My by Humankind Deodorant Review
Does this sustainable brand make the best natural deodorant?
Pros:
- Reliable odor protection
- Similar to an antiperspirant (Rare for natural deodorants)
- Eco-friendly refillable container
Cons:
- Contains baking soda, which can irritate sensitive skin.
Verdict:
Deodorant from by Humankind behaves like an antiperspirant but without the aluminum or parabens, simultaneously killing BO-causing bacteria with natural ingredients. It’s not a very smooth application, but the efficacy and eco-friendly aspects overshadowed that slight downside for me.
By now I’ve tried a number of natural deodorants—Tom’s, Schmidt’s (see Anna’s review here), Native (Anna’s review here), Kopari, and Myro. Short of Tom’s, which just didn’t work for me at all, each of these natural deodorants had their merits. Schmidt’s wins for best scents in my book. Native was an overall positive experience, but then Kopari arrived in a subscription box and its smoothness, scent, and efficacy trumped all. I could have happily stopped there, but Myro caught my eye with its eco-friendly refillable case. If you read my Myro review you’ll know that the formula didn’t work great for me. So, here we are!
by Humankind takes sustainability seriously not only with its personal care product ingredients (in addition to deodorant they carry hand soap, body wash, shampoo, and conditioner—all in bar form—plus bamboo-based cotton swabs, mouthwash in tablet form, and a toiletry bag made from post-consumer recycled plastic bottles), but with their production and shipping practices, too. Buying personal care products from companies that are taking their impact on the Earth seriously is about the easiest way I can think of to reduce my carbon footprint. So, before I even tried by Humankind‘s deodorant, it had already won a wee bit of my bias. Now I just needed to see if it worked. I go into the details below!
Before I jump in I want to note that while indeed I’ve tried many natural deodorants, I wouldn’t consider myself an expert—my experience and opinions are my own, and different personal care products of all types work differently for everyone’s individual body.
My Subscription Addiction paid for this product. (Check out the review process post to learn more.)
by Humankind Deodorant Quick Facts
Cost
- $12 for a single bar
- $10 when you sign up for a subscription
- Subscription refills cost $20.40 (2 refills at $10.20 each) in 4 weeks from your first delivery, then every 8 weeks after that
- Skip a refill, update your scent, or cancel at anytime
Shipping
- Ships to the US only
- Free shipping on individual and subscription orders
- Shipping packaging is carbon neutral and recyclable
Product
- In your first box: 1.6 oz refill in a compostable paper lining with some #5 recyclable plastic components + a durable, reusable case.
- In subsequent boxes, if you subscribe: two 1.6 oz refills in a compostable paper lining with some #5 recyclable plastic components.
Perks
- Aluminum-free
- Cruelty-free
- Vegan
- Paraben-free
- Gluten-free
- GMO-free
- Ethically made
- Eucalyptus
- Rosemary-Mint
- Coconut
- Lavender-Citrus
- Unscented
- Variety Pack (includes 4 refills)
Note that scents often sell out, but they seem to be restocked regularly. When I signed up for by Humankind, only the unscented option was available. A couple weeks later, all the scents listed above were available. At the time of writing this post, only the Eucalyptus scent is available.
- Unscented Formula & Base ingredients of all scents — Squalane; Stearyl Alcohol; Arrowroot Powder; Ethylhexyl Palmitate; Baking Soda; Olus (Jojoba) Oil; Hydrogenated Castor Oil; Candelilla Wax; Lauric Acid; Tapioca Starch; Zinc Oxide; Sucrose Stearate; Azelaic Acid; Behentrimonium Methosulfate; Potassium Ascorbyl Tocopheryl Phosphate; Ethylhexylglycerin; Magnesium Hydroxide.
- Eucalyptus Scent — Eucalyptus Oil; Bergamot Fruit Oil; Star Anise Oil; Cedar Oil; Lavender Oil; Orange Peel Oil; Fir Needle Oil; Natural Fragrance.
- Rosemary-Mint Scent — Rosemary Leaf Oil; Eucalyptus Oil; Orange Terpenes; Lemon Terpenes; Castor Seed Oil; Mentha Piperita Oil; Thyme Flower / Leaf Oil; Lemon Peel Oil; Orange Peel Oil; Spearmint Leaf Oil; Rock Rose Resin; Clary Sage Oil.
- Lavender-Citrus Scent — Lavandin oil; Mandarin Orange Peel Oil; Ho Leaf Oil; Geranium Oil.
- Coconut Scent — Orange Terpenes; Lemon Peel Oil; Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil; Natural Fragrance.
Note: All by Humankind deodorants include baking soda, which is an ingredient that can irritate sensitive skin—in fact, I believe baking soda is why the Schmidt’s jar deodorant gave me a rash several years ago when I first began using natural deodorant. For this review I tested by Humankind‘s unscented formula. It did not irritate my skin, so perhaps my body has adjusted to natural deodorants, or maybe it has changed in other ways (I’ve since had a baby, for example). I’d also like to mention that essential oils are a skin irritant for some, so if you have sensitive skin but are still interested in trying by Humankind you may want to start with the unscented option.
My by Humankind Deodorant Review
The Feel
The Promise: A smooth use and application thanks to Candelilla wax, which is derived from the plant Euphorbia cerifera.
The Reality: Waxy, indeed. It’s a bit stiff, but body heat helps it glide a little better.
Compared to the unbelievably buttery experience of applying Kopari and the easy (albeit a bit wet) glide of Myro, by Humankind deodorant admittedly feels a little stiff and waxy. It took me by surprise the first time I used it, though it didn’t tug at my skin and it didn’t feel rough at all. I quickly discovered that after taking a hot shower the warmth of my body is enough to soften it and make the application feel smoother. On a day when I apply it not having just showered, I just hold it on my skin for a few seconds before applying. When it comes to feel, by Humankind is not a spa-like deodorant experience by any stretch, but for me, the positive aspects of this product and company outweighed my need for an exceedingly smooth application.
The Scent
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Comments (9)
I did my “armpit detox” in the winter and that seemed to help. The idea of going through that transition in the south during summer was a scary thought. Since it was 10 years ago it’s been nice to see the range of products expand. It used to just be the salt stick. I did it because all my clothes were turning yellow in the armpit and a roommate was also switching. In general, I’ve liked the fragrances offered by the non-aluminum brands and don’t see myself ever going back. I find myself needing to freshen up at the same rate as I did before I switched. That being said, there are other benefits even if you don’t buy into the cancer stuff.
Jasmine, I agree. I see a lot of natural deodorant reviews (my own included!) mentioning that you might have to re-apply, but it wasn’t uncommon for me to have to re-apply with antiperspirant back in the day, too. If anything I find natural deodorants to provide a better re-application experience—it’s almost like starting fresh, rather than caking more layers of antiperspirant on top of what I had applied that morning. Anyway, glad the armpit detox is behind you and you can just enjoy all the offerings out there now!
Could you try Routine Cream deodorant and review it? I am curious to hear how it works.
I will look into it, Francesca! Thanks for the suggestion!
Great news! Aluminum *is* natural, not man-made. And you ingest it in your food every day without keeling over. No, it has not been linked scientifically to cancer or Alzheimer’s. It has only been linked to those diseases in the soapbox blogs of people with zero training in science and zero connection to conducting scientific studies.
I am a breast cancer survivor and my doctors didn’t say to avoid aluminum in deodorant so glad you addressed it! Let’s face facts almost everything is said to cause cancer. Nothing wrong if you want to go the natural route though.
Yes, they should probably not put that aluminum study as if it is a conclusion. Additionally, the amount of aluminum that would get absorbed through the skin is so minimal. I have nothing against aluminum, in fact I use aluminum cookware and use aluminum foil a lot AND I have Alzheimer’s in my family genetics. BUT I do use natural deodorants to avoid the other ingredients that haven’t been ruled out as completely safe or can cause skin irritation. I also find that antiperspirants clog my pores and I get closed comedones. Once I switched to a natural deodorant, my skin is smooth and no longer irritated.
Just FYI, inactive ingredients that are currently in a popular antiperspirant: Cyclopentasiloxane, Stearyl Alcohol, Mineral Oil, Dimethicone, Talc, Petrolatum, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PPG-14 Butyl Ether, Fragrance, Cyclodextrin, Behenyl Alcohol.
Yay, science! Thanks for this comment 🙂
I have seen a lot of backpedaling in articles out there that once claimed there was a strong link between aluminum and cancer & Alzheimer’s. You may have noticed above in my review that I mention there’s no compelling science to prove it—though I did want to acknowledge the early research that initially put the idea in the public awareness so that folks who are approaching natural deodorants for the first time can have a jumping-off point for their own research. Thanks for reading & sharing your thoughts!