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Stay Fresh Through The Toughest Workouts With These Aluminum-Free Natural Deodorants

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If you’re looking for an alternative to typical antiperspirants and deodorants, the best natural deodorants for working out can help you feel super fresh. While antiperspirants are effective since they reduce the flow of sweat, they usually contain metallic salts like aluminum as active ingredients, which some people choose to avoid, citing certain health concerns. Deodorants, on the other hand, primarily work to control underarm odors by fighting bacteria. However, they won’t make you perspire less. And while there are many deodorants on the market without aluminum, many of them are packed with chemicals which are not naturally derived and some people try to avoid like parabens. Those are excluded from this list, too.

To help you pick the best natural deodorant, think about the following:

  • Ingredients: Baking soda is a common ingredient in natural deodorants because of how effective it is at helping to combat odor. However, some find that it irritates their skin. If this is the case for you, there are natural deodorants that contain other ingredients, including clay, which helps to absorb wetness and keep underarms dry.
  • Application: Most natural deodorants come in either stick or cream/paste form. Both are effective, however, many find a stick natural deodorant to be more convenient.
  • Price: Natural deodorants tend to be pricier than a typical drugstore antiperspirant, however, there are many options available, so you can find one at your desired price point (and some are less than $5 a tube).

If weighing all of these considerations is making you sweat, I found five of the best natural deodorants that are highly-rated and are tough enough to stand up to your workouts.

1

The Best Natural Deodorant, All Things Considered

This natural deodorant from Green Tidings is known to last a long time, up to 24 whole hours in fact. With more than 6,200 reviews and a four-star rating, reviewers love that this deodorant can last through even the sweatiest of workouts. One reviewer wrote of it, "I can put this on in the morning, work all day, go to the gym and have [an] hour cardio workout and still have no odor. Fantastic product and no chemicals. Love this product.”

Baking soda and tapioca starch are two of the key ingredients that help to keep odor in check, while the lovely lavender scent is made from 100 percent pure essential oils. This natural deodorant is vegan and certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny. Gym-goers can stock up on a smaller size option as well, which is perfect for tossing into your gym bag or purse.

2

The Best Option Without Baking Soda

If baking soda leaves your skin irritated, this natural deodorant from MagSol completely leaves it out, swapping it for 100 percent natural ingredients like almond oil, beeswax, and magnesium oxide. This stick deodorant glides on super smooth, and Amazon reviewers love how it leaves their skin feeling, with one writing: “It lasts all day long without having to reapply, even with exercise it lasts! Love the ingredients and my skin loves it!!! Excited to find something that works that does not burn my skin over time! Yay!! It goes on smooth and the smell is not over powering.”

This natural deodorant comes in a wide range of scents from rose to lemongrass to sandalwood, so you can find one that you personally love, and there's also a smaller size option that is easy to carry with you on the go.

3

The Best Cream Option

Schmidt’s deodorants are adored on Amazon, and this natural cream deodorant is no different. Free of aluminum, parabens, phthalates, and even artificial fragrance, this vegan and cruelty-free deodorant keeps underarms dry and fresh thanks to two important ingredients: arrowroot powder and baking soda. The included small spatula makes application easy (although not quite as easy as stick deodorant), and reviewers can’t stop raving about the scent. “I use about a dime to nickel-size amount and it definitely lasts me throughout the day or through my workout,” one customer explained. Choose from four scents, or even a completely fragrance-free option.

4

The Best Unscented Budget Option

At just $10 for a three-pack, this Arm & Hammer deodorant is undoubtedly the best bang for your buck, but since it is unscented, it’s also a great option if your skin is easily irritated by fragrance while baking soda still provides powerful odor-fighting powers. Free of aluminum or parabens, this natural deodorant boasts up to 24 hours of odor and wetness protection, even during exercise. With a 4.2-star rating on Amazon, reviewers agree that this product meets all of their needs. “If you're looking for an affordable, easy-to-use, non-staining deodorant with ingredients that are soothing to your pits (NO aluminum) that ACTUALLY WORKS, friend, this is it. [...] I've been looking forever for a deodorant that checks all my boxes. THIS IS IT!”

5

The Best Scented Budget Option

With no aluminum, artificial fragrance, or artificial preservatives, this natural deodorant from Tom's of Maine will give you up to 24 hours of protection from underarm odors. The formula has moisturizing ingredients like organic aloe and sunflower seed oil, but it doesn't have baking soda, if that's something you're trying to avoid. And one Amazon reviewer found that it is the real deal, writing: “Feels clean, smells good, works all day and no red, no chafing, no nothing. Great product.” None of Tom's of Maine's products are tested on animals, this one included, and you can choose from three different scents.

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