In order to review this product, I have to reveal an embarrassing fact, I smell and I don’t mean a little bit. And being that my name is Kelly you can imagine the humiliation I’ve had to live with. After hearing of how bad deodorant is for your system, I have tried to find aluminum free alternatives. Did you know the way deodorant works is by plugging up your pores with little bits of aluminum? That cannot be good for you. So, I tried all kinds of alternatives at the risk of being a social outcast, some have reduced some body odor but none have come close to the protection of the physical blockade of traditional deodorants, so I always went back to my Secret
Then I saw the marketing flyer for the Aesop Doedorant, this clinical smell test of armpits is as hilarious as the message is clear, I was sold, I had to try it. It’s ingredients are zinc, as well as, a bunch of different oils like Lemongrass, Patchouli, Clove, Thyme and Vetiver Root, all of which work together to kill the growth of the Coryneform bacteria, the culprit of what causes body odor. The overall scent is very herb-y, I don’t mind the smell, it sure the heck smells a lot better than the alternative! It comes in a spritzer bottle so a couple of pumps is plenty.
Before I give the verdict, you have to get the low down. I am in Taiwan, it is 88 degrees with disgusting swampy humidity – this is the most extreme of circumstances to test a deodorant. I have never been more emphatic in a review when I say that this works beyond my wildest imaginations. Inspired by this image, I gave my family members the unpleasant task of doing a smell test after 5 hours of being out in the sticky heat, and NO bad smell!!! I did the test again the next day after an entire day out (9 hours) and there was ever the slightest smell but that also happens with regular deodorant, nothing is strong enough to last that long. The 3rd day, I reapplied after 4-5 hours and at the end of a grueling day of walking around and chasing after my kids, I passed the smell test with flying colors, there was absolutely no BO! And no white residue. If you get it on your clothes, no big deal, it is just a mist.
The only down side is that this is not an antiperspirant so you will still sweat, you just won’t smell. I am not a big sweater so this is not a problem for me. You also have to enjoy a botanical herbal scent because that’s what you end up smelling like. Again, like I said, I will take that over my natural scent! If you wear perfume, you will be competing with this scent so you might have to find one that compliments instead of clashes. All in all, worth any adjustments you might need to make. At Space NK for $35.