The Best Natural Deodorants
I Tried 9 Natural Deodorants and Here's What I Recommend
My natural deodorant trials began as a personal journey several years ago and continues to this day. Why? Well, as someone who loves using natural skincare and personal care products, I wanted to find which aluminum-free deodorant would be the best fit for me—then, as an ever-expanding world of natural deodorant options began opening up to me, I was drawn in by the clean ingredients, innovative natural scents, and eco-friendly offerings I saw.
Many of these natural deodorant sticks have appeared in various beauty and lifestyle subscriptions, which is how some of you have encountered them and how I discovered Kopari! Most of them offer discounts when you subscribe to receive recurring shipments directly on their site (such is the case for Myro, by Humankind, Native, and Lume). Others don't offer a subscription option, but they've created a lot of chatter, and so I wanted to see what they were all about (like Megababe, Lavanila, and Schmidt's). Okay, ready for the details?
This list of the best natural deodorants is made up entirely of products we've reviewed. It's ranked based on the star rating each received in its individual review, which you'll find linked at the bottom of each section. My goal is to share some of the basic information about each of these products with you, plus helpful information based on my own experience. Keep in mind that a personal experience is just that—personal. Please pair this info with your own research, and if you decide to try a new natural deodorant, listen to your body and stop using it if you begin to notice a rash.
Updated on 8/25/20 to add Type:A deodorant to the list.
1. Kopari
A smooth-as-can be non-toxic deodorant that's free of aluminum, parabens, and baking soda, and is vegan.
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The Cost: $14 for a one-time purchase + shipping. $11.90 + free shipping when you subscribe to receive new bars on a monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly basis. Sign up here!
Whether you're new to natural deodorant or are looking for a gentle personal care product for sensitive skin, Kopari is a great place to start. It's got an ultra-smooth glide thanks to a blend of coconut oil, coconut water, and sage oil, making for a spa-like application. The faintly-tropical-yet-still-unisex nature of the Original scent only adds to the experience.
Does Kopari deodorant work? As far as natural deodorants go, Kopari's odor protection is pretty solid! On an average day—say, a workday where you're posted up inside and aren't actively sweating, it does a great job of combatting body odor. If you've got a higher impact day-to-day or plan to work out, you might need to reapply.
Read my full Kopari deodorant review for more info.
2. Megababe Rosy Pits
Offering a silky application, this deodorant is free from aluminum, parabens, baking soda, and alcohol, and it's vegan & cruelty-free.
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The Cost: $14 for a one-time purchase + shipping. No subscription option. Buy it here!
Similar to Kopari, Megababe's natural deodorant stick has a very smooth consistency that's quite soothing as you apply. Their most popular scent, Rosy Pits, is a total infusion of floral aroma, making it a good pick for those wanting a feminine scent under their arms.
Does Megababe deodorant work? The naturally antifungal and bacteria-neutralizing ingredients in Megababe do their job well for those who sweat lightly and low-key days. Similar to other natural deodorants, you might want to bring it along in your bag and be ready to re-apply if you have plans to get movin' at any point.
Read my full Megababe Rosy Pits review for more info.
3. Type:A
This cream deodorant isn't actually fully natural—it does use some synthetic ingredients—but it's non-toxic, aluminum-free, and relies on some active natural ingredients. And, though it does include baking soda, it's still very gentle. It's also cruelty-free and gluten-free.
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The Cost: $9.99 for a one-time purchase + $3.95 flat rate US shipping. $18.98 + free shipping when you subscribe to receive 2 new tubes on a recurring basis. (This saves you 5%.) Buy it here!
Type:A is a cream deodorant with an innovative applicator that totally spares you of any mess or need for hand application. It's super-smooth, it goes on clear, and the scents are delightfully nature-inspired. Note that the scents come by way of essential oils and that this deodorant does contain baking soda—both are common irritants in natural deodorants, but Type:A has taken special care to go easy on these ingredients so as to offer a gentle product. If you want a little odor-repelling boost, you may want to try their charcoal-infused option, The Innovator, which is $10.99.
Does Type:A deodorant work? Type:A relies on zinc, arrowroot powder, silver, and low levels of baking soda to keep body odor at bay. For me, this combo worked pretty well. It wasn't perfect, as is the case with all the natural (or mostly natural) deodorants I've tried, but it was an overall good experience!
Read my full Type:A review for more info.
4. by Humankind
This refillable natural deodorant is aluminum-free, paraben-free, GMO-free, gluten-free, cruelty-free, and vegan.
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The Cost: $12 for a single bar, $10 when you sign up for a subscription. Free shipping on all orders. Sign up here!
by Humankind is an entirely carbon-neutral company committed to reducing single-use plastics in everyday products. Their natural deodorant comes in a compostable cardboard tube (with some small recyclable plastic components) and is meant to be inserted into the coordinating sturdy, refillable case. Your first order will include the twist-up case in the color of your choosing, and after that, your recurring shipments will include low-waste refills in the nature-inspired, essential-oil-powered scents of your choosing. The consistency is a little more stiff and waxy than other natural deodorants I've tried, but the warmth of my body softened it enough that it didn't tug at my skin.
Good to know: by Humankind doesn't always have every scent available, but they seem to restock often. When I ordered my deodorant from them they only had the unscented variety in stock, which I probably wouldn't have selected otherwise, but I was pleased to find it was truly unscented and still worked well.
Does by Humankind deodorant work? It did for me! I was impressed that an unscented deodorant truly protected my armpits against odor as well as any other natural option (keep in mind that natural deodorants often aren't as effective as mainstream deodorants).
Read my full by Humankind deodorant review for more info.
5. Myro
This aloe-based deodorant is very smooth—it's also refillable, aluminum-free, paraben-free, baking-soda-free, gluten-free, cruelty-free, and vegan.
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The Cost: $10 + $5 shipping for a one-time Starter Kit purchase. $10 + free shipping for the Starter Kit when you subscribe. Sign up here!
Myro goes on so smooth, "buttery" is the only word that could describe it! I personally found it to feel a little wet in my underarms, which I didn't love, but my husband thought it felt just right. In the scent department, I love that Myro has created mood boards to help you select which vibe is right for you—I tried the Cabin No. 5 aroma and found it to be perfectly subtle, genderless, and refreshing. The scent did fade throughout the day, but that's not uncommon from my experience. This is another refillable deodorant if you're looking for an eco-friendly option! Its cases come in a handful of fun colors and are customizable for a small fee ($6).
Does Myro deodorant work? Sort of! Similar to what I said for above deodorants, it's decent for a relaxed day that doesn't involve breaking out in a sweat. For an active day, even with a couple of reapplications, I didn't find it to be very powerful.
Read my full Myro review for more info.
6. Native
Native deodorant is absent of aluminum, parabens, gluten, it's cruelty-free and vegan, and some baking-soda-free formulas are offered.
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The Cost: $12 for a single bar, $10 when you sign up for a subscription + free shipping. Sign up here!
Native is perhaps the most popular natural deodorant on the scene! It's made with a coconut oil & shea butter base, giving it a nice glide as it goes on, and it's offered in a variety of scents, some of which are sold as men's or women's, and some that are more gender-neutral. They also offer custom scents if you're into that kind of thing. Other than the scent blends, there is no difference between the men's and women's deodorants Native carries.
Does Native deodorant work? True to my general experience with odor protection using natural deodorants, Native is effective to a point. On a calm day it does a great job, and on a high-exertion day it does a fine-but-not-perfect job.
Read Anna's full Native deodorant review for more info.
7. Lavanila
This healthy deodorant is aluminum-free, paraben-free, baking-soda-free, and cruelty-free, but it wears similar to a mainstream deodorant.
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The Cost: $12 for a one-time purchase + shipping. No subscription option. Buy it here!
From my estimation, Lavanila seems like the closest thing to a traditional deodorant in the natural deodorant world. Its consistency is a bit heavier than the others I've tried, which for some might be a comfort and for others (like me), might be a deterrent. The scent is pleasant but stronger than I've come to expect from natural deodorants.
Does Lavanila deodorant work? Lavanila uses a combination of natural ingredients and a proprietary “beta glucan technology" to stave off odors, which together do a mediocre job in my opinion—I think because the feel of this deodorant was similar to an antiperspirant, I was expecting it to knock out all odor, but in reality it performed rather gently.
Read my full Lavanila deodorant review for more info.
8. Schmidt's
An aluminum-free, paraben-free, gluten-free, vegan, and cruelty-free natural deodorant with mineral-supported odor protection. Baking-soda-free options are offered.
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The Cost: Starts at $8.99 for one bar (this scent costs $9.99). $2.95 US shipping for a one-time purchase, or free shipping when you subscribe. Sign up here!
In their commitment to using natural ingredients that are shown to reduce odor (namely, baking soda), Schmidt's is, in turn, a bit of a gritty-feeling deodorant. It's not a great choice for those who are new to natural deodorants or who know they have sensitive skin—though they do offer baking-soda-free formulas for those in need. The scent of their top-selling Charcoal + Magnesium bar is unisex in a wonderfully earthy way, though its scent is stronger than you'll find in most other natural options.
Does Schmidt's deodorant work? From our experience, Schmidt's deodorant has a way of wearing off partway through the day. Again, that's not entirely uncommon for natural deodorant, and if you're a regular natural deodorant dabbler, it's no problem to plan accordingly—but given the not-so-smooth feel of this stick, we found it to be a little less pleasant to reapply here and there.
Read Anna's full Schmidt's deodorant review for more info.
9. Lume
This liquid deodorant is aluminum-free, baking-soda-free, paraben-free, cruelty-free, and vegan—and can be used on any external body part for odor protection.
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The Cost: $13.99 for a single bar. $12.59 when you subscribe. Free shipping for orders over $20. Sign up here!
Lume comes in your choice of a tub or a stick, but regardless of which you choose, it's always a water-based liquid-style deodorant. If you already know you're comfortable applying deodorant with your hands, go for the tube; if you want to ease into hand application, the stick acts as an applicator. That said, from my experience, hands is always the way to go—using the stick applicator, it was easy to over-apply, leaving my pits feeling wet and sticky. The Juniper Berry scent was bright but fresh and nature-leaning, making for a good gender-neutral option, though I did find it faded quickly.
Does Lume deodorant work? Lume boasts 72-hour odor protection, but that just wasn't the reality for me. It actually hardly lasted me a full day, which is totally normal for natural deodorant, but still a disappointment given the long-lasting protection they promise.
Read my full Lume deodorant review for more info.
Natural Deodorants Compared
Only you can decide which aluminum-free deodorant is right for you. To help you compare all the offerings we've outlined above, here's a table for quick reference (scroll to the right to see all):
| Kopari | Megababe | Type:A | by Humankind | Myro | Native | Lavanila | Schmidt's | Lume | |
| Contains Baking Soda? | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Some | No | Some | No |
| Types of Scents | Gender neutral, but feminine- leaning | Feminine | Mostly gender neutral | Gender neutral | Gender neutral | Options for women, men, & gender neutral | Feminine | Options for women, men, & gender neutral | Gender neutral |
| Refillable? | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Price for One-Time Purchase | $14 | $14 | $9.99 | $12 | $10 | $12 | $12 | $8.99+ | $13.99 |
| Price With Subscription | $11.90 | n/a | $18.98 for 2 | $10 | $10 | $10 | n/a | $8.99+ | $12.59 |
| Shipping | Free for subscribers | $5.95 from Ulta | $3.95; Free for subscribers | Free | Free for subscribers | Free | $5 | $2.95 for 1-2 items | Free for orders over $20 |
Have you tried any of these natural deodorants? Are there others you'd recommend? Tell us in the comments!
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