It’s hot.

I don’t have to tell you that. I’m sure wherever you live, it’s a scorcher. Here in Tennessee, the heat can be pretty oppressive. In fact, just the other day, it felt “cool” outside and it was rather pleasant. The temperature that day? Lower 80’s. Seriously. 80 degree weather felt like fall and it was amazing. With all of the running around I do on a daily basis, obviously staying fresh is at the stop of my list. At the same time, I’m starting to monitor the products I’m putting in my body. And with that comes my natural deodorant experience.

I’ve mostly used the same types of deodorants for as long as I can remember. As far as brands go, I’m not necessarily married to a particular brand. I find that I usually teeter between two or three of the same brands though. Recently, I’ve started paying more attention to things I read about aluminum and what it may or may not be doing in our bodies. Keep in mind, what I’ve learned is simply based on articles here and there; I haven’t consulted with a dermatologist to corroborate my findings.

This summer, I finally decided to take matters into my own hands: stop using aluminum filled deodorant and find a natural one to try.

My natural deodorant experience

I researched lots of brands (scroll to the end of this post to shop some of them) and finally settled on Schmidt’s. It smelled good, it was affordable and had great reviews. Everyone I’ve spoken to says that when it comes to natural deodorants, you have to give it time. What that means is that you must allow your system time to get acclimated to it. Is this true? Probably but I can’t say for sure. Here’s what I am sure of: the photo above is me after a workout event trying to balance drinking coffee and a mimosa (#life).

Wait. Before we go any further, I need to make sure we’re all on the same page when it comes to deodorant:

Regular deodorants contain aluminum, which is the antiperspirant portion. It keeps you from sweating.

Natural deodorants contain no aluminum. Hence the reason why you may sweat more. It deodorizes not stops you from sweating.

Got it?

Some natural deodorants on the market have different ingredients to absorb the sweat because remember, you will sweat because it’s not an antiperspirant. The key is to stay fresh throughout the day and not smell like you’ve been running a marathon all day. While going through your own natural deodorant experience, you’ll notice these deodorants come in a variety of textures. There are some that are more thick and clumpy while others you can rub on smoothly with your fingers. Luckily for us, the natural deodorant business has gotten way better in the last few years so there are tons of options for us to choose from now.

I spent the a good chunk of the summer trying out natural deodorant. Do you want to know how well it went?

The result?

Today, as I write this, I’ve switched back to my regular antiperspirant. I gave the natural deodorant a try and even though I went back to where I started, I’m still very much into aluminum-free options. Honestly, there’s a 90% chance I’ll dip my toe back into natural deodorants but right now, I’m not ready.

One tip though: if you’re new to going to the natural route, I’ve found that the best way to cope with sweating or getting acclimated to the change is to carry around natural deodorant wipes to freshen up throughout the day. I like these.  What’s your natural deodorant journey?

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