Primal Life Organics Stick Up Natural Deodorant - Bentonite Clay, Arrowroot, Black Lavender - 3 oz

After trying many different kinds of natural deodorants looking for one that didn't cause me to break out in a rash, hives or other issues due to ingredients I was skeptical. Most natural deodorants use baking soda, which can cause skin irritation and a rash under the arms for some people, while most commercial deodorants you can guy in the store contain chemicals that I am allergic to. I have come accustom to using cornstarch powder most every day to prevent chaffing and during the colder months of the year I don't notice much BO smell (I wash regularly) Spring and Summer are difficult. I was skeptical at the price, twice as much as other ones I have tried that didn't work, but thought well if it doesn't have baking soda and it works then it might be worth it. I got a neutral smell (because if it didn't work my husband would inherit another stick of deodorant) and didn't want to stick him smelling like sun tan lotion. The other thing is I wanted to give it a try for a good month (which I am glad because so far we've had a couple weeks of 80 degree sunny weather for the Pacific North West) First thing I found was the smell was very nice. Lavender I love because it's not overly floral or perfume in scent. It's nice and neutral and something my husband is willing to wear, and this one had a nice peppermint smell mingling with it, making it a lovely crispy clean smell. Then I read the instructions (Something I found with different natural products.) and then I put it on. What shocked me was the tingle, deodorant has never tingled. It wasn't unconvertable but it was alarming. I've used peppermint based shampoo's, conditioners and soaps and didn't have it tingle anything more then my face or scalp so under the arms was a bit off putting at first. When I realized it wasn't going to irritate my skin I thought it was kind of nice... The next was to see how long it lasted, would I need to reapply through out the day. Even on our warmest day with doing yard work I did not need to reapply. While it's a deodorant and you do still sweat, it kept my arms dryer then with out, and there was no unpleasant smell at all. It held up through the whole day with no need to reapply. My husband then decided he wished to get a stick of his own, and we ordered a second one. He too found the under arms tingle a bit odd... not unpleasant but different. He himself didn't need to reapply it either through out his days of using his. He loves the Black Rogue smell as well. Now I do recommend following the instructions, it's not just rub under your arms there are steps. And when they say using more is not nessisary the thing you want to do, they mean it. Not only will it smear everywhere and make a mess it causing the peppermint tingle to be a bit much. It washes off easy from your skin, but not so easy from your clothes. My final opinion is this deodorant is good for people who are looking for a non-baking soda based natural deodorant to use. It's nice for my skin allergies (and I have very sensitive skin) but beware if you have allergies to perfumes and heavy smells because the stick is very scented.

***UPDATED 5/4/20 TO SAY the plastic film around the outside of the tube has vanished. I bought the Black Lavender to give it a fair comparison against the White Lavender I love so much and it came with a paper safety seal sticker instead of the plastic film! YAY!!*** I ordered my first stick of this deodorant at the beginning of October 2019, and I'm still not out of it 6 months later. In fact, I think I have 1-2 months remaining. I can use WAY less than my old "natural" deodorants, which each lasted 2-3 months at the most and cost $8-10 each. I had been skeptical about ordering a stick of deodorant which cost this much, but it actually turns out to be cheaper than what I was using before! This is in large part due to the fact that the deodorant lasts 2 days before I need to reapply. I'm also in love with the fact that it has a fragrance and hasn't given me a rash. I have very sensitive skin, and am allergic to every artificial fragrance I've come into contact with - so this has been a welcome change! I have convinced my husband to try this also, and he has enjoyed the Black Rogue version. I tried it also, since the White Lavender can transfer some white to your clothes immediately after application (even with rubbing it in). It's easy enough to avoid, and not a deal breaker for me, but I wanted to try one of the Black versions to make informed future decisions. I didn't personally like the Black Rogue version as much. For me, it smelled a LOT stronger (Oils of Lavender, Bergamot, and Peppermint vs just Lavender in the White Lavender stick) and didn't seem to last as long. To be fair, I felt overwhelmed by the smell, and only tried it for a couple of days before deciding that one belonged to my husband - so it may have gotten better with time if I'd stuck with it. Now that the temperatures are coming into their full Texas Heat glory, we have been able to validate that we can both get to the point of "drenched in sweat" and still not stink. AMAZING! Like so many others, I wasn't thrilled that this product came wrapped in a plastic film...but I choose not to throw a fit about it. Compared to the plastic tubes I used to purchase (I would have gone through 2-3 by now!), the plastic "safety seal" wrap over a robust paper tube that I can compost when it's empty is a vast improvement. I think it's important to remember that unless you're shopping locally from someone who is handcrafting their products, it's VERY difficult to order something that produced no waste at any point. Heck, even then there would be no guarantee the seller didn't order something that came in plastic to make what you bought. Focusing on the things we can control is key; like the fact that *reducing* waste through our purchasing choices ultimately adds up to a big impact. "Zero Waste" perfection is too lofty a pursuit for most. I hope this company will find a way to "safety seal" these tubes without plastic down the line; maybe via paper tape? I also sincerely hope to find these locally some day! Keep growing, Primal Life - we need more companies like you! :)

5 because it works really well (48 hours unless I sweat like super crazy) & doesnt leave any residue. The peppermint makes it feel nice after it goes on & disappears rather quickly so I'm not walking around smelling like a candy cane all day. & it doesnt irritate my skin. 3 because I have no way to tell how much of i have left so I have to order way in advance because I'm not risking running out. Also, I go through it much faster than regular, not-so-good-for-you stuff so it's a good bit more costly. But the cost is worth it to me.

I have been using this for years. It stops all odor for me no matter how sweaty I get. It doesn’t irritate my skin either. I prefer the white coconut scent as it is almost unscented. I didn’t like the strong smell oof the others or the black ones due to the weird black/purple staining of arm pits and clothing. However, the cardboard tube is a pain in the tail. It separates and sometimes you can’t even get the deodorant to rise up and then it will collapse when you try to apply. I know people hate plastic but their original plastic applicator was MUCH better. Also, the consistency of the deodorant from one tube to the next is ridiculous. Sometimes it is soft and easy to apply and other times it is hard as concrete and won’t soften, so it is impossible to apply. I have one stick now that is unusable. I even tried a hairdryer to soften and no luck. So there are issues with this expensive deodorant. I am trying some others now to see if I can switch. I will probably continue to keep a stick of this on hand as I really like the performance. I am trying to weigh the frustrations of the packaging and consistency against the performance. Sigh.

This is an excellent, completely effective deodorant. Though somewhat pricey, I will continue to use it. As for the plastic sleeve over the cardboard tube, I presume that the manufacturer has found that it is necessary to preserve this natural product from evaporating during its shelf life. I would recommend that they replace the plastic with a wax paper sleeve, pleated/folded over the top of the tube and secured with a paper sticker. In the olden days, Listerine bottles were packaged in paper in this way. I am not docking the product any stars for this, but do think it is important for them to work out, because so many of us are working hard to eliminate plastic from our lives. The cardboard push-up tube works just fine. The first stick deodorants were all packaged this way, so for me there’s no learning curve. I am just starting my first tube, so I don’t yet know how the cardboard will hold up. But it is rigid and seems to be a good weight, so I have no reason to think it will fail. I transitioned to the Black Lavender after years of using plain old zinc oxide ointment, which is sticky yet completely effective, as a cream deodorant. So my unshaven pits were already detoxed from aluminum-based deodorants and antiperspirants. I would caution those who are transitioning directly from aluminum products that you will feel sweaty at first, until your poor beleaguered sweat glands stop rebounding from years of abuse. You will notice after using this deodorant for awhile that the sweatiness will go away. To avoid over-application, be sure to follow the instructions: swipe just a couple of times and then rub in. Your goal, after rubbing it in, is to barely feel (and certainly not see) the presence of deodorant on your skin. If you can see it in the mirror, you put on too much. I am a large woman, and my pit size is commensurate with my body size. Yet two swipes on my massive pits is enough. I find that the Black Lavender, which is the only scent I have tried, is totally effective for a full day. I have not yet experimented with multiple days. The lavender scent is very pleasant, and strong at first. But then it settles in and I do not smell like I am wearing lavender perfume all day. However, at the end of the day, a direct sniff reveals that the slight, pleasant aroma of lavender persists. Highly recommended as a product, but packaging needs work.

I purchased this deodorant a few years ago because it was natural and came in a cardboard container that I could compost. Turns out that it was also the best deodorant that I'd ever used (including the ones with aluminum and other chemicals). Then the packaging changed (from brown to white) and I guess the formula did too because it no longer works well. Sadly I will be switching brands.

This has been my go to deodorant for the last 2 years. I have tried several aluminum-free deodorants by now, and of all of them this has been the only one that has worked. It smells so great, I don't stink of smelly armpits like the other ones without aluminum. A stick of this lasts me a while, I don't buy it very often which for a deodorant that costs like $17 is decent. It being $17 is kinda pricy but since I'm not constantly buying it, it's ok. I haven't yet found a deodorant that works like this, that is aluminum-free that has been cheaper so, yeah.

I cannot start to explain my excitement about this product. First, I have tried SO MANY types of aluminum-free deodorant due to a skin allergy I have. I have tried: Dove, Schmidt's, Native, Toms and all left me slimy and smelling horribly within the hour after application. I made sure I applied to freshly cleaned pits, I used antibacterial soap, and used clean towels and never wore shirts twice all in effort to keep bacteria from growing, which is what causes the odor. I got so tired of smelling bad all the time. But I just kept sweating so profusely and that warm wet environment cannot keep bacteria away. Nothing seemed to work. I decided to try a zinc based deodorant, and holy heck, I cannot believe it. The charcoal and arrowroot powder actually keep me dry! And all day I remain odorless. There are a few downsides: * you have to massage the deodorant in; otherwise it remains a little thick and purple and might transfer to clothes; I also wait for it to dry before putting on clothes just to be on the safe side. * when you first put it in the scent is very, very strong, but it does calm down after a little while. By mid day the scent is gone, but neither is body odor present, so it settles down to a neutral unscented / lightly-scented deodorant after few hours or so. Overall, I highly recommend this product. I have been using it for about a week, and I hope the results last. If not, I will update my post.