Hallelujah, I Found a Natural, Eco-Friendly Deodorant That Works
There's no use beating around the brush, so let's be frank: I'm a sweaty person. It doesn't matter the season or the weather or if I'm awake or sleeping. If it's a day that ends in "y," there's a good chance I will be sweating.
When I started my search for a natural deodorant, I knew I had to be picky. For the sake of others, I didn't want to sacrifice smelling decent, and as an added bonus, I really wanted to find one that didn't come with any plastic packaging. (Slowly but surely, I've been trying to cut down on the amount of plastic I'm buying on a day-to-day basis.)
All of these requirements led me to one brand: Meow Meow Tweet. (I mean, the name alone!) The brand makes small batch vegan, organic skin care products and attempts to use the least amount of plastic packaging possible, checking all of my boxes.
At first, I started off with the tea tree deodorant cream that comes in a recyclable glass jar. I knew from my skin care journey that tea tree oil can be anti-bacterial, so it seemed like a safe, and potentially powerful, place to start. But sadly, this cream, which also includes baking soda, quickly irritated my under arms. and while I used up most of the product, it definitely wasn't my new holy grail.
THEN! I decided to try a different product: Meow Meow Tweet's baking soda free deodorant stick in grapefruit.
Baking Soda Free Deodorant Stick
Meow Meow Tweet meowmeowtweet.com
$14.00
And this baby works. Here's why I love it:
This stick comes in biodegradable paper packaging that gets the job done.It's filled with coconut oil, arrowroot powder, and cocoa seed butter, as well as various essential oils to give it that citrus-y smell.After using it for months, I've yet to have any trouble with irritation.While it's in no way an antiperspirant (meaning it won't help with any dampness), it does keep those not-so-pleasant smells at bay.Truly, I was so skeptical that this was actually working that I would continuously smell myself throughout the work day—even convincing my friends to get a whiff—just to make sure I wasn't missing something.
At $14 a pop, I admit it's pricy, but compared to other natural deodorants, it seems to fall more in the mid-range of choices. Plus, you'll know your money is going to clean pits and a cleaner planet. Now please excuse me while I go sweat.
Madison Feller Madison is a staff writer at ELLE.com, covering news, politics, culture, and women's issues.
