The One Thing That'll Make Your Natural Deodorant Work Better

Not long ago, mbg's fitness editor Leigh Weingus tested several natural deodorants and wrote about the one that gets her through sweaty workouts, sans stink. So when the winning brand, Meow Meow Tweet Tweet, sent me their new underarm primer, I was more than willing to see if their latest product would be a game-changer, too. Of course I wondered Do I really need an underarm primer? and What have I been missing out on?, but I decided to give it the ultimate test: a sweat-drenched SoulCycle class. This was essentially unfair: I never leave Soul smelling good. But if it could stand up to the impossible, I knew we'd be onto something.

I applied the underarm primer and without really letting it "dry" and smeared the same trusty grapefruit-scented stick deodorant that worked so well for Leigh. After a 45-minute sweat fest, I gave my pits a sniff. Dang! Nothing but a soft whisper of grapefruit. It had worked.

So how does this stuff work? It helps balance the delicate pH of your underarm skin, which is prone to fluctuation from schvitzing and product. Plus, it moisturizes the skin, which is helpful if you shave your pits, providing a smooth and sticky surface for deo to set.

For the natural-deo skeptic, I feel you. It took a lot of experimenting to finally find a product and routine that worked as well as my then-beloved antiperspirant. Switching to naturals was a process to be sure, but after months of experimenting I finally found Schmidt's. It smells divine! I've always had to reapply, which is typical for natural products of any kind, but with the primer I've found that the deodorant lasts longer. If you're looking to make the switch or have loved natural deo for a long time, this could be the hack that takes it to the next level.