove out for natural options has made me feel that, yes, some deodorants are free of aluminum… but at what cost? I’ve yet to find one that made me truly feel I could forego my old faithful once and for all, but when I saw that one of my favorite body care brands, Nécessaire, announced the launch of their take on natural deodorant—aptly named “The Deodorant”—well, let’s just say I was intrigued.
100 hours of hydration, plump skin, and a finish so soft it feels like July. Consider this your winter skincare soulmate.
Nécessaire’s The Deodorant is an aluminum-free, extra-strength deodorant that’s infused with mandelic acid, vitamin B3, and vitamin B5 for clean odor control. Its serum-in-gel formula also claims to help sooth any razor burn, which is a major plus in my book. (As a recovering three-in-one shampoo girl, I love a can’t help but love a multi-tasker.) It comes in four different scents—eucalyptus, olibanum, santal, and a fragrance-free option—and retails for $22.
To keep my variables as controlled as possible, I decided I would test each scent for one day, then pick my favorite of the four and put it through every sweat-filled test I could think of: daily wear, coaching a boxing class, sitting in a sauna, and even a bout on the StairMaster. A bonus test was a surprisingly intense high school basketball game that gave me the chance to gauge its capacity for stress sweat (a whole different ball game!). As an unapologetic vanilla candle lover, it was pretty clear to me off the bat that my favorite scent was olibanum, which I rolled on and got to testing.
The Deodorant passed my first test with flying colors, as it got me through teaching a boxing class without feeling too embarrassed to high-five students afterward. For the sake of science, I then spent 30 minutes in a co-ed sauna on a Sunday afternoon. While the scents in the heated box were far from pleasant, I personally left smelling fantastic. Other natural deodorants have failed me far before this point, and I was honestly shocked that I wasn’t feeling the need to rush home to hop in the shower and free myself from unbearable scents of B.O. No deodorant or anti-perspirant can prevent me from dripping sweat through every pore on my body while on the StairMaster, but The Deodorant did counteract any less-than-ideal odors where it was applied, which I was deeply impressed by.
While the scented options far exceeded my expectations, I will admit that I didn’t find the unscented version to be quite as effective (especially in its battle against the StairMaster). This wasn’t a loss for me, though, as I don’t reach for unscented deodorant in any situation. In fact, what I love most about these deodorants are their fragrances, which put the cucumber scent of my Dove to shame. I could easily forego my go-to perfume and feel confident in the subtle scent that these deodorants give me instead. I also found that they didn’t leave any white marks on my clothes, and did sooth the irritation my skin is prone to after shaving.
As someone who’s rejected every natural deodorant I’ve tried, my high standards (and extremely sweaty lifestyle) have finally met their match.
Abigail Moseman, Social Media Assistant
As the Social Media Assistant, Abi works with The Everygirl’s social media team to ideate and create content, and build community across all of The Everygirl’s social channels. Outside of the office, you may find Abi coaching group fitness classes at Equinox.