Fair warning that this post talks about perspiration/smelly pits. 🙂
I’m going to be perfectly honest here; I really enjoy my “mainstream” personal care products. They work, they smell good, and since I “CVS,” I usually get them for free, “better than free,” or pennies. I know though, that the chemical filled products aren’t good for me, especially anti-perspirants that contain aluminum. So, I’m trying to take baby steps to switch things over to more natural choices.
CVS had a deal a while ago on Tom’s of Maine products, where they were $3.99, with $3.00 Extra Care Bucks back, limit 2. This deodorant cost me a net of 99 cents (haven’t paid that much in years!), but since I paid with extra bucks, I figured it wasn’t too bad. I chose the fresh apricot scent, but it comes in several others as well.
Here are the ingredients (no aluminum):
Name/Purpose/Source
Propylene glycol/Consistency/Natural gas from the earth
Water/Consistency/Maine aquifer
Sodium stearate/Stabilizer/Vegetable oil
Aloe vera leaf juice (organic)/Soothing/Organic aloe (Aloe barbadensis) plant
Witch hazel water/Soothing/Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) plant
Zinc ricinoleate/Deodorancy/Zinc oxide and castor bean (Ricinus communis) plant
Glyceryl laurate/Deodorancy/Vegetable oils
Chamomile flower aqueous extract/Soothing/Organic chamomile (Matricaria recutita) flowers
Apricot fragrance (natural)/Pleasant smell/Natural plant essential oils
Hops [CO2] extract/Deodorancy/Hops (Humulus lupulus) cones
Caprylic/capric triglyceride/Consistency/Coconut (Cocos nucifera) oil and glycerin
Ascorbic acid/Antioxidant/Corn (Zea mays) or molasses
Silica shells/Fragrance duration/Sand
The deodorant went on really smoothly, almost like a gel solid. It smelled really nice, but not too strong and not too “fruity,” despite the apricot scent.
I do tend to perspire a good bit, especially when I’m nervous (which is like, always.) Luckily, I don’t really have a stinky B.O. smell. Still, I don’t really want to smell that natural, musky scent. I know some people don’t mind it, pheromones and all, blah blah…I’m not one of them, LOL.
So while testing this, I felt like Molly Shannon’s SNL character, Mary Catherine Gallagher. I felt like I was constantly sniffing myself. Hee hee. While it smelled great at first, it very quickly seemed to “wear off” and I could “smell myself” again. I tried reapplying every few hours at home, and that seemed OK. I wanted to give this a fair shake, so I used it for about a week or so.
The other morning, I applied my deodorant, and went for a walk about an hour later. It wasn’t terribly warm; around 45 when we started, and warmed up a bit as the sun came out. By the time I finished a 45 minute walk, I felt like I smelled, and a sniff made me feel like I hadn’t put anything on at all.
So, this deodorant is definitely not for me, I’m sticking with my usual for now, but I know lots of people swear by Tom’s of Maine deodorant!
I really want to find a great natural deodorant before my daughter needs to wear it. I know, she’s only 6…but kids seem to need it earlier and earlier, and she will be a pre-teen before I know it! I know there are differing opinions on the link between aluminum/parabens and breast cancer, but if I can find a product without them, why not use it?
FTC compliance: I paid normal retail price for this product. I was not compensated in any way for this post, and all opinions are my own.
Maria wants to live in a world where cloth diapers are the norm and moms can make parenting choices without judgement. When she’s not chasing her 18, 14 and 11-year old kids around, you might find her checking out the latest gadgets, organizing something (again) or exercising in the fresh air. 
Hello hello
I Bought a long lasting deodorant because it’s aluminum free but it doesn’t work. 1 hour after a shower and putting it on and I can smell myself. The “long-lasting” versions Tom’s has come out with all contain zinc ricinoleate, and for a lot of people it causes itching, burning and skin peeling on the underarms. Bravo for getting aluminum out of my system, but BOOO for making an unusable product, Tom’s Very disappointed. This deodorant doesn’t work, i’m written after I broke out in a rash makes my skin peel and burns when applying it…. Fiery, itchy, discolored armpits with these weird little blister bumps in the corner that is awful…. I have no allergies and definitely don’t have sensitive skin I have NEVER had a problem with a reaction to ANY deodorants before. This is insane to me that this ‘natural’ product causes more problems that the suave, dove …etc. Never will i buy this again. Also, it says “24 hr protection” yeah RIGHT! I’m lucky if i get 2-3hrs of protection before i start to feel like i smell. and i don’t even sweat that much!! All the ingredients are not natural at all…
I tried Tom’s a few times..never got the results I was hoping for. I’ve since moved on to Lavilin – http://www.lavilin.com
I love it! It’s just as safe as Tom’s, but more effective and lasts several days each time. I’m one satisfied customer!
I have been giving TOMS the benefit of the doubt for about 3 weeks now to see if I was either allergic or something else. For me, it is not working, I have been using the unscented one in the white bottle. I apply at night before bed, wake up and it is like I never put any on. I then will use a wipe and clean my underarms and then reapply and a few hours later its like I never put any back on. I took into consideration the “detox” time frame, but 3 weeks of this mess is enough for me. I am going back to the stores to search out another brand. Will definitely try the Sure!
I’ve been pretty happy with Balm Baby’s PITS and I really want to try Primal Pit Paste.
I have been using Tom’s Apricot scent for over 3 months now…..and I am giving it up!!! Why? My underarms burn and smell!!! It has not worked for me at all!!! I am trying to find an aluminum free product but this one is not it. I tried to give it a fair chance but obviously I have some sort of allergic reaction to it because it should not be burning my underarms I know. So, I am off to the health food store now to try and find another brand to try. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know.
I’ve tried two others since this. PHresh and PITS! I really liked the pits. Here are my reviews if you’re interested in reading! https://change-diapers.com/2014/02/phresh-natural-deodorant-review-giveaway-313/ and https://change-diapers.com/2014/03/thinc-skinbalm-baby-pits-natural-deodorant-review-giveaway-327/
I switched to Tom’s when my 12 year old son began using a deodorant. I bought him the same one you mentioned and for myself, I purchased the sage colored bottle deodorant made by Toms. This type has a thicker consistency, and has a creamy feel to it – sort of reminds me of the deodorants that I used in the past. While using the Tom’s sage bottle deodorant, I never smelled and the transition went smoothly. I loved it. I did notice that my son, who used the slick gel type did smell very badly when I would pick him up from school. At the time, I thought he was forgetting to put his deodorant on but he swore to me that he did use it in the morning. My Tom’s finally ran out and I bought the same brand as my son and boy do I stink. It’s atrocious!! I don’t do strenuous exercise and my BO scent is embarrassing. I now feel bad for giving my son such a hard time. I think I am experiencing what you experienced as well and will have to go back to the original Tom’s brand in the sage colored bottle. Just wanted to let you know you are not alone on this journey to healthiness 🙂
I’ll have to look for the sage bottle! Right now I’m using Pits (by Thinc Skin) and so far so good!
I just came across this article and I know it was published a while ago, but I wanted to suggest Norwex Crystal Deoderant. It’s not an antiperspirant, but I have been using it without any smells. And it’s all natural, no aluminum or other chemicals.
Thanks, I’ll have to give it a try. I love Norwex!
Hi Maria,
I’ve been using Tom’s for almost two months. I decided today that I can’t take it anymore. I came online to see if anyone is as unhappy with it as I am and low and behold, here you are. I only buy beauty care products that aren’t tested on animals but I’ll never buy Tom’s again. I live in Florida and I need a really good deodorant!
I’m kind of ashamed to admit this, but I gave up on finding a natural deodorant. :-/ I’m using Dove right now. I know people have said to give it more time to detox from the aluminum etc etc. but it stinks (har har) to have to do that AND spend so much $ on the natural stuff. Bah.
I’m super ashamed to admit I’m not far behind you. No one wants to be the smelly kid in class.
🙂
I like Tom’s products, toothJell not paste, so thought I’d try the “Long Lasting ” aluminum-free deodorant fresh apricot. I’ve been using it for eight months and then noticed that my arm pits were red itchy and burny. I called my daughter in Ca., that had also started using it, and she said that her and her daughter also had the same problem. The other thing it took about two weeks for the redness and the itchyness to go away. I also had to use it in the morning and before going to bed at night, or I’d wake up stinky in the middle of the night. I’ve gone to Christal roll on, not to crazy about it works, if you make sure to wash your pits before using it. Looks like other people are having the same problems.
I have been getting a lot of comments & emails about this! I gave up on using it because it just wasn’t working for me I’m glad I didn’t deal with these side effects. 🙁
I’ve been wearing Toms for a few weeks now. It’s okay. My pits don’t smell musty after a while like they did before, so I guess that’s a good thing. I don’t know how it’ll work out once the warm weather hits, though. The downside is that my armpits itch horribly, and it looks as if my skin is peeling. I don’t know if it’s an allergic reaction or what, but it’s almost unbearable at times.
🙁 Ouch. It sounds like some sort of sensitivity or allergic reaction. I’d definitely stop using it if I were you!
I’m also having the burning iching going on and skin peeling underarms. I thought maybe it was just part of the change from degree to tom’s..
Not sure if I should keep using it??
If it is causing itching & peeling I’d stop using it!
I love tom’s lavander scent deodorant!! i bought mine at target & ive been using it for a month already and I can tell the difference. TOM’S works for me
Maybe the stick you bought was jank. I bought this in hopes of finding a non mainstram deodorant that didn’t already smell like musk. I tried it on and it lasted WAY longer than any deodorant I’ve ever tried. i’ve tried gillete, old spice(Too strong), speed stick, even lady speed stick. They always fade by noon. Tom’s deodorants always last all day. + it smells light and un-annoying
Did you switch from an anti-perspirant that contains aluminum? I did & it sounds like that’s my problem, I needed to detox from it!
Just wanted to say I started using Tom’s after I underwent a bilateral mastectomy. It was recommended by a the owner of Creative Images (they provide garments to mastectomy patients). The first week I started to give up on the deorderent but I stuck it out and gave it two more weeks. I am sold on it!!!!! I will not be using any other deorderent. TOMS is all I need!!!!
Maybe I just needed to give it more time!
I have been wanting to switch off mainstream (or cancer deodorant sticks lol) I’m beginning to get fed up with companies who produce natural products as they never seem to work. So yesterday I found websites about making your own deodorant. Only day one but so far works really well, and I’m not all itchy like I usually am from regular deodorant. All it is is Baking Powder, Coconut Oil, Corn Starch and Essential oil. Talk about saving money going to start making my own soaps and shampoos next (Started making my own natural Laundry soap few months ago and it’s a million times better than the crap they sell these days and cheap) Hopefully others who enjoy being crafty take my recommendation and try making stuff yourself it’s kinda cool (and cheap)
I’ve heard others say they make their own. Let us know how it goes. My underarms started itching a few months ago but I never made the connection to my deodorant. Hmm…
I was using Life Stinks Everywhere deoderant for a few weeks and was very happy with the way it kept me very dry but it is only a powder and would wear off somewhat quickly if not reaplied throughout the day. I decided I needed something more deoderizing and tried Tom’s and layered the powder over it. I could not be happier!
I have never heard of powder deodorant! GREAT idea layering them. I will have to look for that!
I have been suffering from chest pains and intense neck pains. I went to the doctor and everything came back fine. I never associated what I was feeling with my deodorant. After eliminated all supplements and I was still not feeling well, I remembered that Tom’s was the only thing I hadn’t eliminated. Within 3 days of discontinuing this product I started feeling better. I think I’ll stay away from Tom’s products going forward. BTW….I didn’t have any odor problems.
Oh my! Did you narrow down the ingredient that caused your symptoms?
My mom told me about aluminum in deodorants to possibly be causing breast cancer, so I looked for aluminum free ones. I used crystal bought at CVS before which worked just fine. Now I wanted to explore a bit and bought Tom’s Maine and it was horrible. No problem if you just sit at home air conditioned all day – maybe a little cool. But if there are only slight temperature changes to your body and you have minimal transpiration the unwanted smell definitely comes up! yikes. I had a really uncomfortable day at the office with this. Even using baby powder every 4 hours works better than this. I’m totally disappointed and can’t believe I spend $4.29 at Wholefoods. Definitely learned my lesson.
A reader told me that I need to go totally without deodorant for a few weeks to “detox” from the aluminum first, but I haven’t been brave enough to try yet!
My hubby and I have been using Tom’s for a few months the unscented and its great. I just wanted to point at that when switching to an all natural deo you really need to detox from the aluminum and other chemicals in the store deos. We went like a week without deo. Also, the anti-perspiration is primarily the aluminum which clogs the pores so once you stop using it you will sweat like a crazy person which makes you think you need to buy it in the first place. After about three maybe four weeks (including the detox time) I started to sweat a lot less and I live in SW Florida so it is HOT! So for any natural deo, whether you make it yourself or you buy it make sure to detox before using it or you won’t really get the best affect. Also, coconut oil has a melting point of 75 degree F which is one the reasons I don’t make my own deo down here because I am too worried about it melting under my pits and not only being super sweaty but oily too. Just fyi. 🙂 I “CVS” too! 😛 Love the pointers btw. 🙂
I’ve heard that. Now that I don’t have to take my daughter to school,maybe I’ll have to put a clothes pin on my nose and try again, LOL. 😀
[…] of Maine Wicked Fresh Toothpaste as part of a BzzAgent campaign last year, then I tried the Tom’s of Maine Natural Deodorant a few months […]
>I'm going to try A&H Essentials next — thanks! 🙂
>I heard of people making their own deo a few years ago, now I can't remember where. Maybe a frugal website? Definitely good to know it works!!Laura, I will have to look into A&H!
>Arm & Hammer Essentials is awesome & aluminum-free. I had the same experience with Tom's.
>For people wanting a more natural option you can try coconut oil mixed with some nice smelling essential oils. My husband uses the mineral rock (http://www.lafes.com/lafes-natural-deodorant-stone-p-118.html) before putting on his coconut oil mixture. I like this option because you can customize the smell and essential oils can have anti-microbial/anti-fungal properties. I also agree that there is a "body detox" time. I use the coconut mixture and rarely "smell" like BO.
>I don't want to turn anyone off from Tom's. I've heard lots of people say they love it! It just isn't for me. I am using Sure right now since it was next in my stockpile lineup, but it's not unscented!
>Thanks for posting this! I was just at the grocery yesterday sniffing the Tom's deodorant, wondering I'd I could truly take this plunge. Now I can save my $ – but I might give that Sure a try that the previous poster recommended!
>I use Toms of Maine (unscented) right now and it's not that bad.. I've been using it since December but I really want to go a little bit more natural, I just order one from an etsy shop that Victoria from Mommy is Green blogged about.. http://www.mommyisgreen.net/2011/02/switching-to-natural-deodorant.html
>I have tried Tom's of Maine, Nature's Gate, Crystal deodorant and a few others that I can't think of right now. Honestly, I must be a stinky beast because none of them work for me.I instead chose to go with the most nautral of the mainstream (based on Cosmetic Database) and the winner for me is Sure Unscented. 🙂 It works and isn't rated too bad.
>This is something I've been wanting to try too… I've heard you have to go through a "detox" period of a few weeks before your body regulates itself to the "no aluminum" stuff. So, maybe if you started your daughter out with no aluminum, she wouldn't have a problem? idk. I'm like you. I don't want to stink! lol At least I could blame it on pregnancy hormones right now though… haha