According to a market study done by Beiersdorf, 72% of consumers are interested in aluminium-free deodorants that don’t leave residue behind on skin and clothing. Manufacturers have responded to this need, and today offer dozens of aluminium-free deodorants. My partner Johannes Braun and I decided to test 14 such products from various cosmetic suppliers, ranging from expensive, well-known eco brands to cheap discounter deodorants, in an effort to get a sense of what the market offers. Our conclusion? It stinks.
The explanation is simple. When you sweat, bacteria multiply in the moist, cozy environment of your armpits. These bacteria feed on the fatty acids in your sweat, and as their population expands, they excrete waste products, some of which are a bit smelly. To prevent this odour, people use antiperspirants and deodorants.
By using aluminium-based antiperspirants, you avoid sweating. The aluminium salts combine with your sweat to form a thin layer of gel on the skin, closing the pores. The result? A dry environment, where the bacteria find no breeding ground.
Deodorants without aluminium salts instead use other ingredients, such as triclosan, which inhibits the proliferation of bacteria. Other natural ingredients that have a similar effect are natural ingredients like coriander, pomegranate, sage or eucalyptus, which have antiseptic and anti-odor properties. It is important to know that, while you do sweat when using an aluminium-free deodorant, the aim is not to smell. There are classics like the UrDeo, that uses alkaline minerals. On the other hand, Soapwalla’s Deodorant Creme uses vegetable powder, clay, and essential oils of lavender, peppermint and tea tree. Well-known natural cosmetics manufacturers such as Weleda, Logona, Lavera or Speick have already been offering deodorants without containing aluminium chlorides for years. Even in regular drug stores, you can find cheaper natural alternatives to the mainstream antiperspirants with brands like Alverde (DM) or Alterra (Rossmann) in Germany.
For several years, aluminium has been suspected to be a risk factor for breast cancer as well as being associated with Alzheimer’s Disease. However, there have been no studies that definitively show that. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) summarizes the current state of research on its website:
At the present time, an avoidance of the use of antiperspirants to reduce risk of breast cancer is not recommended, but in terms of preventive health, such cosmetic products should not be applied to freshly shaved armpits.
For anyone who wants to know more, I recommend the German documentary Die Akte Alu, which deals not only with aluminium in cosmetics, but also in many other products.
My body had about two weeks to make the transition from regular anti-perspirants to a deodorant that is free of aluminium. At first, aluminium-free deodorant didn’t do the trick for me, but after 14 days, my body was apparently weaned and ready for a restart. Obviously, there can be phases in the transition from antiperspirants to aluminium-free deodorants, a detox phase, so to speak. Some bloggers recommend using only coconut oil against odours for the first few days, to give the body a chance to excrete the pollutants from antiperspirants, otherwise, the odour could be even worse during the transition phase.
The June 2014 issue of the Stiftung Warentest featured a rather extensive study of deodorants and antiperspirants. They tested 24 underarm sprays for women, including one unisex deodorant. The subjects were sent to a climatic chamber to sweat. Before and after using the products, a smell test was conducted and the amount of sweat measured. The following aluminium-free products received good reviews:
• CD Deospray Waterlily – GOOD (2.0) • Aldi Nord Cult Clear Touch Deodorant – GOOD (2.4) • Nivea Fresh Natural Ocean Extracts Deospray – GOOD (2.4) • Lavera Basis Sensitive Deodorant Spray with organic witch hazel and rose essence – GOOD (2.5)
Johannes and I have tested 14 different brands of aluminum-free deodorants. The back-story: We both had to get used to sweating. We had wet underarms and sometimes sweat stains on our shirts, which unfortunately do not go away when one ceases to use antiperspirants containing aluminium.
The 14-deodorant test was rather sobering for both of us, because most deodorants did not do what they promised, so the result—and us—stank to high heaven. A few products held all through until the evening, but most failed after as little as six hours. The effect was significantly better with shaved armpits, but generally we both had to reapply deodorant before having a night out. At the end of the article, we will list all the products we tested together with our (subjective) assessments, concluding with our personal recommendations. As I said before, we weren’t really all that convinced by any of the deodorants.
Soapwalla Deodorant Cream for 14.95 Euro A fine-grained cream that you soften between your fingertips — which unfortunately leaves you with oily hands. A pleasant, but non-intrusive scent with a clear citrus or minty note. Very good effect for up to eight hours. However, not everyone reacts to the deodorant equally well. We suspect that the essential oils as well as the baking soda can cause inflammation in the armpits for some people.
Green Love Deodorant Natural & Unscented for 17.95 Euro A deodorant stick, mostly odourless, with a fine hint of cocoa. A good product that holds up to six or seven hours. However, the packaging is annoying, because the lid is difficult to open and close, and the deodorant smears on the cap.
CD Deo Wasserlilie Spray for 1.45 Euro A deodorant spray with excellent effect, but a big disadvantage. Johannes commented on the smell as follows: “If I had to choose between water or the CD deo on my skin, I’d prefer just water.” I could only agree with him, and found the powdery smell unbearable too.
Speik Natural Deo Stick for 3.95 Euro A fixed stick, which is easy to apply. Johannes found the pine needle smell too intrusive, but it hardly bothered me at all, because it is pretty subtle. Very good effect until the evening.
Lavera Neutral Roll-On for 5.95 Euro Good consistency, slightly musty odour, quite reliable for up to eight hours.
Dr. Hauschka Salbei Deomilch for 10.50 Euro Very liquid consistency, so don’t put your shirt on too quickly, otherwise your armpits will be soaked even before you sweat. Smells slightly herbaceous, which you have to like. Otherwise reliable for up to eight hours.
Alverde Sensitiv Deo Roll-On Dry for 2.95 Euro Creamy, not too runny. Fragrance is refreshing but unremarkable. Effective for up to six hours.
SebaMed Balsam Deo Sensitiv for 2.25 Euro Roll-on, but very fluid with a neutral odour, which lasted up to six hours.
UrDeo Basen Deo Roll-On for 13.65 Euro The most liquid and complicated deodorant in the test. First, it must be shaken before use, so that it can be spread thinly on the skin. Finally, it must be allowed to completely dry, because otherwise it stains your clothes. It possesses an almost imperceptible alcohol odour which evaporates quickly. Good effect for only four hours.
Vichy 24 Stunden Deodorant for 10 Euro To Johannes, the stick was significantly more pleasant than many of liquid deodorants in the test because “you can feel where you applied the deodorant.” Otherwise it is odourless, with good effect for only four hours tops.
Weleda Citrus Deodorant Spray for 5.25 Euro Strong, almost sour citrus scent. Good effect for only four hours.
CL Med Deo Balsam – Mein Deo for 3.25 Euro Roll-on with a pleasant consistency and discreet medical smell. However, there was almost no effect, so Johannes designated it under the deodorants as a placebo.
Nivea Deodorant Pure Fresh Spray for 1.55 Euro This spray had quite the offensive odour. While our underarms did not smell after having exercised, our clothes stank more than usual.
Alverde Men Deo Roll-On 48 Stunden for 2.95 Euro For us, a big no-go, because the smell is terrible and intrusive. Johannes declined to test this product, saying “I won’t put something that smells like that on my skin.”
Tina Molin ist die Neugierde in Person. Daher kaum verwunderlich, dass sie Journalistin geworden ist und nun ihr Leben damit verbringen darf, Menschen Löcher in den Bauch zu fragen. Wenn sie nicht bei Amazingy nachhaltige Brands und innovative Persönlichkeiten porträtiert, schreibt sie an einem Fantasy Romane und bastelt an Mix-Tapes für ihr DJ-Projekt New Glitz on the Block. Sie liebt Glitzer-Makeup und Pandas (übrigens wie ihrer kleine Tochter) und tritt stets mutig zu Selbstversuchen wie ‚No Poo’ und ‚Aluminiumfreies Deo’ an.
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I really liked the green love in the past but stained all my black t shirts … The soapwalla was en epicfail, like johannes i got a rash.. Right now im very pleased with the meow meow tweet baking soda free deo ..smells delicious and last long (10/12 hours). :-))
