Smelling Good: The search for the holy grail of deodorants

by Nejla Matam-Finn

This week, I’ll be talking deodorant or shall I say natural deodorant.

Not the sexiest topic but seeing how it sparked a huge interest in the office, I thought it'll be good to share all about the search for the holy grail. Years ago, when some rumours surfaced on the market that some deodorant contained ingredients that could be harmful for you, I started the quest.  I am not the super health conscious person on earth but if I can find a natural alternative that works, I am all over it.

As the saying goes: what doesn’t hurt you makes you stronger! 😉

There has always been natural deodorants in the market but there was always something not great about them. In the last few years, we have seen the release from different brands that not only gather the attention of the beauty press, but seems to have been flourishing on Instagram feeds as well. It became cool to use a natural deodorant, and then it became a battle of which one works better than the other.

Personally I was looking for a deodorant that works, with a scent that's not overpowering, and one that is well-priced and readily available -because who wants to hunt for their deodorant? Plus, it’s not exactly a purchase you can ask friends to bring back for you. 

After testing my fair share of natural deodorants from expensive ones to super niche ones to even really hard to get ones, the verdict is now out. I love the Schmidt’s natural deodorant that I stumbled upon at one of my favourite beauty boutique in town. Not only did I manage to finish an entire stick but I did re-purchase and now I am even sharing my finds with you guys.

What I love about them?

1. The price. Starting at only $9, there is is really no reason to not jump on the natural deodorant wagon. 

2. The scents. I absolutely hate deodorant that have very strong scents. I mean once you add the smell of your shower gel, body cream and perfume, it can easily turn into a nightmare. So I always try to minimise the mix of scents on my body. The only thing that I want is the scent of my perfume, the rest must be as neutral as possible. The range they offer is very neutral and I will say some can also work for men such as the charcoal + magnesium and the bergamot + lime which is one of my personal favourite with geranium flower.  There is an entire range for sensitive skin a type of skin that is often forgotten. So, I'm glad that this brand did not forget them. 

3. They work. Being based in Singapore means that we get to enjoy the sun on a daily basis as well as the humid climate. To start with, I don't perspire heavily but in certain situations, I do need some help and I found that the Schmidt’s natural deodorant does just that - prevents body odours and some unwanted wetness under the arms.

4. The choices. I love the fact that there is a choice not only in scent but also on the packaging as the brand offers 3 different sizes - a normal stick, a travel stick and a pot. My personal favourite is the travel stick, as I found that due to the creaminess of the product, the normal size stick could break easily as for the pot, I still find the application to be a bit of a hassle. But I will persevere, at least until I finish the pot and will update this post if I change my mind.

Except for the charcoal + magnesium, the texture of the deodorants is rather creamy and easy to apply. I did not find that I had to wait much before dressing up but some reviewers on the web seem to say they have to wait a bit before dressing up.

The magnesium + charcoal texture is rather grainy and I would not recommend it to someone with very sensitive skin but I personally like it. It’s a bit weird at first as you feel that you are exfoliating while applying your deodorant but the trick is to let it melt a bit at the contact of your skin before you fully apply it on your arm pits

In terms of format my absolute favourite is the travel stick. The size is super convenient you could actually take it with you in case you need to reapply during the day without taking to much space in your handbag. Plus, you get to change scents more often during the year that way.

Last thing, some formula contains baking soda, so make sure you check the ingredients as some skin may react to it. 

Green is definitely the new black and I have to say I am really happy to find natural alternatives that don’t cost a bomb, that works and are readily available.  

Schmidt’s Deodorant are available at Beauty Candy Lifestyle at Mandarin Gallery in Singapore
Prices range from $9 to $23 depending on the size and the type you choose from.