I'm always on the hunt for a good natural deodorant. As someone who doesn't like the thought of spraying parabens and aluminium in her armpits, I made the switch to natural deodorants about five years ago.
But the problem with natural deodorants is they don't stop you sweating like anti-perspirants do. As a sporty, active woman, do I go for a natural deodorant but run the risk of smelling at the pub later? Or choose a well-known, sweat-preventing spray that's full of chemicals and aluminium?
After much testing and money spent (natural deodorants aren't cheap!) I've found one that works for me. I've spoken to a few other sporty women to see which are their favourite natural deodorant brands.
SALT OF THE EARTH - PURE AURA DEODORANT
Price: £5.99
Buy it from: Crystal Spring
"I was feeling pretty uncomfortable about things after reading about parabens and chemicals being used to close to my lady lumps. Someone in a health food store recommended Salt Of The Earth to me. In my experience, it's pretty damn good.
It generally holds up through my (relatively) active lifestyle. I walk about 30 mins to work with a backpack and I find it as effective as a standard deodorant. It also has a dreamy smell - natural vanilla and lavender - which is so much nicer than typical deodorant smells.
The only times I find it doesn't quite cut the mustard is for high impact sports (but you'd shower afterwards anyway) and when there was a heatwave day and I was walking around a lot. But seeing as that happens five days of the year in England, I'm happy to stick with this one and take the risk!" - Hayley Bunn
Another friend, Beth Druce, also recommended Salt Of The Earth. "The original solid crystal version lasts for yonks. I've recently moved to the spray version for convenience as you have to wet the crystal one. It obviously doesn't stop you sweating but totally stops it smelling."
JASON CALMING LAVENDER DEODORANT STICK
Price: £4.99
Buy it from: Jason Natural Care
"My boyfriend and I use Jason Calming Lavender Deodorant Stick. We like it because it is a natural product with non-toxic ingredients. It's scented with real essential oils and doesn't stain our clothes/shirts, plus it keeps us both fresh until the end of the day" - Gandha Shanty
DR. ORGANIC MANUKA HONEY DEODORANT
Price: £5.79
Buy it from: Holland & Barrett
"I have tried dozens of natural deodorants over the years - and this is the only one I've found that works for me. As with all natural deodorants, it doesn't stop you sweating completely - but I've found it stops any odours during the day - whether I'm at work or heading to the gym. I really like the manuka honey smell." - Zoe Johnson
BIOSEN SENSITIVE DEODORANT SPRAY
Price: £2.50
Buy it from: Boots, Waitrose or Sainsburys
I like Bionsen because it's one of the few natural deodorants out there that come in spray form - I've never liked the feel of wet roll-on deodorants under my arms. This one is great because it's a very neutral smell, but really works well at stopping that horrible sweaty smell halfway through the day. It's also a bit cheaper than other natural deodorants on the market.
CRYSTAL ROCK DEODORANT
Price: £5.19
Buy it from: Amazon UK (I couldn't find the exact one Paula uses in the UK, but it can be found in the US here)
"I like the Crystal Rock cause it's made from natural minerals than are supposed to neutralise bacteria. I do a lot of sport and it works well enough to stop me from smelling all the time. Also the rock lasts forever - I probably don't even get through two a year!" - Paula Moss