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If you’ve tried switching to clean deodorant only to find yourself smelling funky by noon, you’re not alone. It’s not because clean deodorants don’t work, but because you’re probably using the wrong one for your body and climate.

In this final episode of my three-part “Toxin Free Fails” series on the Toxin Freeish Podcast, I’m breaking down the science behind why clean deodorants fail and how to choose a natural deodorant that works for your specific situation.

• Part 1: The Real Reason Clean Shampoo Isn’t Working For You
• Part 2: How to Find a Toxin-Free Laundry Detergent that ACTUALLY WORKS?!

Here’s the truth: Sweat itself doesn’t smell. It’s the bacteria thriving at a pH of 5.5 to 7 under your arms that creates that funky odor! Clean deodorants work by driving your pH either way up (like Just Ingredients with magnesium hydroxide) or way down (like Kosa Sport with alpha hydroxy acids) so bacteria can’t survive. 

But here’s what nobody tells you: What works in winter might fail you in summer, and what works for average sweaters might not work for heavy sweaters.

I’m doing a complete breakdown of my three go-to deodorants: Primally Pure for most of the year, Just Ingredients for sensitive skin, and Kosa Sport for those brutal summer months. Plus, I explain why I rotate seasonally and why you should, too.

In this episode, we’re chatting about:

• The bacteria and pH science
• 3 deodorant deep dives
• My seasonal rotation strategy
• The pit detox process

How Traditional Deodorants Work

I can’t have the conversation about how clean deodorants don’t work without talking about why conventional deodorants do work and why the transition is so difficult for people. 

A conventional antiperspirant means it stops you from perspiring. It uses aluminum to clog the sweat ducts under your armpits. Most of them also use synthetic fragrances to mask any smell.

Both of those are on my toxins to avoid list. Don’t use either one of those if you’re looking for a clean option.

But that doesn’t mean you want your pits to smell bad!

Sweat itself actually doesn’t have a scent. It’s mostly scent-free. It’s the bacteria in your armpit that interact with your sweat, causing it to have a sulfur or acidic smell.

The bacteria under your armpit love to thrive, grow, and stink at a pH of about 5.5 to 7.0.

I want to be really clear about this – it’s important that you let your body sweat. 

I know that it’s something that we’re not super comfortable with. We’re so used to antiperspirants, but there are toxins like diethylphthalates and certain heavy metals that are found in higher concentrations in our sweat than in our urine. Sweat is a detox pathway for toxins to get out of our bodies.

How do Clean Deodorants Work?

Odor thrives in a pH range of 5.5 to 7. Clean deodorants do one of two things:

• Drive your pH higher 
• Drive your pH lower

Both options are creating environments where bacteria can’t thrive.

I’m just going to be really honest: When it comes to non-toxic deodorant, if you’re somebody who has average sweat coming out of you, you live in a very normal, mild climate, or it’s winter, spring, or fall, you can get away with multiple of these products. 

Where non-toxic deodorant starts to fail and becomes difficult is when it’s the middle of summer and extremely hot or humid. Maybe you sweat more than the average person, or you work out a ton and sweat heavily. That’s when some of these options don’t work well.

I’m going to walk through some of my favorite clean deodorants that work and the best times to use them.

Primally Pure

Primally Pure is a product that I really love, but it might not work for some people. I personally use it most of the year.

Primally Pure products contain a little bit of baking soda. Some brands use a lot of baking soda to collect moisture and help you feel drier underneath, but the amount that Primally Pure uses is really small. That’s important for me because I’m actually really sensitive to baking soda.

When people switch to a clean deodorant that contains a high amount of baking soda, they often experience a severe rash under their armpits. When I found Primally Pure, it made me feel really dry, and it does have some baking soda, but not enough to irritate me. 

It also contains kaolin clay, which draws out impurities and helps with natural bacteria, as well as arrowroot to help retain moisture. 

Primally Pure is a mild deodorant that works great for me on any given day in normal weather or indoors. 

If you’re somebody who has average sweat coming out of your armpits and you like a dry feeling, this is a really good option. 

Just Ingredients

Just Ingredients uses magnesium hydroxide to boost the alkalinity. It boosts the pH to nearly nine. So with that really high pH level, bacteria can’t thrive.

Because there’s no baking soda in this, it doesn’t have that powdery feeling. It’s more of a gel. People who are super sensitive to powders, clays, or baking sodas love this option. It goes on really smoothly, and it works well.

The problem with using magnesium hydroxide is that it tends not to work so great if you sweat a lot or if you’re in a really hot climate.

Kosa Sport

I just talked about this over on my Instagram, and I’ve got it linked in my Amazon shop because this natural deodorant is my new best friend.

This product does the opposite of Primally Pure and Just Ingredients. Instead of raising your pH level, Kosa Sport lowers it significantly. 

They use alpha hydroxy acids to drive it so far down that bacteria can’t thrive at that lower pH level, which is the opposite of what magnesium does when it drives the pH.

Let me tell you, in the middle of the most humid Virginia summer, where I spend all my time outside and sweat buckets, this deodorant absolutely performs all day long. It’s a miracle. At the end of the day, I don’t smell like anything, and I’m using the fragrance-free version.

Their scented versions use botanicals and extracts, so it is clean. I just like a fragrance-free option. 

But, of course, there are downsides.

It’s super acidic and really exfoliating. In a really hot, humid summer, it might work really well. But as soon as that temperature drops and winter comes around, you’re not sweating as much. Your body heat is not as hot.

It can start to dry out your skin. If you have sensitive skin or eczema, it can irritate your skin in those colder months when you’re not sweating buckets.

Final Conclusion: Natural Deodorant That Works For Me

It’s taken me years to discover what works best for me. Ten months out of the year, Primally Pure works amazingly for me. It keeps me really dry, and it just absolutely works.

Then Kosa Sport is my best friend when it’s the hottest, most humid two months of the summer. I definitely wouldn’t use it in the winter, though.

The reason why you smell under your pits is that you have bacteria, and your pH is roughly around 5.5. Natural deodorants use ingredients that drive your pH up or down, and both work.

They may work differently for different people, depending on factors such as how much you sweat, your bacterial load, diet, and geographic location.

Personally, what works for me is rotating what I need seasonally. And if you’re brand new to the non-toxic deodorant situation, I highly recommend doing a pit detox. 

Shop my favorite natural deodorants!

• Primally Pure (code WENDYKATHRYN for 10% off!)
• Just Ingredients (code WENDYKATHRYN for 10% off!)
• Kosa Sport

FAQs About Natural Deodorant

What is the most effective natural deodorant?

Primally Pure is the best overall natural deodorant, in my opinion! I wear it 10 months out of the year, and only switch when it’s really hot outside. They have some of the best scents, and all their ingredients are clean.

What happens to your body when you switch to natural deodorant?

Expect a 2-4 week detox period where you sweat a lot and don’t love the way you smell. Those toxins need to get out somehow. You’ve had those pores clogged for years, so your body needs to adjust.

How to detox your armpits?

Follow my three-step guide! Use a charcoal pit mask daily for the first two weeks. Dry brush and massage your armpits to improve lymph circulation. Make sure to drink lots of water! Take detox baths to flush out any lingering toxins.

Related Episodes:

Episode 8: Toxin Free(ish): How to Prioritize What Matters Most

Episode 41: How to Create a Holistic Lifestyle You Actually Love