We Tried It: All Kinds of (Non-Traditional) Deodorants

Who Tried It: Sandra Sobieraj Westfall, PEOPLE’s National Political Correspondent (because politicians, after all, are the ones who never want you to see them sweat — and Washington, D.C., was built on swampland).

Why She Tried It: It’s the hot, humid, sweaty and — let’s be honest — stinky season. So we put some of the new crop of deodorants to the test. Do the all-natural newcomers hold up to the freshly refurbished, aluminum-based classics?

What She Tried: (clockwise from far left, below) Reset Yourself [beauty] Pure Deodorant; Dove Dry Spray Clear Tone Skin Renew; Secret Outlast Clear Gel Sensitive Clean; and Pacifica Underarm Deodorant Wipes.

Level of Difficulty: 0 at the beginning of the day — varied by the end.

Sandra Sobieraj Westfall

A rep for Reset Yourself sent me the company’s new all-natural, organic deodorant as part of a Breast Cancer Awareness Month pitch: “The Simple Swap that Could Reduce Your Risk.” I figured it couldn’t hurt to cut out the aluminum that’s been soaking into my pores since puberty, so I gave it a try. I liked the coco-pineapple scent that conjured thoughts of summertime and pina coladas, and its odor control endured all day. (If you don’t want to wake smelling a little rustic in the pits, apply again before bed.) But the baking soda in the formula caused itchy redness and inflammation in my armpits.

The company rep said my skin just needed to “detox” from the chemical formulations I was used to, and she walked me through how to do that (don’t use on freshly shaved skin, take a break from the baking soda, use pure aloe on the inflammation). But after every attempt at detox (I was motivated; I tried it several times!), the rash returned two days after starting up again with Reset Yourself. My vegetarian, all-organic neighbor who was already detoxed had no problem with her Reset Yourself sample. She found the scent a welcome change from the “pine needle” smell of her usual all-natural deodorant. But she also found Reset Yourself a little “sticky”-feeling. (It is not an antiperspirant; just for odor control.)

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So then I was prepared to be sold on good old Dove, which is a reliable standby. The spray formula went on feeling dry and had excellent odor control that lasted at least through the next morning. But I couldn’t find a way to spray it where it needed to go without breathing in a whole lot of it. And the scent I used — Clear Tone Skin Renew — did not live on my skin with the “notes of watermelon and pear mixed with violet, rose and sandalwood” as advertised — I found the smell much more “deodorant-like.” But mostly I was uneasy about breathing in the aerosol.

A Secret lover for years, I found myself most often reaching for the Outlast Clear Gel. It goes on wet, but that didn’t bother me. (Well, it did that time I didn’t wait for it to dry before squeezing a new top over my head. The swipes left on the shirt’s linen did, however, wash right out.) The odor- and perspiration-control were reliable and enduring. I decided to ignore the “aluminum zirconium octachlorohydrex gly” printed right there on the front label under the “Sensitive Clean” fragrance. (How could my skin cooperate with this mouthful of chemicals but not with baking soda??)

Last up were the Pacifica wipes. I was skeptical: how could long could wiping away odor keep me odor free? Turns out, quite a while. These wipes left me feeling cleanest after “application” and had a light, pleasant scent. They won’t carry you through till the next morning and I’m not sure I’d have confidence in them to go the distance of a strenuous summer day without carrying the pack in my purse. But for everyday use in the office, I’m sold.

Have you tried any of these products? Or do you have a personal favorite alternative deodorant yourself? Share below!

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