How much money have you wasted on clean deodorant trying to find one that actually works? For real, how many bottles have you thrown away! I know that I’ve wasted So. Many. Dollars. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I’ve tried at least 15 different kinds, most of which ended up in the trash when I was only about halfway through the bottle.

Talk about frustrating! Luckily, I’ve finally found some tried-and-true favorites and I’m sharing them with you today, along with some discount codes for you! Hint: You’ll find my VERY favorite deodorant (aka the winner) all the way at the end of this post. Now, here are my top 5 clean deodorant swaps that actually work!

Texture

One thing that I noticed in my quest for finding the perfect clean deodorant is that many of them need some serious improvement in the texture department. There were several brands that I actually liked as far as smell and performance, but they created such a mess in my bathroom. And let me tell you, I don’t like it when that happens.

Every time I used them, they would get softer and softer until a weird paste would start oozing from the sides of the lid. I’m a neat freak, so that wasn’t something that I could deal with every morning. No thank you. Bye, bye.

What Is “All-Natural” Anyway?

Another thing that I noticed was that many of them were labeled as “all-natural” or “safe” and when I looked at the ingredients, they actually weren’t safe at all. Many of them still had artificial fragrances and were just playing up the fact that they didn’t contain aluminum. While an aluminum-free deodorant is great, it’s just not enough for me in terms of safety.

Hormone Disruptors

One of the most important things that my doctors told me when we first started trying to get pregnant is that artificial fragrances are one of the most vital things to remove to improve fertility, and just in general, because they cause hormone disruption. Endocrine disruptors like artificial fragrances, mimic our own hormones and cause major confusion within our bodies.

So, what kinds of things can these hormone disruptors like fragrances cause? Well, they’ve been linked to infertility, endometriosis and certain types of cancers, just to name a few. And if that’s what fragrances can do to us, I can only imagine what those chemicals would do to a fetus. Again. No thank you.

That’s why I wanted to explore some safer options for deodorant. Since it’s one of the products that we all use every day, and it’s in a very absorbent area of our bodies, I truly believe that it’s one of the most important products to swap out for a SAFE option. Now, onto some of the best clean options in deodorant!

Type: A Aluminum-Free Deodorant $10

One of my favorite deodorants is called Type A. Their light and fresh citrusy scent called “The Visionary,” is one that I keep reaching for every morning lately. The brand name is also fitting (since I’m about as type A as it gets,) but that’s not why I love it. One thing that I really love is that they offer an unscented version, which is surprisingly hard to find.

I also love that it doesn’t make me smell weird an hour into my day. The cap doesn’t get super messy with weird pasty crumbles falling out the sides because it comes in a wonderful squeezable tube. It’s a lovely soft creamy texture that absorbs right into your skin as soon as you put it on. What more could you ask for in a deodorant? Nada. Save 20% off your order with code: SARAHB

Agent Nateur Holi(Stick) No. 3 $21

This one is a little bit pricier than some of the other options, but it’s super luxurious and in my opinion, worth the splurge. The smell is divine and the texture truly performs.

The founder of the company is one of my favorite people to follow on Instagram because she is totally committed to educating us about all things holistic and she places a huge priority on product safety. Even though I’ve been researching these types of things for years, she’s always dropping knowledge bombs on me, and I’m obsessed with it!

Native Coconut & Vanilla Deodorant $12

Another favorite option that my friend introduced me to is Native deodorant. She is obsessed with this stuff! While it definitely worked for me and smells amazing (I used the coconut vanilla flavor,) I still have a few others that I normally end up choosing instead. They just smell better on me throughout the day.

I think this one just doesn’t work quite as well with my body chemistry, for whatever reason. But, I know so many people who love it, so I still wanted to share it with you in case you haven’t tried it! I did like it enough to finish the entire bottle, so it’s definitely worth giving it a try to see how it works for you!

Cleo & Coco Lavender Vanilla Charcoal Deodorant $18

This delicious smelling deodorant contains coconut-derived activated charcoal and bentonite clay to naturally support your body’s own detoxification. The texture is a little bit more solid than some of the other brands, but I actually prefer that because I find it to be the least messy of all the natural deodorants that I’ve tried and that’s saying something. And the best part? It actually works. Even if I put it on first thing in the morning before a very long day, I smell great all day long.

I also love that Suzannah started the company because she didn’t think that women should have to choose between their health and body odor. Which is pretty much my entire philosophy on all clean beauty products. Why would we ever have to choose between our health and amazing products? Save 10% off your order with code: SARAHBETSY

On The Fence

Schmidt’s Charcoal + Magnesium $10

I’m sure that you’ve heard of Schmidt’s. It was one of the first clean deodorants on the scene. I tried it a few years ago when I was first making the switch to cleaner products and I loved it! It honestly reminded me of a Degree deodorant that I used to wear in middle school.

I love it because it smells amazing, has the texture of “old school” deodorant and it actually works! My only qualm with this one is that I have a sneaking suspicion that there are some not-100%-safe fragrances in there. Although I did reach out to the company, and they assured me that all of their ingredients, including fragrances, are safe. Here is what they said about their “natural fragrance” ingredient.

“Natural Fragrance”

“Our natural fragrances are a combination of pure essential oils or non-synthetic isolates, which are a combination of aromatic molecules distilled from natural plant materials. Our natural fragrances contain no carrier oils, artificial fragrances, parabens or phthalates.” So, I’ll leave it up to you to decide for yourself whether this one is safe enough for you and your family.

The Winner

Primally Pure Lavender Deodorant $14

Primally Pure is a safe deodorant option that, in my opinion, is well worth the hype. The texture stays solid and doesn’t turn into a messy paste, which is so hard to find. The fragrances are actually all-natural and made using essential oils, which has been surprisingly hard for me to find in a clean deodorant. And most importantly, it keeps me smelling fresh ALL DAY. I love both the lavender and the blue tansy fragrances, but they all smell great.

The first time I used this brand of deodorant, I actually woke up the next morning (expecting to smell terrible) and still smelled great! Talk about miraculous. Such a rarity in the natural deodorant space.

I am all about 100% natural fragrance because I am really working on balancing my hormones and fragrance tends to be one of the worst offenders. So, my favorite thing about this particular brand? I totally trust their ingredients. Even the “fragrances” because they are from 100% essential oils!

I love that it’s a female-founded company with integrity. They also make my very favorite dry shampoo, but that’s another story for another time. Save 10% off your Primally Pure order with code: SARAHBETSY10

More Safe Beauty

If you thought this guide was helpful, check out my Top 5 Budget-Friendly Clean Beauty Swaps for my tried-and-true all-time favorite safer beauty products!