Ready to discover the best natural deodorants for women that smells like joy itself?
Smelling lovely is a key part of fighting the frump! But are you looking for ways to decrease toxins in your home? I am too! But it’s hard to give up chemicals when natural alternatives are often not as effective.
I’d been on a disappointing search for 6+ years for a natural deodorant that works and smells amazing… until just recently.
When I finally found TWO natural deodorants I could happily use for life I just had to share!
In this post I’ll explain why natural deodorants are better, the benefits of the two most important ingredients in an effective deodorant, my favorite brands, and even a DIY 1-ingredient recipe for your own spray-style deodorant!
This post is NOT sponsored! This is my honest review of the best natural deodorants I’ve found.
Video Form of this Post
Why Natural Deodorant is Better
Most chemical-full deodorants out there that work well are bad for you in two ways:
- They block your sweat glands (sweating is important for detoxing!)
- They have harmful ingredients including aluminum that seep into your body through your pores
Instead of an antiperspirant which BLOCKS your sweat, you simply want a natural deodorant which NEUTRALIZES the bad odor caused by sweat without blocking your body’s natural detox process.
You also don’t want toxic ingredients like aluminum entering your pores daily + blocking their release!
But you’re probably skeptical that there is actually a natural deodorant out there that works…
Do Natural Deodorants Really Work?
Many don’t work well. I found that so many simply masked the odor for a few hours but I had to apply 2-3x per day to get it to work decently.
After 6+ years searching for the perfect one, I have learned a thing or two about what makes the best natural deodorants effective.
The two most important ingredients to look for in a natural deodorant are:
- Charcoal
- Milk of magnesia
These two natural ingredients are insanely effective at neutralizing bad odor!! And there are brands that use them!
Is There a Natural Deodorant that Smells as Amazing as the Chemical Stuff?
Besides finding that natural deodorants didn’t work, I was always super annoyed at the lack of delicious scents.
I seriously missed the fruity smells of my Secret and Dove brands from the past.
As much as I cared about using natural products I didn’t like smelling like a garden. I like organic and healthy stuff but I’m just not “crunchy” enough to want to smell like I slept among the roses.
Thankfully I finally found a brand (Native) that uses the effective ingredients AND offers seriously delicious smelling options.
The Best Women’s Natural Deodorants
The two brands that offer the most effective and best smelling deodorants are Schmidt’s and Native.
Schmidt’s Natural Deodorant Review: Most Effective
How long it kills odor (for me): ~24 hours (their Charcoal + Magnesium stick), 12 hours (other scents)
What I Love About It: It’s incredibly effective at neutralizing body odor.
There is one specific variety offered by Schmidt’s that is INCREDIBLY EFFECTIVE.
Their Charcoal + Magnesium stick is so good at killing body odor all day, I literally can apply it once and be odor free for 24 hours.
That was unheard of with other brands I’d tried.
The one downside about their Charcoal + Magnesium stick… the charcoal gives it a gray color which can rub off onto your light-colored shirts over time.
To get around this issue I do two things:
- Don’t use it when wearing a white tee
- I wipe off the excess after applying it
While the Schmidt’s Charcoal + Magnesium stick really works, it has just a simple “fresh” smell.
And I seriously missed my amazing scents of my old chemical-full antiperspirants…
Enter… Native.
Native Deodorant Review: Best Smelling
How long it kills odor (for me): ~12 hours
What I Love About It: They offer AMAZING scents
I saw so many advertisements and sponsored reviews for Native deodorant that I was skeptical about trying it.
But after another research session online it stood out as getting singular praise for the amazing scents they offered.
So I ordered them along with the batch of others I was trying.
The moment I popped the lid open on the Coconut + Vanilla and took a deep whiff my heart lept with joy. AT LAST.
It was the deep, scrumptious scent I had craved since giving up my chemical antiperspirants.
Right now, my favorite scents offered by Native’s natural deodorants are:
- Coconut + Vanilla (warm and deep delicious scent for fall and winter)
- Cucumber + Mint (fresh, fruity scent perfect in spring and summer)
This deodorant by itself will last me about 12 hours before I have to re-apply for a normal activity day. This is because while it contains magnesium it does not contain charcoal.
On an especially hot or high activity day I need more power…
Here’s my trick to get the best of both: Layer Schmidt’s Charcoal + Magnesium stick with Native’s yummy smelling stick
- I swipe on the Schmidt’s Charcoal + Magnesium and rub it
- Use a square of tissue to wipe off the excess (to avoid staining my shirts with the gray from the charcoal)
- Apply Native’s deodorant for the intoxicating scent
This way I get the long-lasting odor kill of charcoal + the amazing smell of Native.
Where to Buy Native and Schmidt’s
Currently Target and Amazon offer about the same price.
You can get Native deodorant a little cheaper on their website.
Target
- Native (most popular scents usually in stock)
- Schmidt’s (most popular scents usually in stock)
I just love the convenience of picking these up at the Mom’s Favorite Destination Store!
Amazon
Schmidt’s Aluminum Free Nat…Shop on Amazon 
Native Deodorant | Natural …Shop on Amazon 
Native Deodorant | Natural …Shop on Amazon 
Native Deodorant | Natural …Shop on Amazon
Nativecos.com Online
You can get the best price for Native’s natural deodorant on their website by ordering a 3-pack.
They offer FREE SHIPPING and FREE RETURNS so this is my favorite way to go!
Get a free mini deodorant added to your order when you use this link. (my referral link)
Best Natural Deodorant Without Baking Soda (for Sensitive Skin)
The one recurring negative thing I read on most natural deodorants’ reviews is that it caused a rash on the underarm. This is most likely due to baking soda.
If you find that baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) irritates your underarms, check out Native’s Sensitive Skin line… the same amazing smells except without baking soda.
Activate your free mini deodorant before checking out by clicking here. (my referral link)
The Natural Deodorant Adjustment Period
Your armpits will need to detox when you first stop using aluminum/paraben/sulfate stuffed antiperspirants.
This means your sweat may smell worse for a period of 2-4 weeks after switching to a natural deodorant.
Don’t throw in the towel.
Let your body purge itself of all the chemical build up in your underarm pores. Encourage sweat.
You will be healthier after the adjustment period is over!
Easy Cheap DIY Deodorant Without Baking Soda (Milk of Magnesia Deodorant Recipe)
One of the most effective ingredients in natural deodorants that work is milk of magnesia. This form of magnesium oxide is actually a liquid form of magnesium oxide used to relieve constipation and is considered safe to take orally at up to 4 tablespoons per day.
Who knew it could neutralize body odor too?
If you use just this sprayed on your arms you will find it’s quite effective at keeping you fresh! Talk about a cheap and natural way to achieve odor control!
You can add your favorite essential oil for scent.
This single-ingredient-deodorant can be purchase for just a few dollars a bottle at your local drugstore or on Amazon.
GoodSense Milk of Magnesia …Shop on Amazon 
3 Pack 2oz 60 ml Amber Glas…Shop on Amazon
Milk of Magnesia Deodorant Recipe
- Pour milk of magnesia into a glass spray bottle.
- Add 5 drops of your favorite essential oil for scent (I like lavender)
Spray on underarms and blend in with fingers. Let air dry for a couple of minutes before getting dressed.
Other Brands Mentioned By the Community
Since posting about this many of you agreed that Native is your favorite.
But some of you have recommended a couple of other choices, so I eagerly did a little digging and will share my findings here:
Lume Deodorant
Here are 3 things I noticed right away that made me decide not to even try Lume Deodorant— even though I was going to their website ready to order..
-
- It has an average of 1/2 to 1 star lower ratings on Amazon compared to Scmidt’s and Natives… the typical difference in rating between natural deodorants that sort of work versus those that legit work.
- It does not contain either activated charcoal or magnesium hydroxide so I’m doubting it will work as well as Native or Scmidt’s.
- The ingredients list includes many that I don’t recognize and I can’t pronounce. While it’s stated these are naturally derived I’m just not so sure that makes them safe in the long run.
I’m not saying this is a bad deodorant–I’d have to personally test it and research some more. I just think at best it might only “kind of work” as I found with many natural deodorants. Plus the ingredients list is a little disconcerting.
No Pong (Australia-based)
A few of my Aussie readers raved about No-Pong deodorant. I looked up their ingredients and noticed that the “Low Fragrance, Bicarb Free” version includes Magnesium Hydroxide which may explain why people like it so much!
I like my yummy scents though so since Native offers the scent + magnesium I prefer them but if you’re in Australia and want something fragrant free you might give it a try!
Alum Stone
Several of you mentioned using an “alum stone” and swore by it. I had never heard of it and was so intrigued!
Here’s the thing, it basically is a synthesized form of aluminum… an antiperspirant (which is why it works, but remember we wanted to avoid blocking our pores?!) and the very ingredient I’m trying to avoid by using a natural deodorant!
So while it probably works really well, I personally am choosing not to use aluminum on my skin because of sufficient studies pointing to it’s toxic influence on the body and because I don’t want to block sweating, just odor.
Final Thoughts
After searching for years, it was my online research that helped me narrow down to the best of the best natural deodorants among the dozens of brands available out there.
After reading many reviews and comparing star ratings it became clear that:
- Schmidt’s Charcoal + Magnesium won the BEST ODOR-KILLING natural deodorant prize. It’s insanely effective at eliminating odor for as long as 24 hours!
- Native’s deodorants won the BEST SMELLING natural deodorant prize.
You layer these two and you’ll finally experience a winning natural deodorant experience THAT ACTUALLY WORKS!
If you’ve found another natural deodorant you love please leave a comment!