Wellow Makes Natural, Plastic-Free Deodorant That Actually Works

Are you looking for a good natural deodorant? Check out Wellow. This brand new company just launched in New York City in March 2021 with a line of deodorants, shampoo and conditioner bars, and solid body wash. Its mission is to offer clean, plant-based products in plastic-free packaging that work as effectively as conventional ones. And after a month of using Wellow's deodorants, I can confirm that they do the job well!

The deodorants come in a paper tube that pushes up, similar to a regular deodorant stick, minus the plastic screw. This makes it convenient to use. There is no dipping your fingers into a pot of cream deodorant and getting it under your nails — a pet peeve of mine. The packaging can go straight into a backyard composter when it's finished.

The formula is free from aluminum, parabens, and sulfates, and smells fabulous. My personal favorite is the Coconut & Vanilla, and I find the scent lasts faintly all day. There's a Bergamot & Citrus scent, as well as Activated Charcoal.

Company co-founder Dan Hernden tells Treehugger that Wellow wants to make sustainable living as easy as possible: "It can be simple, affordable, effective — even kind of fun." At $30 for a trio of deodorant sticks, each of which lasts three months with daily use, it's more affordable than certain other natural deodorant brands. 

Hernden articulates one of my own frustrations with sustainable beauty products: "Many beauty brands are good at one thing but fail to check all the boxes, i.e. all-natural but packaged in plastic, sustainable but not effective, affordable but hard to use." The fact that Wellow acknowledges these issues and strives to address them all makes it even more attractive. 

Hernden said Wellow actively reduces the carbon footprint of its shipping in three ways. These include: 

(1) Sending lightweight items – "Our liquid-free products are designed to be lighter and more compact than similar self-care products, which means less energy used during shipping."

(2) Using efficient routes – "We offer non-rush shipping by default, which produces about 25% less carbon emissions than popular rush shipping routes (i.e. Amazon Prime) according to this MIT study."

(3) Purchasing carbon offsets – "We achieve full carbon neutral shipping by purchasing carbon offsets through Shopify's Offset app and SHOP app."

I cannot vouch for the shampoo and conditioner bar, as I have not tried them, but the solid body wash (essentially a bar of soap made from oatmeal, honey, and olive oil) smelled great and lasted a long time. All of the products come highly reviewed on the website.

Considering the millions (if not billions) of plastic deodorant and antiperspirant tubes that get tossed every year, switching to paper tubes is a no-brainer that has no effect on your personal skincare routine, but can make a difference in reducing plastic trash. As soon as you start using deodorant in paper, the idea of buying it in plastic seems absurd and you won't want to go back. Even major brands like Secret and Old Spice are switching to paper tubes, so this is definitely the way of the future.

Keep in mind that ditching conventional underarm protection for natural formulas could require an adjustment period. Going from antiperspirant to conventional deodorant, and then to an all-naturally-formulated deodorant could take a few weeks, but your body will adjust.

Remember to apply to clean, dry armpits. Wear natural fibers for greater breathability and be prepared for some dampness. That's to be expected because you're no longer blocking the pores and preventing them from sweating; you're just trying to cover up any odor.