if you're not one of the lucky 2% of the population that has the "no-underarm-sweat-smell" gene ABCC11, chances are you may like / need to use deodorant. the stuff you swipe onto your pits can seem to have nothing to do with acne.. except it does.

frequent shavers and waxers of this region can suffer from razor bumps, all the more exacerbated by using cloggy deodorants on a regular basis. and if you don't wash it off before bed, it can rub onto your sheets, towels and clothing, ending up on your face.

unfortunately most of what's on the market - including the "natural hippy" ones - are cloggy, thanks to the comedogenic bases such as coconut oil and isopropyl myristate. the last list that was put together almost ten years ago is now obsolete, so here are our latest acne-safe (and aluminum-free!) findings. please let us know how these work for you, and if you have favorites we should share with our community!  

• crystal essence - these handy roll-on deodorants are easy to toss in your gym bag for a quick mid-day refresher. a popular chemical-free deodorant, crystal essence uses natural mineral salts and essential oils to stop odor in its tracks. note that only these ones are safe:
• invisible solid sticks
• mineral stick and stone
• roll-ons
• sprays

• lavilin - this floral roll-on deodorant is the winner of new york magazine's best aluminum-free deodorant competition. while it won't necessarily keep you totally dry, this hypo-allergenic product boasts 72-hour odor-masking abilities even with physical activity and bathing in between.

• erbaviva - this brand crafts simple and unique scents from alcohol and essential oils but proponents of the natural deodorant phenomenon agree that these fresh scents last only around 5-6 hours. blends like jasmine grapefruit and lemon sage can satisfy most anyone's olfactory preferences.

• weleda - these swiss roll-on and spray deodorants have great reviews in the performance department. the citrus in these sprays helps keep bacteria at bay, and you can find them at any whole foods or natural foods store across the us.

• svr spirial is a french brand which is available in some online shops, and in europe. 

as always, when buying new personal care products, use our comedogenic product checker database to double check ingredients, and carefully test on your skin after it passes the "on paper" audit to see if it is really safe in vivo. though many of the above brands make acne-safe deodorants, their other products might not pass the test.