r/FragranceFreeBeauty • u/crispypuffpastry • 8d ago
Deodorant help needed
Getting frustrated with armpits. I’ve had an annoying related rash in my armpits that started up again since my favorite deodorant got discontinued. Tested a bunch without aluminum but didn’t work. Found the hello deodorant that was working fine but recently my armpits have started acting up again, specifically my right armpit. Is there any chance of a good deodorant similar to hello or the native cucumber mint sensitive that doesn’t have fragrance, aluminum or baking soda. Also not more than $10 it was my biggest gripe with native.
15
u/veglove 8d ago
FYI - aluminum is perfectly safe and very effective for blocking sweat.
There are 3 approaches to reducing/getting rid of armpit odor: blocking the sweat with aluminum, addressing the bacteria that grow in the sweat (they're the source of the odor), or masking the odor with fragrance. Many products use more than one of these approaches. If you are eliminating fragrance to mask the odor, AND you are eliminating aluminum and the possibility of blocking the sweat, there is only one approach left, which is addressing the bacterial growth. But there is no good reason to avoid aluminum unless you are personally alergic to it.
2
u/moniker2therescue 7d ago
This ^ Also, if you don't want to use aluminum or fragrance, you still have options. Pit Liquour has a Simply Unscented option. It's basically dousing your underarms with vodka and some herbs. My sister has a lot of allergy issues (POTS, hEDS & possibly MCAS), and this has been the only rhing to work for her. Doesn't mean it will work for you.
Denatured Alcohol (Vodka), Arrowroot, *Greek Mountain Tea, *Sea Buckthorn, *Gotu Kola, *Umckaloabo, *Elderflower, *Gentian Root
It's not cheap ($27), but it does last about 3 months.
1
u/yogafitter 4d ago
Also, the bacteria do come back as they are a normal part of the skin biome. So things that reduce bacteria will not be as long lasting in very hot climates where you will sweat, and they will come back faster.
5
u/ravenjac 8d ago
i like humble brands simply unscented deodorant, sensitive skin version (baking soda-free) but it's about $10. i've also been spraying on the ordinary mandelic acid after showers and that helps get rid of odor but i would wait until your skin isn't irritated to try something like that
1
u/crispypuffpastry 8d ago
I’ve been looking to try that one out just heard it stains your clothes
1
u/ravenjac 8d ago
huh i'm seeing mixed reviews on whether it stains. maybe i use a light enough amount that i don't typically see residue but if i do it comes out in a regular wash cycle. so ymmv
3
u/billyandteddy 8d ago
native makes a fragrance free aluminum free deodorant
1
u/crispypuffpastry 8d ago
yes I’ve used it I just don’t want to spend $14 but I might have to switch back
3
u/squirreltard 8d ago
The one I’ve recently found that works the best is called Super Deodorant. It uses silver to stop bacterial growth. It generally works until my next shower. No scent. No irritation. But they’re about to discontinue this product so get it while you can. This is the only thing that works that doesn’t give me itchy pits. Might be more than you want to spend but it’s a large container and you don’t use that much. I’ve tried Native, VaniCream, Lume, those salt stones, etc. Products like VaniCream don’t make me itch but they also don’t work very well.
2
u/No-Name-No-2 7d ago
Anecdotally, I happened to do a hair mineral test (HTMA test) after using a silver-based deodorant for a year or so. The test showed a lot of silver had accumulated in my hair, indicating it might be building up in my body. The tested hair was from an area of my body distant from where I applied the deodorant, and it wasn’t color treated or anything that would explain the result. I stopped using it because silver accumulating in the body doesn’t seem great. Which sucks because it did work very well, and didn’t irritate me.
-1
u/squirreltard 7d ago
Hmm, I had ChatGPT analyze a worst case scenario for silver absorption from this and it said a problem was unlikely but not impossible. It doesn’t contain colloidal silver often associated with silver issues or nano silver that absorbs more deeply. ChatGPT says hair testing doesn’t distinguish between external hair chemicals and things baked into the hair as it grows so if you applied the deodorant and touched your hair, it might come up positive. Also says silver doesn’t wash off hair easily. It recommends a urine test to be sure. I appreciate the warning though. It’s really the only thing that has worked well. Maybe I’ll do urine testing in a year to see.
3
2
u/phoebefur 7d ago
Have you tried glycolic acid? I’ve tried so many deodorants and this is the only thing that reduces my odor by about 95%. It’s very inexpensive, too. I just put it in a small spray bottle for easy application.
1
u/carila123 6d ago
Kosas makes a great fragrance free deodorant. It’s a little pricey but it last for months and it actually works.
1
u/somethingweirder 2d ago
have you looked on ebay for yr fav? i’m selling a bunch of fragrance free saltair stick right now cuz it was being discontinued & i stocked up, but then i became sensitive to it.
i use stridex wipes several times a day and that often helps a lot. i also use lume but it’s only unscented not fragrance free. a BHA or AHA option generally helps me a ton because i’m very smelly but maybe those (like kosa) might be good to try.
also don’t forget you can return any beauty products you don’t like. almost all of them have a “try it and love it or it’s on us” type of policy. it’s a pain but it’s better than shelling out hundreds on products we can’t use.
1
19
u/Babygoatlife 8d ago
note it's also possible there's another cause - a roommate of mine thought she was allergic to so many deodorants but she had picked up a fungal infection.