They were very conscientious about how they shipped me the scented deodorant samples, which I greatly appreciated. As someone with Multiple Chemical Sensitives, I can react to a safe product that has been contaminated with scents. They were wrapped in plastic, then in the shipping bag in the photo. They were kept separate from the Naked deodorant. I couldn't smell them when I opened the box all of this was shipped in, so the Naked deodorant was not contaminated with scents. Thanks so much, North Coast Organics! I only put the Naked deodorants near the scented ones for a quick picture, and it caused no problems to my Naked deodorants. My sensitives are moderate-mild, compared to many people with strong-severe MCS who wouldn't even be able to allow these scented products into their house without reacting for a week or more.
I took those aside, then I opened the bag of scented samples. WOW - they're very strong, but there were many scents packed in a small bag. They are scented with certified organic essential oils. If you're someone who wants to wear scented deodorant, this is the way to go - they're not artificial, so they're probably going to be the least irritating to your skin and everyone else around you. My guess is that I'd probably be okay with the lavender scent personally, but because I associate all smells with "reaction," I don't even want to wear something scented even if it doesn't bother me. That said, the smell was overpowering for me and gave me a pounding headache very quickly. It didn't cause me to react in any other way (no heartburn, gut ache, hives/ welts, vision loss, blood nose, etc.), but I can't speak for how they might affect others with MCS.
Just to clarify, yes, many people with MCS cannot tolerate essential oils, even though they're a natural product. It's not just synthetics that we react to. There are several reasons why essential oils are risky, but I won't get into that in this post. If you tolerate essential oils, then I definitely recommend this brand of scented deodorants! They have many scents based on "Mood," which is a fun concept. I couldn't be around them long enough to study them, so I took a quick photo and re-wrapped them:
Now, onto the review of the Naked deodorant, the fragrance-free version!
This is a really refreshing deodorant concept. You may or may not have seen some of the do-it-yourself recipes for deodorant online. This is basically one of those recipes, made and packaged for you. The ingredients are (click the link to see a photo): Organic Coconut oil, Organic carnauba wax, Organic arrowroot, and baking soda.
It's also certified:
Leaping Bunny (No Animal Testing) Certified:Yes
Vegan Action Certified:Yes
PETA Certified:Yes
USDA Organic Certified:Yes
So, why pay $10 for a stick of DIY deodorant? Because making it yourself with these quality ingredients isn't a lot cheaper, it's much messier, and it's not as portable. When I've made my own deodorant it's a mess: I didn't want to deal with adding in wax, so I had an oily concoction of coconut oil, baking soda, and starch. I often used too much baking soda, and rubbing it under my arms with my bare fingers gave me mild rashes from the scrubbing effect. It works! Don't get me wrong - I keep making my own because it does work. But I like this stick A LOT better! In fact, I like it so well that I'm unlikely to go back to making my own.
(Yes - I realize the problem of buying products in plastics, because the plastics can't biodegrade and pollute the earth. It's the ONLY drawback to buying manufactured deodorant. But I'm also supporting the economy by buying a product instead of making it myself, and that counts for a lot. As much as I would prefer to be 100% plastic-free, which I know is possible to do, I don't have the energy to make everything myself, and I really do believe in supporting brands by buying their products.)
I've used this deodorant for 3 days now. It doesn't give me the rash that my home made version did. :) It also works very well! Coconut oil is a fantastic deodorant because it's naturally anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and very moisturizing. It's mineral rich, and magnesium itself is an effective deodorant (I know people who use just magnesium spray for deodorant.) The baking soda is also a natural odor-absorbent.
So it's an effective deodorant, but is it an anti-antiperspirant? Kind of. It does not clog the pores like most brand-name synthetic deodorants on the shelf do, but the starch and baking soda do absorb moisture to a certain point. I have not yet worked out with this deodorant. If I was working out, I couldn't care less if I have pit stains as long as the smell doesn't gag me. I worked up a good sweat at my job yesterday (that was one intensely very busy hour!) and was sweaty, but didn't notice any moisture in my pits.
If you truly care about your deodorant also being an antiperspirant, this might be a good compromise deodorant for you. You should be aware that anti-antiperspirants are risky. They work by clogging pores, usually with aluminum, to prevent sweat from coming out. There are several problems with this. Most importantly, your body is supposed to sweat. Sweating is how you regulate temperature and release toxins from your body. If you can't sweat, you're building up toxins under your skin. Also, your skin absorbs most of what you put on it. If you're applying an antiperspirant, you're most likely going to absorb a lot of aluminum through your pits over time. Too much aluminum is linked to Alzheimer and breast cancer. If you want to read more about the problems with antiperspirants, I encourage you to read these articles: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-antiperspants-do-more-than-block-sweat/ and http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/underarm-care/tips/is-antiperspirant-toxic.htm
The last part of my review is about the texture. This is a solid stick. You probably expect a solid stick to glide over your skin smoothly, but this stick has a bit of grit to it. It slides over the skin, but it's not perfectly smooth. Since I keep my pits shaved this isn't an issue. I don't mind needing to use a little extra force to slide it across my skin, but I'm still surprised that it's not silky smooth like other solid natural deodorants I've tried. I don't know if this would cause discomfort for people with pit hair. My guess is it wouldn't be much different from another solid stick, just a bit rougher. The deodorant isn't at all oily, despite being oil based. All the homemade coconut oil deodorants I've made are very oily, therefore temporarily greasy. I have to wait about 5 minutes for the grease to soak in before I put clothes on. There is no such issue with this stick!
The super short version of this review:
I highly recommend it! I'll definitely purchase this after I finish my sample! It's by far my favorite natural deodorant I've tried!
To North Coast Organics:Thank you so much for your kindness in sending me these free samples! You went out of your way to introduce me, a random Facebook commenter, to your product. You won a convert in me, and I'm more than happy to share my thoughts with my readers and friends! Please keep up the great work!
To all of you:Check out their website. They also make organic candles, massage oils, bath crystals, and more!
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