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What is Organic Deodorant?

Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel

Organic deodorant is a personal hygiene product made with organic ingredients that is meant to mask the scent of body odor. Unlike antiperspirant, deodorant does not work to keep the underarm area from sweating and, thus, producing body odor. Rather, organic deodorant uses scent to neutralize or cover up the smell of body odor. Some people prefer to use this kind of product because they prefer not to apply synthetic or non-organic products to their skin. Others use organic deodorant because they believe that products that keep their skin from perspiring are unhealthy.

Much like with antiperspirant and deodorant made with non-organic ingredients, there are brands of organic deodorant for women as well as brands for men. The major differences between these kinds of organic deodorant are the scents. Organic deodorant for women is usually scented with clean, citrusy, or floral fragrances, while men's organic deodorant is usually muskier. The ingredients that are used to scent this kind of deodorant are often blends of organic essential oils. Non-organic deodorants, on the other hand, are usually scented with synthetic fragrances.

Some organic deodorants are available in spray-on form.
Some organic deodorants are available in spray-on form.

Many kinds of organic deodorant are also free from aluminum, which can usually be found in the formulas of other kinds of deodorants and antiperspirant. For this reason, there are many people who only use organic deodorant because they have an allergy to aluminum. It is also common for people with aluminum allergies to use crystal deodorant. This kind of deodorant is also usually organic and is either a liquid spray or an actual crystal that is rubbed on the underarm area. Crystal deodorant is also generally a fragrance-free product, which some people prefer either because they don't like to wear fragrance or because they have a sensitivity to fragrance.

A stick of organic deodorant.
A stick of organic deodorant.

It is quite common for deodorant made with organic ingredients to be a bit more expensive than other types of deodorant and antiperspirant. This is largely because the ingredients used in the formulas for organic products are more expensive than the ingredients used in non-organic products. Also, many of the ingredients in organic deodorant are natural rather than synthetic, which is also a factor that increases the price. A brand of men's antiperspirant that is commonly sold in drug stores and pharmacies, for example, is likely to retail between $3 USD (US Dollars) and $5 USD. A comparable deodorant made with organic ingredients, on the other hand, is likely to retail between $5 USD and $8 USD.

Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel

In addition to her work as a freelance writer for WiseGEEK, Diane is the executive editor of Black Lawrence Press, an independent publishing company based in upstate New York. She has also edited several anthologies, the e-newsletter Sapling, and The Adirondack Review. Diane has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. from Brooklyn College.

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Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel

In addition to her work as a freelance writer for WiseGEEK, Diane is the executive editor of Black Lawrence Press, an independent publishing company based in upstate New York. She has also edited several anthologies, the e-newsletter Sapling, and The Adirondack Review. Diane has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. from Brooklyn College.

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    • Some organic deodorants are available in spray-on form.
      By: difught
      Some organic deodorants are available in spray-on form.
    • A stick of organic deodorant.
      By: karam miri
      A stick of organic deodorant.
    • Organic roll-on deodorant.
      By: Dmitry Vereshchagin
      Organic roll-on deodorant.