As many of you may know, I have been sulfate free and chemical free for over a year and therefore have adopted a more healthier, crunchier, and natural lifestyle. But I am not a hippie, just a tad crunchy, trying to make better lifestyle choices. :) I wash my face with the oil cleansing method, and do not use anything that has chemicals or sulfates. I read labels before purchasing. I had made the switch to natural deodorant last summer, avoiding anything with aluminum, parabans, and ingredients that were hard to pronounce or spell.
I used to believe that deodorant had to be antiperspirant and would always buy whatever had the most aluminum in it. My tried and true deodorant was Lady Michum with 20% Aluminum Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex Gly! Try spelling that with your eyes closed. I would get the clear gel in baby powder scent. I used that for years as it seem to be a clinical strength and cheap in cost. I would always shower everyday, but the next day, if I waited a bit longer in the day to shower (such as a lazy sleepy weekend morning) I would not be shower fresh with my day old deodorant sniff test. When choosing my deodorant of choice, I never really would read the ingredients, except to make sure my deodorant had a high percentage of Aluminum, as that seemed to keep me dry and smelling fresh.
What I did not know then was that aluminum has been linked to cancer and Alzheimer's Disease, as well as other health concerns. I decided to try more natural methods of deodorizing. I tried numerous natural deodorants purchased at Whole Foods and other retailers. Tom's of Maine did not do anything for me. I tried Kiss My Face, Herban Cowboy, Salt rock deodorants (have traces of aluminum in them) and various etsy homemade purchases. I even attempted making my own deodorant. Now I want to mention that when you switch from traditional deodorant to a more natural form, it does take a few weeks to get your body and skin adjusted to it. Natural deodorants are not antiperspirants, because your body is supposed to sweat to release toxins. Sweating is your bodies way of regulating its temperature and cooling the body. Sweat is not what stinks, it is the growth of bacteria that causes the stink. The first 2 weeks of my going natural with deodorants, it was the middle of summer, our 90 year old home was without air conditioning, and it was about 95 degrees outside and inside was about 82. It was not a fun time for me. I was sweating. A lot. I was so ready to give up on being a natural, aluminum free, deodorant wearing gal.
I finally tried LaVanilla and although it worked really well for me, it is about 2 1/2 times the price of most deodorants, natural or traditional. So that was not going to be something I could easily keep up with.
I recently had the opportunity to try a natural deodorant from a family based company, North Coast Organics. It was started by Nathan and his lovely mother. They have made a vegan, cruelty free and eco-friendly deodorant that is aluminum free and paraban free. They currently have 3 types: Death By Lavender, Naked, and Revolver.
I was sent the Death by Lavender to review. Here is a list of the very simple, but effective ingredients:
Ingredients: Coconut Oil*, Carnauba Wax*, Cornstarch*, Baking Soda, and Proprietary Blend of Essential Oils.
Now lets compare these to my previous deodorant, Lady Michum:
Active Ingredients: Aluminum Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex Gly (20%)
Inactive Ingredients: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dipropylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Ethylene Brassylate, PEG 12 Dimethicone Crosspolymer, PEG/PPG 18/18 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG 19/19 Dimethicone
Yes, I bet you can spell and recite by memory all the ingredients in the Death by Lavender. The Lady Michum ingredients, are a bit more complex and slightly scary I may add.
I tested this deodorant for about 3 weeks and it works well. I do not stink, at all. I do not have wet armpits, and the light scent of the lavender is nice. I did find it can be a bit messy to apply if you dial it too far up and it melts over the sides a bit. I also got in a hurry a few times and forgot to dial it back down after immediate use, causing some to goop up the outside under the cap. I do want to mention that if I used it immediately after shaving or put it on too heavily or aggressively, I did have some irritation. But not everyone will have that problem.
I have always had an irritation to baking soda, (not sure if it is the granules of the baking soda which is slightly abrasive or what) and have needed to decrease the baking soda and increase the arrowroot/cornstarch when I make my own homemade deodorant. I would love if this could be made in the lavender form as well, with a baking soda free version, with added cornstarch and arrowroot powder instead. They do make a Naked, sensitive skin formula, but it is the baking soda that I have irritation with, not the essential oils. So perhaps 2 versions of Lavender deodorant, one with baking soda, and one without baking soda but with added arrowroot and cornstarch, and keep the other ingredients and essential oils.
I like the look of the labels in this deodorant line, they are simple but have a nice modern look. The labels are printed with vegan ink. I also like how the containers are reusable. I have made skin butters in the past with shea and coco butters for dry elbows and heels, and when this container is used up, I can find another use for it. I liked this deodorant and this may be something you like as well. Check out their website for more information.
WEBSITE STORE
This deodorant is USDA Certified Organic, Aluminum-free, Cruelty-free, Non-toxic, Labels printed with vegan inks on 100% Tree Free/100% Fair Trade Certified paper.
FTC Disclaimer: No compensation was received for this review. I was given free product to review but the opinions are 100% honest and my own.
If you found this review or any of my other reviews interesting or helpful, please rate is as "helpful" and or leave a comment. I enjoy writing reviews and hearing feedback about what I have written as I feel reviews help those interested make an informed decision before purchasing. I also feel that honest and informative reviews improve a product by providing insight to the company. I believe reviews should be honest no matter whether an item was free, at a discount, or purchased. I am not connected to this company or any of the companies of products that I review. I am not paid for my opinions.
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