One of the first products that I switched from waste to zero waste in my bathroom was my deodorant. At the time this was an easy switch to make. I started using zero waste deodorants over three years ago. Since then more and more types and options for zero waste deodorant have become available. I have tried out three different types and used each product up completely so I think I can fairly rank each one. I have ordered the products with the first one being the first kind I tried, then the second, and lastly the third.
Why Zero Waste?
I personally chose to live a lifestyle that is low waste and on the way to zero waste as a way to decrease the amount of waste or trash that I produce. When I think of waste I think of it in two parts. There is the waste that is truly waste that has to be sent to the landfill because I do not have access or the means to dispose of it properly. And then there is the waste that can be recycled or composted. Some people consider recycling and composting to be waste and some do not. I personally live a low waste life because I love the environment and the world around me and I want to do my part to conserve it for future generations. I also want to help provide educational resources so others can do the same.But what exactly does living a zero waste lifestyle mean? It means that you change your way of thinking to be cautious of the waste you produce and to think of each items' lifecycle in a loop instead of a straight line. This means that the product can be reused over and over instead of just ending its life in the landfill. Through my studies in college I have had the opportunity to listen and learn from some of the most educated and researched individuals on this topic. The knowledge that I have learned from them and on my own, has led me to believe that living a low waste lifestyle is one practice that will preserve our ever changing environment for generations to come. I believe that a change from a consumerism frame of mind to a more minimalistic way of thinking and living has not only reduced me from stress of needing to conform to society expectations of having everything that I can afford, but also helps to reduce waste. A future blog post is to come on my experience with changing my habits and frame of mind to align with a minimalistic way of living.
For more information on what exactly zero waste is I recommend checking out Going Zero Waste's blog post What Is Zero Waste?
Another resource I am including here before I begin the rating is an article of the Difference Between Deodorant And Antiperspirant.
For each deodorant I will show the price, packaging, accessibility or easy of getting the product, my experience, performance, what I like, what I dislike, and my overall star rating.
Lush T'eo Deodorant Bar
The first zero waste deodorant that I tried out was from Lush. At the time this was the most cost effective and easy to access option for me.
Packing: The product itself does not have any packing, but there can be packing involved. Lush will package your items in recyclable paper or you can buy a reusable metal tin to both purchase and store your deodorant bar in. This is the option I went with. The bar fits in the Oval Tin. I have not made a purchase from the Lush website so I do not know what the packaging and shipping looks like for that. Since they are an environmentally focused company I can guess that most if not all of the packaging is recyclable.
Accessibility: For me personally there are Lush store locations within the area I live and where I already travel too. You can use the Lush Store Locator to find a store location near you. When I first purchased this item I was able to talk to and communicate to the Lush employees what I was looking for. You can even try out some products in store. I have always had great customer service experience each time I have visited a store.
My experience: This product worked well for me for a number of months, almost close to a year and then I developed a sensitivity to it. I could no longer apply it under my arms without experiencing irritation. The product it self is quite rough and can be irritating when applied to wet and freshly shaved underarms. For me personally this product did work but I did have a period of time at the beginning where my body was getting used to one natural deodorant and to a rougher textured product.
Performance: Compared to some of the zero waste deodorants that I have tried since using this product I feel like it does not keep your underarms dry for very long and that is why I would have to reapply. The smell was good for 24 hours.
What I liked about the product: I liked that if purchased in store it would be completely package free.
What I dislike about the product: I dislike how the product can crumble in your hands and makes a mess. This is a result of it being completely package free. I also dislike how you can not apply this product to wet or damp underarms. As someone who has to either reapply deodorant or likes to put it on after a shower this product did not work for me. I also did not like that I could not take this product with me as it needs to stay dry and cool. I also found that the scent of this product was hard to pair with a perfume that did not have citrus notes to it.
Overall rating: I give this product a 3. The concept of the product being completely zero waste is great, but because the first ingredient is baking soda I found it to be irritating to my underarms. If there were more essential oils in the product to help for easier application I would like it more. Overall I really liked the smell. I received compliments on the smell of this product many times. For how long the bar lasts I think the price is worth it. I also liked that I was able to buy a tin that I could continue to reuse. 
Pit Refresh by Health Nut Skin Care
At the same time as I began experiencing irritation from the Lush deodorant one of the YouTubers that I follow came out with her own beauty line that includes a natural deodorant that comes in a glass jar. I was so excited to see this product because I know that her and her significant other are very active people and that if they claim that this product holds up to their sweat and smell then I knew it would for me too. The product that I am talking about is Pit Refresh by Beauty Nut Skincare.
Packaging: The packaging for the item is in a glass jar and has a plastic lid that can be recycled. The shipping packaging is a cardboard box and biodegradable packing peanuts. The only issue I have had with the products packaging is that the plastic lid is not very strong. I dropped the jar with the lid on it and it cracked. I was still able to screw on the lid, but was disappointed that the lid cracked so easily. If your lid does not crack like mine it is the perfect size to reuse for travel products.
Accessibility: I first bought one jar to try it out which ended up lasting me a few months. After falling in love with it I went back and ordered 2 more. I will warn you that sometimes this item goes in and out of stock. This issue seems to have improved over time and is not as much of an issue now as it used to be. I recommend getting on the email list so that you know when the restock is and get coupons. They also have a great feature where you can pay for a subscription for the product so that you do not have to wait for a restock. Currently you can only buy this product online.
My experience: I will say that it took my body some time to adjust to the formula of the product and the essential oils. To use this product you take a pea-size amount on your fingers and rub in under your arms. The formula of the deodorant is very smooth and soothes freshly shaved underarms. Like the product name, the fragrance of the product is refreshing, it is citrusy. I found that it was harder to pair this deodorant with perfumes that I have because the citrus scent did not complement my warmed scented perfumes.
Performance: I did test the deodorant and applied it once in 24 hours without reapplying. The product worked but the scent was almost completely gone by the 24 hour mark. I wore this product while running in the heat and felt like it did what it claims to do. My underarms always smelt fresh even with lots of sweat.
What I liked about the product: I liked that I was able to support a small business and content creators who I had been watching for years. I also like how smoothly the product applies to the underarms. My underarms never become irritated from this product and I attribute that to it being made with clean ingredients.
What I dislike about the product: A complaint that I do have about the product itself it that it has a slight yellow hint to it and it dyed the sleeves of my white bodysuit. I am not sure if this is because I put it on while I had the bodysuit on it if its because I was sweating while wearing the bodysuit and that is what cased it to dye the underarm. Once again the citrus scent can be hard to pair with perfumes.
Overall Rating: I give this product 4 stars. I understand that this is a small business that is not yet in stores so ordering online is the only option, but the ordering process and trying to order before it sold out was a hassle in the beginning. This seems to not be an issue anymore. I would also prefer if there were other scent options as the citrus does not always pair well with my perfumes. It is quite pricey when you includ shipping.
Native Plastic Free Coconut and Vanilla Deodorant
After using Pit Refresh for a year I ran out before I was able to purchase more and thought why not take this opportunity to try some of the other zero waste or low waste deodorants that are new to the market. I had done some research online and found that Target was carrying a number of different brands and packing type. Some are in paperboard and some are in reusable metal tins. I have a family friend who switched to Native a couple of years ago and she loves it. So I thought why not start with that brand and then try other ones later on.
Packaging: This product comes in a push-up paperboard tube. If purchased in store then there is no additional packaging. I have not purchased from the website before but there is a message next to the product description saying it is mailed in a 100% recycled paper mailer.
Accessibility: I personally purchased my Native Plastic Free Coconut and Vanilla Deodorant in person at a Target. The product can also be purchased from the Native website and set up on a subscription service.
My experience: Now that my underarms are used to natural deodorants I did not have any issues transitioning from Pit Refresh to Native. I cannot say that is the case for everyone. I absolutely love the application of this product. The formula is so smooth and reminds me of the traditional antiperspirants and deodorants that I used to use that were not zero or low waste. I love that it is in a tube and applies like a traditional deodorant in plastic.
Performance: The scent of this product lasts 24 hours. I have used this product while I run in the heat and it stands up to that.
What I like about the product: I have only tried the coconut and vanilla scent and I love it. Compared to Lush T'eo and Pit Refresh this is scent is the easiest to pair with perfumes and other bathroom products. For example I also use Rosemary, Mint, Vanilla Plaine Product Body Lotion and a Good Chemistry Vanilla Orchid Perfume and they all pair together really nicely.
What I dislike about the product: The only complaint that I have about the product is that sometimes its difficult to pushup the deodorant as it gets stuck. This really isn't a complaint its just an observation.
Overall Rating: I give this plastic free deodorant 5 stars. I love everything about it, the scent, formula, and accessibility. I love that there are many different scents to choose from. I plan to purchase other scents in the future.
I hope that this blog post gave you an idea of the different types of zero waste and low waste deodorants that you can choose from. All of the ratings and opinions are my own and come from my personal experience with the product. I have no affiliation with any product mentioned in this blog post. Lastly I hope that this blog post encouraged you to try natural and zero waste deodorants.
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