Aesop’s natural déodorant is our new on-the-go must-have, and here’s why

Buy now £25, Independent.co.uk

Although Aesop doesn’t brand this deodorant – or any of its products – as natural, it does correspond with the Healthline guidelines of what can be classified as a natural deodorant.

There are no hard-set rules, but generally speaking ingredients such as tea tree or coconut or oil are included for disinfectant or antibacterial properties. Naturally absorbent ingredients such as arrowroot, cornstarch or baking soda help to soak up sweat – although not fully, this is not an antiperspirant. And essential oils like bergamot, lavender or sandalwood provide scents instead of synthetic fragrances.

Formula

The main ingredients in this déodorant are alcohol denat, water and witch hazel water – which gives it the easy-to-spritz formula. However, this means it may not be ideal for those with sensitive skin due to the often irritating nature of alcohol denat, so just be sure to patch test before use. For those who aren’t sensitive-skinned though, we think you’ll fall for it just as much as we did thanks to its musky mix of herbs and spices.

Read more: 8 best laser hair-removal and IPL machines to use at home

The inclusion of witch hazel water is to help relieve inflammation, reduce skin irritation and also to fight bacteria that can lead to the smell of BO. Zinc ricinoleate is also included as it is an odour-absorbing agent adding to the BO banishing capabilities along with vetiveria zizanoides root and tea tree oil. We’ll touch more on how well it battled odour in a bit.

As for other ingredients, there’s coriander seed, lavender, eucalyptus and clove oil which all work to nourish the skin, reduce inflammation, pigmentation and moisturise – ideal for rough shavers – and have antioxidant properties, helping maintain the skin membrane too.

Design

Although it is on the smaller side at just 50ml, this déodorant makes for the perfect handbag, gym bag or office desk essential, easily slotting into our everyday carry-around for a quick spritz throughout the day. Plus, the minimalist design is quintessential Aesop, which is to say it looks high-end and also much more subtle than the bulky tins and garish pink tones of supermarket sprays.

Read more: 10 best hyaluronic acid products for an extra hit of hydration

We also appreciated that this is a spray bottle which makes it incredibly easy to use. In fact, we found that just two spritzes under each arm was enough to banish any odour without soaking your underarms in the product. There’s none of that sticky residue that you sometimes get from a roll-on or the white flakes that can appear after using a spray, especially when wearing black.

Performance

Providing instant freshness, even when putting it on a little too late in the day, this déodorant works to tackle bacteria that is already under the arms while warding off any new additions from forming. Although, as with most natural deodorants, we would recommend reapplying throughout the day.

The smell was genderless meaning there was no overly floral fragrance or deep musks and ultimately just gives a crisp and clean finish anyone would be happy with.

Read more: We tried Gucci’s new flora gorgeous jasmine perfume ahead of its launch

Without topping up, it kept our tester sweet smelling for around five hours, and can easily tackle a gym session, hot walk or sweaty tube ride. But, as we’ve already stressed, it really is no hassle to re-apply and started to serve as a little self-care ritual throughout our day.