BUT FIRST, SUNSCREEN

My Sustainable Swaps Series helps you change one thing to make a meaningful impact on your environmental footprint. A great place to start is reconsidering items you use every single day. Deodorant is a staple of modern hygiene, but its impact on people and planet stinks. These natural, eco-friendly deodorants actually work, and come in recyclable, reusable, or compostable packaging. 

why you should switch to an eco-friendly deodorant

Traditional deodorants rely on aluminum to block up sweat glands and stop your sweat from reaching the surface of your skin. They often come with other ingredients like phthalates and parabens, and are packaged in single-use, non-recyclable plastic. 

The deodorant industry produces 15 million pounds of plastic waste each year. While the scientific evidence linking aluminum and parabens to cancer or other health risks is debatable, my personal philosophy is to choose products that have smaller, natural ingredients lists. Since so much of our chemical exposure cannot be controlled, I try to limit my exposure wherever I can. 

Fortunately, there are many alternatives to aluminum-based, plastic-packaged deodorant on the market today, and trying them is easy. I’ve tested quite a few: relaxing at home, dancing at weddings, and completing sweaty workouts. These are the best natural, eco-friendly deodorant options. Freshen up and green your routine with one of these!

Compostable deodorant tubes

These natural deodorants come packaged in compostable tubes, and they’re available on Amazon or at Target, so they’re easy to add to your next order! 

Native: Coconut & Vanilla

This deodorant smells great and goes on sooo smoothly from the coconut oil it contains! This type does contain baking soda, but it doesn’t bother me. Some other brands with baking soda formulations have irritated my skin, but for whatever reason, this one does not! 

Native Plastic-Free Deodorant holds up to hot runs, daily life, and any other time you sweat. The tube is made from paperboard sourced from responsibly managed forests. Plus it’s free from Parabens, Sulfates, Phthalates, and Aluminum. 

Raw Sugar: Vanilla bean + Charcoal

Another good option? Raw Sugar Vanilla Bean + Charcoal. This deodorant smells yummy and comes in a combination of a biodegradable paper tube with recycled plastic parts. It used to be available in 100% biodegradable packaging; if you see it, get it ! It’s also free of aluminum, baking soda, talc, parabens, and propylene glycol. 

It can take some time to adjust to a new deodorant, so don’t be discouraged! It can take up to two weeks to transition, but most people adjust and are able to use a natural deodorant immediately, with no need for any special detoxing. 

refillable deodorant

Meow Meow Tweet

Quirky name, excellent deodorant. I like the Baking Soda-Free Grapefruit scent. Its light scent is gender neutral, it applies easily, and keeps you smelling fresh. It comes in a small glass jar, so just use a clean finger to scoop out a pea-sized amount for each underarm. It will warm up and melt into your skin. 

With Meow Meow Tweet’s bulk refill program, you can purchase a large glass jar of deodorant and use it to refill the small glass jar that you’ll keep your daily product in. When the large jar is empty, send it back for free to Meow Meow Tweet. They’ll sanitize and reuse it as part of their closed loop, 100% waste free bulk refill program. When your small jar is empty, just clean it out with hot water and mild dish soap, to remove any old product before you refill it with fresh product. Super easy and sustainable. 

Meow Meow Tweet products can be ordered online with a subscription service so you receive new deodorant every few months and never run out. Their product ships in small boxes filled with corn starch packing peanuts–just run them under hot water and watch them melt away! Meow Meow Tweet has an entire range of sustainable and bulk product options that I’d love to try! 

I also love how it’s vegan, made with organic ingredients, and they give back to diverse organizations promoting Earth & Nature, Social Justice, and Animal Justice. Learn more about their values here.

Making the Switch to  eco-friendly deodorant

It can take up to two weeks to adjust to the new deodorant, because that’s how long it can take for your body to purge the aluminum and other chemicals from your last deodorant. I’ve typically noticed a few days of transition, but was able to adjust very quickly to the deodorants on this list. If you have a big event coming up, try to switch more than two weeks in advance, or wait until afterwards to see how your body responds. 

Whether you’re trying a natural deodorant for the first time, or switching to one with more sustainable packaging, congrats! You can feel good about making a Sustainable Swap that’s better for people and planet. 

What’s your favorite natural deodorant?  Drop me a line in the comments below.