The short answer
Baking soda gives the strongest odor control and is the formula most people start with. Magnesium hydroxide controls odor while staying gentle on skin that baking soda irritates. Both are aluminum free, small batch, and Oregon made.
Why natural deodorants use two different odor fighters
Body odor is not sweat. Sweat is mostly water and salt. The smell happens when bacteria on your skin break sweat down into acidic compounds. Every effective natural deodorant works by making that process harder, and the two most trusted ingredients for the job are baking soda and magnesium hydroxide.
They get to the same place by different roads, and the road matters if your skin is reactive. That difference is why we make two formulas instead of one.
Formula one · Natural
How baking soda deodorant works
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) neutralizes odor on contact. It shifts the environment under your arm so odor-causing bacteria cannot thrive, and it does it fast. This is why baking soda formulas have a reputation for holding up through long days, workouts, and summer heat.
Our Natural formula pairs baking soda with arrowroot powder and corn starch to absorb moisture, in a base of coconut oil, shea butter, and beeswax. It is the strongest odor control we make and the formula most of our customers start with and stick with.
The tradeoff: baking soda dissolves readily on damp skin, and for some people that is too much of a good thing. A minority of users get redness or itching, especially right after shaving. If that has ever been you, keep reading.
“Even after a day of sweat, no odor. Plus I like the lack of packaging.”
MELODY O. · VERIFIED PURCHASE · NATURAL · ORANGE AND PINE
Formula two · Sensitive
How magnesium hydroxide deodorant works
Magnesium hydroxide neutralizes odor the same general way, with one big difference: it barely dissolves in water. Only a tiny amount ever goes to work on your skin at once, and the rest sits in reserve. The result: odor control that stays gentle, because your skin never gets a strong dose all at once.
That low solubility is why magnesium hydroxide shows up in nearly every good sensitive skin deodorant. You get real odor control without the sting that baking soda can bring to reactive skin.
Our Sensitive formula is built around magnesium hydroxide, with arrowroot and tapioca starch to absorb moisture and a rich base of coconut oil, castor oil, jojoba oil, shea butter, and beeswax.
“So happy this works for me as I have very sensitive skin and other natural deodorants make my armpits rash out. This doesn’t!”
TRINA P. · VERIFIED PURCHASE · SENSITIVE · LAVENDER ISLAND
Magnesium hydroxide vs magnesium oxide in deodorant
Some brands use magnesium oxide instead, and the names are close enough to blur together on a label. The two are closely related. Magnesium oxide is a strong moisture absorber, and when it meets water it gradually converts toward the hydroxide form anyway.
We formulate with magnesium hydroxide directly because it is the stable, skin-ready form. It arrives already in the state that does the gentle odor-control work, with no conversion step in between. For a product that sits on skin all day, we would rather start with the finished ingredient than an intermediate one.
What about magnesium vs aluminum?
Different jobs entirely. Aluminum compounds in conventional antiperspirants plug sweat ducts so moisture cannot reach the surface. Magnesium hydroxide does not block anything. It neutralizes odor while your skin keeps doing what skin does.
Neither of our formulas is an antiperspirant, and neither contains aluminum. You may still sweat. You will not smell. The starches in both formulas absorb moisture so you stay comfortable.
The upgrades we made to our magnesium formula
This year we refined the Sensitive formula in ways we had wanted to for a long time:
- Castor and jojoba oils joined the base. Both are slow-absorbing plant oils that improve glide and leave skin feeling conditioned rather than chalky. Jojoba earns its spot because it closely resembles skin’s own oils.
- Tapioca starch now works alongside arrowroot. The two starches together give a drier, silkier finish than arrowroot alone.
- A rebalanced shea and beeswax base. The bar glides on in two or three swipes without drag or crumbling, and holds its structure in warm weather.
Same gentle magnesium hydroxide core. Better skin feel, smoother application.
“I struggled with so many natural deodorants... then I found this! This is the only deodorant I will use now. The baking soda free version works phenomenal for me.”
SAM · VERIFIED PURCHASE · SENSITIVE · LAVENDER ISLAND
Which formula is right for you?
| Natural | Sensitive | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Most people. Strongest odor control. | Reactive skin, or anyone baking soda has irritated before. |
| Odor control | Baking soda | Magnesium hydroxide |
| Moisture control | Arrowroot + corn starch | Arrowroot + tapioca starch |
| Aluminum | None | None |
| Tube | Plastic-free paper | Plastic-free paper |
A simple way to decide:
- Normal skin, want maximum odor control: start with Natural.
- Sensitive skin, post-shave irritation, or a bad past experience with baking soda: go Sensitive.
- Not sure: start with Natural. If you notice any irritation in the first two weeks, switch to Sensitive. Many households keep one of each.
Either way, apply to clean, dry skin. Two to three swipes is all you need, and one tube lasts most people two to three months.
One switch, real impact
Every tube ships in a plastic-free paper push-up tube. One person switching to plastic-free deodorant keeps 100+ plastic tubes out of the waste stream over a lifetime.
Shop both formulasBrowse the rest of our plastic-free bath and body lineup, or if you are new to natural deodorant entirely, our Natural Deodorant 101 guide covers the transition period, application tips, and everything else worth knowing before your first tube.
