The quest to find an effective, natural deodorant is neither easy nor cheap. It seems impossible to pick a natural deodorant that can hold its own against conventional ones. So we decided to find a group willing to do anything for free stuff…

A group of dedicated Villanova University students made it their mission to test some of the most popular natural deodorants out there to find out which – if any – are worth the money.

The testers defined “natural” as those deodorants that do not contain aluminum, use organic ingredients, and are not tested on animals. The following deodorants have been graded using average scores of low and high activity days. The deodorants were judged based on odor effectiveness, longevity, and if they were enjoyable to use.

And the winners are…

Best Rated Natural Deodorants

Stinky Girl Deodorant, $12

Score = 13.6/15
This locally produced deodorant ranked the best. This deodorant comes in a jar, so applying it with one’s fingers may take some getting used to. However, the texture is better than the other jarred deodorants – smooth, not clumpy whatsoever. Scorers also noted its pleasant scent.

LaVanila Healthy Deodorant, $14

Score = 11.75/15
This deodorant has a cult-like following, and it’s easy to see why. All reviewers would recommend this deodorant to a friend and noted its pleasing scent – unless you are not a fan of vanilla scents, then skip. Another cricitism was concern that this deodorant would stain clothes due to its white color.

average natural deodorants

Schmidt’s Deodorant, $8.99

Score = 10.5/15
While it does smell good (notice a trend with the highly ranked deodorants?), reviewers were a bit concerned with the consistency. It was described as “clumpy” and “sticky”, making it more of a challenge to apply. Overall, a good deodorant, but not a game changer.

Native Deodorant, $12

Score = 9.75/15
This deodorant divided the reviewers. Some thought it was the best one, giving it a perfect 15/15 score. Others found the texture to be too dry, so much so that they couldn’t effectively apply it. This one seems to be very hit or miss, but it could be worth the try.

PiperWai Deodorant, $11.99

Score = 9.4/15
Again, another deodorant that divided reviewers. This one was unique in that it had activated charcoal as its primary ingredient, giving it an almost-black hue but did not result in clothes getting stained.

Some reviewers thought this deodorant was super effective, while the others (who have sensitive skin, mind you) broke out in a rash following the usage – (perhaps because of the charcoal)? Also in a pot, and while its texture wasn’t horrible, it wasn’t as smooth as the texture of Stinky Girl (as a note, PiperWai just released a stick deodorant not included in this study). If you have sensitive skin, you may want to pass up this one; otherwise, it shows great promise!

Lower rated Natural Deodorants

Tom’s of Maine Natural Deodorant, $3.99

Score = 8.9/15
Tom’s is probably the best-known and most widely-available brand out of all the natural deodorants tested, which is a benefit in itself. The deodorant used for testing was the long-lasting formula, which is notably better than the original one. Reviewers were surprised that it somewhat worked, as they had bad experiences with the original formula in the past. The application and texture of the deodorant was unanimously rated as good- it is a traditional stick application with a smooth texture. Good in a pinch, but definitely not the strongest contender.

Crystal Deodorant, $4.25

Score = 4.6/15
This was the one deodorant all reviewers could agree was simply ineffective. It was so bad that one reviewer commented that it made her sweat more. Others agreed that it did not help prevent any perspiration and disliked the rollerball application style. As the score and above reviews clearly indicate: we do not recommend this one!

Now that we sweated our way through this test, we wish you luck into the world of natural deodorants. Though finding the right natural alternative for any household item can be tough, every step towards benefiting our planet is beyond worth it.

Readers, any recommendations we missed? Tell us in the comments.

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Meghan McMahon is a junior at Villanova University studying environmental science and global health. In her spare time, you can find Meghan hanging out with her friends, re-watching The Office, or begging her mom to send her more photos of her dogs. View all posts by Meghan McMahon