Which aluminum-free deodorants work?

The most important points in brief

• It has been discussed for a long time whether aluminum in deodorants might endanger health. This could increase the risk of breast cancer. However, this suspicion has not yet been definitively proven.
• The metal is not required as an ingredient, but is still contained in many deodorants.
• But many users ask themselves whether a deodorant without aluminum works well at all.
• The answer is: yes. But that doesn't apply to all brands.

Science is divided on whether and to what extent aluminum in deodorants may pose a health risk. But do you always have to wait for the final proof? There are now plenty of deodorants that prevent sweaty body odor. We took a closer look at which manufacturer can convince with their articles in this area.

A deodorant is not an antiperspirant but helps against sweat odor

Whether stress, sport or just heat: A deodorant does not prevent us from sweating. It is not an antiperspirant, but if the worst comes to the worst, it prevents an unpleasant sweat odor from developing and settling, which is unpleasant for ourselves and even more so for others. With an effective deodorant, in the best case scenario, we smell fresh all day long and thus also feel good.

But aluminum, which supposedly inhibits the development of sweat odor, is no longer undisputed today. For women, the risk of developing breast cancer could be higher if they use deodorants containing aluminum. However, there is a widespread belief that aluminum-free deodorants are not effective - which is not true. They just don't do a good job of keeping us out of sweating. However, the bacteria that trigger the unpleasant odor are prevented from decomposing the welding fluid by using aluminum-free deodorants. If you want to prevent perspiration, you have to use antiperspirants - but they contain aluminum.

Which deodorants without aluminum are recommended? Nivea and Lavera

Because deodorants with aluminum could be unhealthy for women in the long term, we only looked at deodorants “for them” in the test. The aluminum-free deodorants from Lavera, for example, performed well, impressing with their subtle fragrance and creamy smoothness and are skin-friendly. Due to the creaminess, you can save on the amount when using it, otherwise it may take some time to soak into the skin.

Nivea also produces very good, aluminum-free deodorants - for example, the “Fresh Natural” spray does very well in the test. Here, too, the scent is pleasant and not intrusive, the feeling of freshness lasts for a long time - even when it's hot and you have to sweat a lot.

Smaller recommended brands of aluminum-free deodorants: Greendoor and Ben & Anna

But aluminum-free deodorants from smaller manufacturers can also be convincing, such as the Greendoor cream. This deodorant does not irritate the skin in any way, does not give off a sweat smell and you only need small amounts of it. Simply applying it with your fingers takes a bit of getting used to, because you have to wash your hands afterwards - but that is to be tolerated.

We also recommend the deodorant stick from Ben & Anna, which reliably prevents the development of sweat odor. Again, there are no skin irritations or the like to fear, the freshness effect lasts the whole day. The substance is relatively dry, which results in a few crumbs every now and then, but shouldn't be a problem. Another good thing about this product is that there is no plastic, as the stick is housed in a cardboard sleeve.