Zero Waste Natural Deodorant Score

When it comes to natural deodorant, I’m kind of a slut. I’ve tried most brands on shelves, gave away a bunch and even developed a natural deodorant DIY! Realizing that potentially cancer-causing ingredients were in most deodorants — and that natural alternatives are competitively priced and readily available — set me on the natural beauty path in 2008. Because no one wants to put that crap next to your lymph nodes, especially now that breast cancer is the leading cause of death for women in their late 30s to early 50s — roughly the ages that I’ve been since I began writing as Mommy Greenest. (P.S. Just clicked through these links and watched myself age. Wow.)

Want to know about my latest zero waste natural deodorant score (and how to get 10% off)? Read on!

STICK WITH THIS

BTW, I’ve tried every type of natural deodorant, too. I like the glass-bottle sprays because they reduce the amount of plastic in my medicine cabinet. A few years ago, I DIY’d an essential oil blend to roll on as a natural deodorant (in a glass bottle, natch). The essential oils worked well, for a while — but now I’m ready to go back to a more traditional stick — without the unnecessary plastic.

REFILLABLE NATURAL DEODORANT

When I discovered ClayDry Deodorant, my first thought was — why aren’t all companies doing this? Here’s how it works: You buy one natural deodorant in a traditional plastic package with the push-up mechanism inside. Then, when you’ve used that all up, you fit a new natural deodorant stick into your old packaging. You can reuse these babies for a looong time, and the only thing you have to throw away is the small push-up mechanism. This system significantly reduces plastic. Genius!

TRULY NATURAL 

ClayDry zero waste natural deodorant has all of the good stuff and none of the bad. Free of synthetic fragrance, aluminum, propylene glycol, and parabens, this natural deodorant is all vegan all the time and contains arrowroot to absorb moisture and witch hazel to absorb oil, vitamin E and rosemary leaf to moisturize, green tea extract to absorb wetness and soothe sensitive skin, and essential oils for fragrance. There are no “perfume” or “fragrance” red flags on these labels!

BAKING SODA 101

It also contains baking soda, which can cause redness and irritation in some people — myself included. However, I didn’t have a reaction to these. The BOLD formula lasts the longest and has more baking soda; if you are extremely sensitive, I would recommend trying the SILK, which contains zero baking soda and has a transparent finish.

THE SECRET SAUCE

Like all products by Zion Health, which sponsored this post, ClayDry zero waste natural deodorants are cruelty-free and never tested on animals. The product is unique because of its the proprietary blend of trace minerals which, in this case, help absorb odor and balance the pH of the skin. Cultivated in the California desert near natural hot springs, the minerals are derived from Calcium Montmorillonite clay that’s so pure you could eat it. 

DO THEY WORK?

I know what you’re thinking. This is all great, but when it comes to natural deodorant, the most important question is: Does it work?

With ClayDry, my most emphatic answer is yes! Unlike some other stick deodorants, the product glides on smooth and doesn’t chalk up my clothes. I tried these three scents: Sweet Amber, Bergamot Rose, and Lavender. Love them all!

Like all natural deodorants, these are not antiperspirants — meaning they don’t block the sweat coming out of your pores. This is a good thing! (See: lymph nodes.) But they do control odor from the time I wake up in the morning to when I go to sleep at night — if I’m going out or it’s very hot, I’ll add another swipe in the afternoon and they don’t get chalky. 

The company also manufactures a shampoo bar (which I have yet to try) and is developing other zero-waste goodies. Click through to get 10% off on all Zion Health products with “RACHELS10” at check out. Win win!