Lavanila’s The Healthy Deodorant

Despite the boom in organic and botanical skincare and haircare products, as well as cosmetics, few companies have tackled some of the trickier personal care items such as toothpaste and deodorant. But ever the fearless innovators, Lavanila Laboratories welcomed the challenge of creating an all-natural deodorant that actually delivered long-lasting results, unveiling their Healthy Deodorant collection this spring.

Free of any parabens, sulfates, synthetic dyes or petrochemicals, these aluminum-free, 100% natural deodorants keep you smelling so fresh and so clean (word to Outkast). To fight odor, Lavanila relies on a mix of antioxidants and anti-bacterial agents such as goji berries (known for their antioxidant properties), Japanese honeysuckle (a natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agent), and lichen, lemon and tea trea oils (all of which prevent the emergence of odor-causing bacteria).

And, unlike the Suave, Secret, and Dove offerings, you don’t have to smell like baby powder to get the job done. Instead, The Healthy Deodorant is available in the same four scents as the popular Lavanila perfumes: Pure Vanilla, Vanilla Coconut, Vanilla Lavender and Vanilla Grapefruit.

The one drawback? The Healthy Deodorant doesn’t go on clear, which means you have to walk around with a highly unsexy white film on your pits —and, if you’re not careful, you’ll wind up with stains on your clothes (Trust me: I wore a black shirt the other day and was not amused when I realized I had gotten deodorant stains all over it!). And sure, you can break out the sponge and dab the stains away but, in this day and age, who wants to deal with that hassle?

That being said, if Lavanila somehow manages to pull off a clear version of this product, I won’t even consider using anything else.

Lavanila Healthy Deodorant, $18. Visit Sephora.com