Curie Deodorant is a newer ‘natural’ deodorant. The full ingredient list for the Unscented DO is:
Coconut Oil
Arrowroot Powder
Beeswax
Baking Soda
Corn Starch
Cocoa Butter
Triethyl Citrate
Sunflower Seed Wax
Sunflower Seed Oil
Elderberry Extract
Cucumber Extract
Chamomile Flower Extract
Aloe Vera
Sage Oil
Vitamin E
Sodium Caproyl/Lauroyl Lactylate
My full time job is in the realm of pesticide applications. In my training and education of applicators and the public, how to safely handle and apply pesticides takes on a rather large role. One thing we emphasize is protecting areas of high risk of absorption, which the armpits happen to be one of the highest risk areas along with the head and genital areas.
Given that knowledge base I’ve tried lots of ‘natural’ deodorants in an attempt to use less synthetic chemicals and metals. Some have definitely worked better than others, and Curie is 6th on the list of attempts. The 3rd time was definitely not a charm.
Why the Shift to ‘Natural’
As noted above, our underarms can absorb a large amount of chemicals that we expose it to. For me a big concern are heavy metals. Some of this definitely stems from having the miscarriage a couple years ago. After that happened, I evaluated a lot of what I ate and used. The bigger shift I made was in my deodorant.
Natural Deodorants I’ve Tried
For me, in ‘natural’ deodorants/antiperspirants that I’m looking at is specifically for aluminum free and as many plant based ingredients as is possible. Think arrowroot, baking soda, butters and oils, scents from oils. One word of caution is that not all essential oils should be used in the underarms. Lavender and Pine specifically are some of the essential oils I would stay away from due to how they can react with the human body.
- Dove 0% Aluminum
- Native
- Schmidt
- Kosas <– random purchase at Sephora one day
- Tom’s Aluminum Free
Curie Deodorants
Although I have words for all of these, today is about Curie. I bought the 4-pack mini sticks that came with the clay mask. That package is no longer available, it was only after Shark Tank. The 3 scented deodorants are White Tea, Orange Neroli, and Grapefruit Cassis and there was an unscented stick.
The unscented stick is 100% unscented. The number 1 ingredient is coconut oil and there’s no scent so the coconut is not raw. This is smart on the development part, the oil will have a longer shelf life and since we don’t use deodorant overnight and we don’t typically refrigerate it… makes sense to not use the raw coconut oil. The scented deodorants are great. They are not overpowering at all, they’re all very clean smelling. The strongest smelling is Orange Neroli with the White Tea having the lightest of scents.
The packaging is great. The plastic containers felt great in hand and not too bendy or cheap feeling. The only reason I mention this is I’ve had a stick crack in half because the plastic was too thin and it bent. Less plastic packaging is awesome but it still has to protect the product.
Biggest problem with natural deodorants are discoloration, rashes, and peeling skin in the underarm region. Natural deodorants are hard because it can take up to a week or more before your body gets accustomed to the shift. Some people quit before they complete the shift because it is so bad while others never do many the shift. I’ve used some where it’s awful. I had a little irritation with the Curie line for 3 days and it cleared up.
The Cons
This one is going to be dependent on the person. I did have some skin discoloration and a little itching. I did find that over time it did get better and it occurred with all the scents and the Unscented deodorant. So I know the irritation wasn’t due to the fragrance present in the formulation like others I’ve suspected. I think it’s the baking soda being too irritating for my skin at first. Overtime it’s cleared up and it’s fine after my skin toughened up a little.
Final Verdict
I’m buying this again. Of all the natural deodorants I’ve tried, this is easily my favorite. I am a disgusting, sweaty person and these deodorants worked for me. It isn’t a deodorant/anti-perspirant so you will sweat with this product although I don’t think I sweat as much. I work outdoors in 110F/43C and can transition to a golf course for a consultation and this works. I don’t need to refresh. For those who experienced heat waves this year, out deodorants worked overtime this summer.
The smells are wonderful, my husband even commented on how nice the smell was. Favorite smell is the Grapefruit Cassis but will be buying White Tea again because I wear perfume. I have been incredibly surprised at how much I like this deodorant.
At $12 for a 2 oz stick it is on the higher end of the ‘Natural’ deodorant costs. But it doesn’t have the same issues I’ve had with other natural deodorants. It glides on great, doesn’t leave a heavy residue after it’s melted in, and had minimal irritation when I first started using it.
9/10 Will be using it again
For other Product Reviews check out here! If you’ve tried Curie’s other products including their spray on deodorant let me know what you thought in the comments.
–XOXO–
Andrea
