Lavanila The Healthy Deodorant in vanilla-coconut smells like a sheer beachy vanilla, quite pleasant and unobtrusive. When applied it feels cool to the touch and wet-- very different than the stick deodorants I've been using. It's an odd sensation at first, but not unpleasant. I'm guessing that the reason for it is that Lavanila The Healthy Deodorant is based on aloe leaf. Here's the full ingredient list:
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Aloe Juice, Water), Propanediol (Corn Derived), Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Sodium Stearate (Coconut Derived), Silica, Carrageenan (Seaweed Derived), Stearyl Behenate (Coconut Derived), Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon Peel Oil), Inulin (Artichoke Derived), Saccharomyces Ferment, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide (Sugar Derived), Yeast Beta Glucan, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Usnea Barbata (Lichen) Extract, Valeriana Officinalis Root Extract (Valerian), Hydrastis Canadensis (Goldenseal) Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract (Goji Berry), Botanical Fragrance Blend.Speaking of aloe, I know some people who use aloe gel as a face primer for oily skin. Interestingly enough, that's exactly what I used to do in my late teens, years before real makeup primers came on the market. It felt good and calming while somehow smoothing the surface and making whatever makeup I used back then last longer. So I guess I was on to something.
The real question here is, of course, performance. There's no doubt about this: Lavanila The Healthy Deodorant is the first natural deodorant I've tried that actually worked. It's winter, so there's only so much testing I could manage, but it holds in overheated stuffy rooms as well as overnight. However, during the day, it's only effective for 4-6 hours (depending on level of activity and humidity). The best way I can describe it is that the deodorizing ingredients fade away or are used up after a certain time, and if you don't reapply things are going to get more than a little ripe.
As long as you remember to carry it with you and renew after 4-6 hours, it's golden. This is a lot more than I can say for just about any natural deodorant I tried that vanished in the face of real sweat. While the Lavanila option is not perfect, for those desperately seeking to avoid aluminum this might be a good option.
Bottom Line: For the sake of your nearest and dearest, remember to keep a backup in your purse, in a drawer at work and in your locker.
LAVANILA The Healthy Deodorant ($18) is available at Sephora, SkinStore and DermStore. The product was sent to me free of charge by the company's PR.
Image: vintageadbrowser.com
Lavanila's vanilla-coconut is great! It was my go-to deodorant until someone turned me on to Soapwalla's Deodorant Cream. Soapwalla is also aluminum-free, and, in my experience has a lot more staying-power than Lavinila (& a stronger aroma--a bit heavy for my tastes at first, but even after that fades, the deodorant-powers keep on kicking). I've never felt the need to reapply with Soapwalla, whereas I shared your sense that the occasional reapplication of Lavanila was necessary. I don't work for Soapwalla or anything, I just love the product (& your blog!) and wanted to recommend it: http://www.etsy.com/listing/35641572/deodorant-cream
ReplyDeleteThat Veto poster brought back memories or my dad who used it in the '70s! He lived overseas for a while and I remember reading letters to my mom where he would regularly request her to send him multiple pots of the deodorant. Thanks for the walk down memory lane. :-)
ReplyDeleteI'll have to check this out. My one foray into aluminum-free deodorants was less than stellar; I ended up with a red, itchy rash in my armpits in the middle of a scorching summer. Thanks for nothing, Tom's of Maine!
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of Lavilin. I don't understand why it isn't more available in stores; probably the retail price (around $15). The jar lasts for months and the stuff usually takes only one or two applications a week. I can't live without this since without deodorant I smell like a skunk.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love Lavanilla deodorant. Love the smell and the feel. Holds up through my workouts. Unfortunately it seems to give me a rash after about a week. This is the second time I have tried it and am having the same thing happen again:( I have a gluten allergy. Is there gluten in it?
ReplyDeleteExperimented with a few: Lavanila, Tom's, Jason's. Lavilin is the best in my opinion. Long lasting - up to 5 days for me!
ReplyDelete