I didn’t learn I could smell like the funk of 1000 years until I switched from using Anti-Perspirant/Deodorant to aluminum-free deodorant.  I’ve always thought of myself perspiring in a ladylike manner, but here we are.

Several times I almost caved and returned to my favorite brand. But others who had made the switch convinced me to hold out — that it takes about a year for your body to adapt. And since I never smell them, I figured I’d stay the course.

Since fall 2019, I’ve consistently used aluminum-free deodorant. And happily I finally found one that doesn’t leave me at midday smelling like a 16-year old boy after football practice.

Native Deodorant

I can’t remember how I heard about Native, but I got a sample size of the Coconut & Vanilla scent from Target. It worked pretty well and smelled a lot like my hair products so at least I didn’t have multiple different types of scents going on all at once.

When that was almost gone, I ordered a larger size and a bunch of travel sizes of other scents to test out.

The winners so far are

• Coconut & Vanilla
• Charcoal (It’s hard to describe but someone it reminds me of a Christmas scent.)
• Cucumber and Mint (A fresh scent that’s closer to deodorants made for men.)

Not so hot on me

Unscented: This was a total fail. I just felt like I smelled funky all the time. I gave up on it after 3 days. I may try it again once my body has adapted to going aluminum free.

Lavender & Rose: It was just too floral and too scented for me.

Sensitive Skin: Because I have eczema, I also tried the sensitive skin version of the Coconut & Vanilla. Also a fail because it lacked the baking soda I apparently need to minimize sweat and funk. This is another I may try again as my body adapts.

Eucalyptus & Mint: Of all the scents I purchased, this is the only one I haven’t tried out yet. This one really smells like scents traditionally made for men, so I’m a little hesitant to wear it but will try when I run out of the others.

What I’ve learned

I used unscented gel Anti-Perspirant/Deodorant for decades because I prefer not to have too many scents on at one time. Going scented was the first hurdle. I learned that unscented is a bit difficult to pull off when using a more “natural” deodorant.

I really need that baking soda in the ingredients.

It’s not a one and done application like an 24-hour anti-perspirant. I have to apply in the morning and before bedtime for maximum effectiveness. And if I have a particularly active day or  workout strenuously, then I have to up that to three times a day.

Showering (or a wash up) is a must before use. Otherwise you are just wasting product.

I didn’t have any eczema issues from using it!

Upcoming challenges

It’s been a relatively cool spring. The test will be can this hold up to a hot southern summer or the heat and humidity of Japan in August.

With summer comes a lot of sleeveless tops. I wish there was a gel version because it takes a little while for the white caste to disappear when applying on brown skin.

Overall I’m pleased with Native deodorant and will continue using it. They’ve recently re-released a powder-scented version that I’m excited to try.

This is not a sponsored post.