The Great Deodorant Hunt, Part 3: Lavanila Healthy Deodorant

Posted by: Jordan

I’m excited to announce that this is the best natural deodorant I’ve tried thus far.  Of course, Junkie that I am, that doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying more.  It’s in our nature–always on the prowl for even better products.  I’d rate Lavanila as an 8.5 if my standard Dove deodorant was a 10.  I tried the Vanilla Grapefruit scent because I’m usually more of a fresh/citrus scent fan, rather than anything sweet or powdery. While all of their deodorants incorporate vanilla, this one is the best at combining the sweet vanilla with fresh citrus notes.  Even though I’m not usually hip on the sweet scents, this one is growing on me.  By the end of the day, I’m smelling just a tiny bit “natural”, but it’s nothing that a quick re-swipe of the smooth, dome-shaped stick can’t remedy.  I even tested this deodorant out on my way home from Puerto Rico and I was actually smelling pretty harmless, especially compared to the test I did on the way from NY to Puerto Rico with the Dr. Hauschka.  Much improved!!!

Lavanila touts their “Healthy Deodorant” is 100% Natural and 100% Healthy.  Slightly hokey marketing in my cynical point of view, but you can’t call what they leave out of their deodorants hokey at all.  This deodorant is free of parabens, aluminum, PEG’s, petrochemicals, phthalates, and synthetic dyes (wow, that’s a long list of things you shouldn’t put on your underarms).  Just to clarify, this is not an antiperspirant so it doesn’t leave my underarms dry all day, but I can learn to look past that in order to decrease my chances of breast cancer.  Think about it: it’s not natural in any stretch of the imagination to prohibit your sweat glands from sweating.  Truth in Aging is a blog that I really enjoy and trust about why some cosmetics work and others don’t.  While not all of their reviewed products are natural, they do a great job of explaining tough scientific questions about ingredients. Their review of Lavanila deodorant gives us a more comprehensive explanation of why this deodorant is coined “The Healthy Deodorant.”  Take a look!

As with most deodorants, especially solids,  it can leave a little white residue if you’re not careful when putting on your clothes.  The formula is really soft, not at all sticky, and it dries quickly.  Plus, their packaging is just really pretty!

Here is a list of the ingredients:

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Aloe Juice, Water), Propanediol (Corn Derived), Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Sodium Stearate (Coconut Derived), Silica, Carrageenan (Seaweed Derived), Stearyl Behenate (Coconut Derived), Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon Peel Oil), Inulin (Artichoke Derived), Saccharomyces Ferment, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide (Sugar Derived), Yeast Beta Glucan, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Usnea Barbata (Lichen) Extract, Valeriana Officinalis Root Extract (Valerian), Hydrastis Canadensis (Goldenseal) Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract (Goji Berry), Botanical Fragrance Blend.

PJR reader, Erin, had this to say in the comments about some of the ingredients listed in Lavanila deodorant:

When you see that term “derived from” it’s a marketing ploy, to get you to think that the ingredient is “natural”…“derived from” ingredients are not in their natural state anymore, they have been chemically processed and extracted, making them no longer in their true natural form… I call this greenwashing.

We encourage all of our readers to do their own research and leave their comments of what they like, don’t like, etc.  Like we always try to stress to our readers, friends and family, buy the natural products that you feel are within your “safe” level.  This deodorant is the best I’ve tried so far, and it’s a huge improvement from my old standard in terms of naturalness, so I’d still view it within my natural product comfort level.  Next up in my Great Deodorant Hunt, as suggested by Trish at Scent Hive and our reader, Erin: Miessence Tahitian Breeze deodorant!