5 Plastic Free Deodorant Finds: Our Favorite Affordable, Natural Deodorants
Like it or not, body odor is part of life. There’s nothing wrong with smelling a bit off at the end of a long day, but it certainly never hurts to invest in a quality deodorant that lasts. But smelling good shouldn’t have to come at the cost of damaging the environment. These plastic free deodorant picks can help you feel and smell amazing without creating unnecessary waste.
What is Plastic Free Deodorant? Why Does it Matter?
A plastic free deodorant is any deodorant that’s made without plastic. Or, it may be more accurate to say that it’s any deodorant made without plastic packaging. The problem with most deodorants is not that there’s plastic in the product but that the tubes they come in are made with several kinds of plastic.
And those tubes can sit in landfills, bodies of water, and on the planet for hundreds of years. Plastics pose a serious risk to plant and animal life around the world. Cutting back on the plastic waste you produce is an easy but important way to support the planet.
Top 5 Plastic Free Deodorants: How We Chose
As we browsed through dozens of plastic free deodorant choices from companies big and small, we considered a few key factors:
- Ingredients: Choosing deodorants made without plastics was, of course, our top priority. But we also looked for deodorants that use natural ingredients and have sustainable alternatives to plastic packaging.
- Price: More expensive doesn’t always mean better. We compared each product’s price to see how it matched the competition.
- Customer Reviews: The experiences other customers have can offer key insight into a product’s durability, quality, and potential downsides.
Each pick below comes from a company we believe in and ticks the right boxes – all for a fair price. Let’s take a look at some of our favorite plastic free deodorants!
Our Picks
All featured products are chosen at the discretion of the author and DGHQ editors. However, Do Good HQ may make a small affiliate commission if you click through and make a purchase.
1. Ethique Rustic Citrus & Earthy Deodorant Stick
| Key Ingredients | Bamboo powder, zinc oxic, magnesium hydroxide |
| Free From | Plastic packaging, animal products, aluminum |
It’s hard to get more natural than this plastic free deodorant from Ethique. From its earthy scent to its completely biodegradable packaging, this pick ticks all the right boxes for sustainability and safety. Choose from a mini size (0.53 oz) for about 20 uses or a full size (2.47 oz) for as many as 90.
Highlights
This deodorant is cruelty-free and vegan. It’s formulated without aluminum, so it won’t clog your pores. Lime, eucalyptus, and cedarwood oils give the deodorant a woodsy fragrance that suits just about anyone.
Things to Consider
While this natural deodorant is free from most irritating ingredients, it does use essential oils. If you have extremely sensitive skin, you might want to pick a deodorant without oils or fragrances.
2. Secret Plastic-Free Deodorant for Women with Essential Oils
| Key Ingredients | Coconut oil, magnesium hydroxide, shea butter, essential oils |
| Free From | Parabens, dyes, talc, aluminum, plastic packaging |
Shoppers rave over this Secret plastic free deodorant, and for good reason. Its pleasant fragrance, moisturizing ingredients, and 85% post-consumer recycled paper packaging make it a great sustainable pick.
Highlights
This deodorant protects you from odors with a blend of essential oils, each hand-selected by Secret’s expert perfumers. We love seeing soothing additions like coconut oil and shea butter in the formula, too; they’re hydrating enough to keep your skin soft and smooth.
Things to Consider
This deodorant leans heavily on essential oils to keep odors at bay. If a perfume-y deodorant isn’t up your alley, you might want to skip this one. The same applies if you tend to be sensitive to fragrances.
3. Old Spice Plastic-Free Deodorant for Men
| Key Ingredients | Coconut oil, shea butter, magnesium hydroxide |
| Free From | Plastic packaging, aluminum, talc, parabens |
Experience classic scents without plastic waste with this Old Spice plastic free deodorant. It’s packaged in a cardboard tube made of 90% post-consumer recycled paper, which makes it friendlier to the planet than the average Old Spice deodorant.
Highlights
Old Spice claims this deodorant provides 24 hours of odor protection, which is impressive for a product that doesn’t use aluminum! One swipe should be all it takes to relieve unwanted odors.
Things to Consider
This deodorant uses a push mechanism for application instead of the typical twist bottom you see on most other products. It can take some getting used to, but is a natural result of the deodorant’s cardboard-based packaging.
4. Tom’s of Maine Plastic-Free Aluminum-Free Deodorant
| Key Ingredients | Not listed |
| Free From | Plastic packaging, aluminum, artificial fragrances, preservatives |
This Tom’s of Maine plastic free deodorant is a staple in the natural deodorant niche. It’s made with plastic-free packaging and uses a natural, responsibly-made formula that’s safe for all skin types.
Highlights
You can experience up to 48 hours of odor protection with a single application of this deodorant – talk about a good value! We also love that it’s cruelty-free and made without potentially irritating artificial fragrances.
Tom’s of Maine is also a great company to support – it donates 10% of its profits to charities focused on children’s health, education, and protecting the environment.
Things to Consider
This deodorant also has a push-style bottom due to its natural packaging. It’s worth noting that this deodorant can be pricy, too. Each packaging comes with 2 oz. of product – less than most competing deodorants – but costs around the same amount, if not more, than others on our list.
5. Native Plastic Free Deodorant
| Key Ingredients | Coconut oil, shea butter, magnesium hydroxide, lactobacillus acidophilus (a type of probiotic) |
| Free From | Animal byproducts, artificial fragrances, sulfates, aluminum, parabens, plastic packaging |
Experience long-lasting odor protection with the Native plastic free deodorant, which comes in several unique and lovely scents. Coconut and Vanilla is our pick – it strikes a nice balance between sweet and fruity.
Highlights
Native creates this deodorant packaging using paperboard, but other deodorants from the company might use aluminum, steel, or glass. No matter what, though, you won’t find any plastics here!
When you shop with Native, you can rest assured your money goes to more than just a deodorant. Native is a proud partner of 1% for the Planet, which means a portion of its profits are invested in environmental repair and protection.
Things to Consider
While Native claims it uses only natural fragrances and “safe, synthetic, sustainable” fragrances in all its products. This deodorant has Fragrance listed as an ingredient, but we can’t be certain what kind is used. Those with sensitive skin should use it with caution.
How to Shop for a Plastic Free Deodorant
The biggest factor to consider when choosing your plastic free deodorant is its formula. Many deodorants have similar ingredient,s but some have fragrances and essential oils that might not work for you. If you’re unsure how you feel about fragrances, it’s probably best to stick to products that aren’t heavily scented.
Beyond the formula, consider the product’s size – how much will you pay per ounce? – as well as its durability. If you need something that will last all day, you might not want to choose an aluminum-free deodorant; an antiperspirant might be a better pick.
We hope these product finds and tips help you discover a natural and plastic-free deodorant that fits your needs. Bad smells are part of life, but plastic pollution doesn’t have to be!
Feature Image via Target
