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The Great No-Deodorant Experiment

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People have a lot of opinions about their armpits. Some wear deodorant (which masks the smell of sweat), some wear antiperspirant (which minimizes the production of sweat), and some wear nothing at all. Then, there are roll-ons, powders, creams, speed sticks...the list goes on and on. But, the biggest point of debate seems to be how healthy all of this stuff is for us.
Some people choose to avoid aluminum-containing antiperspirants because of a largely disproven theory that they cause cancer. While the most current science indicates you don't need to fear the aluminum in your daily underarm swipe, there are also other compounds sometimes found in antiperspirants, such as parabens, that have been linked to endocrine disruption.
Whatever their reasoning for the swap, plenty of people have been changing up their underarm game by choosing greener options. And, from all-natural formulas to DIY recipes, there are surprisingly many different ways to ban the stank. But, how well do they actually work?
We put just that to the test. Five of our brave staffers — all of whom regularly use some type of deodorant or antiperspirant — tossed their sticks for a week and put these alternatives to the test. From lemon juice to baking powder to a reader-recommended all-natural pick, we tried 'em all. Click through to see which ones passed our sniff test. Who knows? You might be inspired to start slathering witch hazel under your arms.
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