Tester Thursdays: Soapwalla Deodorant Cream

Since it was a breezy 90 degrees out today, I figured it is the perfect time for me to share my secret weapon as we move into the miserable heat box that is also known as “summer”. This isn’t groundbreaking, but given the humidity levels in NYC these days, I always use lighter potions that are moisturizing enough to keep me dewy but not too rich that my face evolves into a full on oil slick (speaking of, I will be sharing my summertime skincare routine soon!). But most importantly, I don’t want to SMELL! Sadly, I noticed that my beloved Lavanila deodorant wasn’t quite cutting it in the overbearing heat, so I had to put it away for the time being. Desperate for something that would tide me over for the next few months, I decided to finally take the plunge and try out the famed Soapwalla Deodorant Cream, probably most frequently reviewed/polarizing non-toxic deodorant.

As a frequent browser of Makeup Alley and natural beauty blogs, I was always too scared to try this out for myself, given some of the negative reviews. Many have commented that this cream irritates people’s underarms; I’ve even read some reviews about how some users’ underarm skin would start to peel from the friction caused by baking soda! Not wanting to walk around with red, inflamed bumps in my pits, I stayed far, far away. But a month ago, I was searching high and low for a deodorant that would last me on a 4 hour hike during a brief heat wave in LA. I saw this at a boutique in West Hollywood and figured I’d give it a shot, since I couldn’t find anything better to try.

My verdict? After a month of daily usage, I’m really happy to report that this stuff works REALLY well. I really have to dig my nose into my underarm after a 12 hour day to notice anything at all and when I do, it’s barely perceptible. Even better, while it is marketed as a deodorant only, I’ve noticed a bit of (natural) antiperspirant action too. Just yesterday afternoon, I was running around the city in a suit and felt 100% safe lifting my arms and generally moving my upper body like a normal person.

But what about the irritation? I do occasionally notice a bit of irritation when I use this, especially after shaving, but oddly, whenever I very gently (!) slather a more generous amount of the cream on my skin, the irritation actually disappears. I’m not sure why that is, but perhaps the emollience of using more of the cream protects the delicate underarm skin from additional chafing. Has anyone else had this experience? Regardless, I think the effectiveness of this cream makes it a must try for anyone looking to replace their aluminum-based antiperspirant.

Overall, I’m ridiculously happy that I’ve found my natural deodorant for Summer 2013. I’ll keep you updated at the end of the summer if it survived the entire season! Available on Etsy.