We braved natural deodorant alternatives

In the summertime heat, sweat is everyone’s necessary evil. Stained clothes, never ending face wiping, and stickiness ensues those salty droplets. The most horrendous consequence, though, is funky armpit odor caused by bad bacteria that flourished in those pesky, moist crevices.

Regular deodorant does the trick of combating odor and is the usual go-to product but did you know you could also fight off armpit odor with things that you can find in your kitchen? Simple ingredients have been shown to have some effect on reducing bad B.O.

I’ve tried out these deodorant alternatives and I am weighing in. Me and my friend tested each product by doing a 30-minute cardio work-out (consisting of jumping jacks, high jumps, push-ups, yada yada) to get the sweat going.  We figured that it might be best to try this out in the safety of our rooms to avoid finding out whether a product will work or not in the most embarrassing circumstances (nothing worse than being caught outside with BO).

Baking Soda

The most classical, well-known alternative to deodorant is a baking soda concoction. Applying dry baking soda is pretty messy. The powder stains your clothes a bit and clumps together which is the biggest negative in conventional deodorants.

After sweating a bit, the powder did fight off a bit of odor but I was at a loss if my sweat was too profuse.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is a personal favorite here.  This is used as an alternative for its presumably antimicrobial properties.  Applying coconut oil is a lot less messy than using baking powder.  It was surprisingly a lot more effective than I thought.

After a while, the coconut oil appears to be absorbed into the skin and from here you can start to develop odor all over again.

Bonus: If you apply coconut oil before applying deodorant, the deodorant will glide more smoothly and have a more even, less visible appearance on the armpits. My friend also tried it and was a bit put off by the idea of using oil but it turned out alright and it did not stain her clothes.

Apple Cider Vinegar

The smell was a little much for me, though it goes away a bit after application; I just used napkins and rubbed the vinegar into my skin. It stung a tiny bit but the feeling wasn’t particularly uncomfortable. This was actually more effective than I thought at combating moderate sweat.

It doesn’t last the whole day but is fair when it comes to a little dampness.

Alcohol

*Warning*If you have sensitive skin or any cuts on your pits this may not be for you. The alcohol irritated my skin. I didn’t think I had cuts but I still was feeling the sting of the alcohol when I rubbed it on. What’s worse is that when that happens, my pits start to get darker. All this was just annoying.  Alcohol prevents the growth of bacteria but the effects are pretty temporary. The alcohol wasn’t that good at keeping away sweat stench if I sweated too much after the workout.  I would only try this option as a last resort.

Lemon/Lime Juice

Okay, so I technically used juice from a lime. I didn’t think it made too huge of a difference. Lime juice offers the same sting as alcohol but is also alleged to have skin brightening effects.

The effects were not long lasting and my skin got irritated. Essentially my feeling towards the lime juice is the same for my feelings towards the alcohol.

Witch Hazel

My friend tried out this one and said that witch hazel is less rough on the skin. Witch hazel is said to be able to lower the pH of the skin and thus make it hard for odor causing bacteria to flourish.  Its effects were pretty good, it saved her from armpit stench longer than the alcohol and lemon juice and it was not so messy.

But like all the other products it only fought stench for a much more limited time period than regular deodorant.  I would definitely try this alternative over alcohol or lemon juice.

If you hope to skimp out on applying deodorant–don’t. Regular antiperspirants are definitely more reliable than the alternatives I’ve mentioned above. The results with regular antiperspirants are just more longer lasting.  However, if you’re ever feeling ‘organic’,  coconut oil is definitely an option to try on regular basis, as well as witch hazel.

There you have it, the highs and lows of deodorant alternatives.