Bloomberg Businessweek - USA (2019-07-29)

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Concernsaboutchemicalsinskincare

are driving consumers tooverhaul

their medicine cabinetswithproducts

whosepackagingfeaturesanendless

paradeof“free”buzzwords:fragrance-

free, cruelty-free, paraben-free,

phthalate-free.

A segment of themarketthatcon-

tinues to grow steadilyis“nontoxic”

deodorants. A reportpublishedinJune

byFutureMarketInsightsestimatesthe

sizeofthealuminum-freedeodorant

industryat$1.18billionbyyearend,and

beautybehemothsarealreadyadjusting.

In2017,Procter& GambleCo.purchased

stickstartupNativefor$100million;the

same year, UnileverNVboughtSchmidt’s

and is releasing all-naturaldeodorants

developed with thelikesofJaneGoodall

and Justin Bieber.

But do they work?Naturaldeodor-

ants aren’t antiperspirants—theykillthe

stink but not the sweat.If youwantto

do the latter, “thebestknownmethod

is using some typeofaluminumsalt

that mixes with sweat toforma gel

plug in the openingofthegland,”says

Clarisonic co-founder and skin expert

Robb Akridge, who received his Ph.D.

in microbiology. Studies have suggested

that the absorption of aluminum com-

pounds found in antiperspirants may be

linked to breast cancer, but the American

Cancer Society says there is “very little

scientific evidence to support this claim.”

Skin irritation is the more common

reason to switch away from synthetic fra-

grances and other chemical compounds,

says Richard Firshein, a leading expert

in integrative medicine. “Many of these

natural products cause fewer problems

for my patients,” he says.

According to Maria Corbiscello,

founder and president of Studio MC2—a

GROOMING BloombergPursuits July 29, 2019

You can KO your BO with a new class of deodorants

using natural ingredients. By Aja Mangum

Underarms Race

TYPE:A

Thisworkhorse

usesmoisture-

absorbingtapioca

starch,cornstarch,

andarrowroot

powderinan

applicationthat

is thickbutclean.

Thebaking soda

used in its sweat-

activated formula

may irritate

sensitive skin. $10;

typeadeodorant.com

MODERN BOTANY

Eucalyptus,

lemon tea tree oil,

and witch hazel

neutralize odor, but

the alcohol may

sting armpits after

a fresh shave. The

blend of sandalwood,

cedar, and vetiver

is overwhelming

at first, but it

dries to a pleasing

herbal musk. $30;

thedetoxmarket.com

AGENT NATEUR

UNI(SEX) Nº5

This stick’s hand-

blended vetiver, rose,

sandalwood, and

cedar are pungent

upon opening, but

the scent magically

dissipates soon

after application.

The thick baking

soda and coconut-

oil formula kept our

tester fresh during

sweltering nights of

grown-up fun. $21;

violetgrey.com

product development company that’s

worked with LVMH, Revlon, and Estée

Lauder—there are common ingredients

in effective natural deodorants. “Some

type of powder is essential (i.e., baking

soda, kaolin clay, cornstarch, or arrow-

root) to not only absorb wetness, but

also kill bacteria that causes odor.”

A panel of men and women’s armpits,

ranging from hairy to fuzz-free, were

assembled to test the newest releases to

see if they could withstand biking, work-

ing out, and partying on the beach. Here

are five that stood out for making sure

we didn’t.

URSA MAJOR

BASE LAYER

Instead of baking

soda, this scent-free

deodorant uses

hops and a probiotic

enzyme to kill odor,

while kaolin clay

sops up moisture.

It’s effective during

regular exercise but

may not be up to an

extra-long workout.

$18; ursamajorvt.com

CORPUS THIRD

ROSE NATURAL

This plant- and

mineral-based

formula was so

efficient at keeping

our testers dry, they

were convinced it

contained aluminum.

And the rose, Italian

mandarin, violet,

and cedar root scent

felt particularly

refined. $22;

corpusnaturals.com