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Aluminum-Free Deodorants: Testing Out Native and Duke Cannon

Hey gents, today we’re talking about natural deodorants and my experiences trying to get away from aluminum-based deodorants. I’ve been using Native and Duke Cannon deodorant for the last few months and I wanted to share my findings.

Full disclosure: I am not a doctor, but I’ve done the best research possible to support my claims. This post is also not sponsored, but there are affiliate links at the bottom to both products below. Each purchase will help support The Kavalier Youtube channel and blog. Enjoy!


A Bit of Background

My first deodorant was my dad’s favorite brand, Old Spice, and I think this is the case for most guys since they offer different types of sticks for a very affordable price. To find a great deodorant, you have to start with what you know.

Over the years, I’ve had brief flirtations with several different brands--Axe when it was hot during my middle school years, Gillette, gels, speed stick, Toms. You name it, I wore it at some time throughout my years of trying different deodorants.

Well, as I began to upgrade my lifestyle and learn more about what I wore, the quality of things I wore became a big issue. Before, I wanted the deodorant to be as cheap as possible, but then this would reflect in the quality.

That’s why I’ve been trying on Native and Duke Cannon deodorant. They make high-quality deodorants that are aluminum-free and naturally derived which have also become important determinants for me when it comes to choosing a deodorant. 

My Experience Using Native and Duke Cannon Deodorant

Credit: Men’s Fitness

So I started with Native because my wife has been subscribed for years and I wanted to cut my aluminum-based antiperspirants. Based on the research I’ve done, aluminum isn’t necessarily harmful but you do want to avoid the parabens that are present in most deodorants. 

Parabens are used as preservatives and can act like estrogen in the body. They do this by binding to estrogen receptors on cells and disrupt hormone function. Natural deodorants ignore the use of aluminum and parabens and instead, go for ingredients that are healthier for the body.

My issue with most natural deodorants, though, is that they don’t really work as well at stopping smell or sweat when you compare them to the other options. I got a lot of questions from guys asking about undershirts and I never understood why until I started using Native because that did not end well for me. 

The Native deodorant used natural ingredients, but when I started using it, I noticed that there were marks in my shirts due to the deodorant. I had more sweat than normal so it was missing the anti-sweat factor. This led to more pit stains on my shirts, so while the deodorant was all-natural, it lacked the elements that would make a good deodorant. 

When it came to the Duke Cannon deodorant, though, I was much more pleased with what they had to offer. Like Native, they were used all-natural ingredients and were antiperspirant. The deodorant itself had a great smell and had a smoother application onto the body.

It was much more comfortable to wear and it helped reduce sweat, but not on the level that Old Spice had done for me. In my opinion, the antiperspirant performed very well for me but the consistency of the deodorant could be improved.

However, the Duke Cannon deodorant lasted longer than my Old Spice stick and that’s what sold it for me. Duke Cannon may be a little more expensive than other name brands like Axe and Old Spice but it’s natural and cost-effective so you’re getting your best bang for your buck.

Credit: Duke Cannon




Final Thoughts

Deodorant has been a big part of my life growing up. Starting from my dad’s Old Spice stick to my experiments now with Native and Duke Cannon, as I grew older, I began to look for new things in the deodorant I used.

Before, I was buying deodorant based on the price tag, but that meant the quality wasn’t very good. They had issues like parabens and harmful, artificial antiperspirants that could be harmful to the body.

Now, the Duke Cannon deodorant that I’ve been testing has all the qualities of a great stick of deodorant. They smell great, use all-natural ingredients, and eliminate the harmful chemicals that other brands might have.

Native was also a good all-natural deodorant but it’s quality left something to be desired. All in all, my experiments with these aluminum-free deodorants have left me satisfied and smelling great.