In a bid to combat unpleasant odour during the summer heatwaves, beauty writer Eve Rowlands has been trialling three different natural deodorants. As a total sun-lover, she is always chasing that golden glow, but there is one thing she could happily do without: the sweating. Rowlands admits she sweats a lot and has lost count of how many tops have been ruined by sweat patches and stubborn stains caused by the reaction between sweat and certain antiperspirant or deodorant ingredients.
While traditional antiperspirants do the job for a few hours, they are not always packed with the most natural or eco-friendly ingredients. So, she has been on the hunt for a natural, refillable deodorant that keeps her feeling fresh all day—from workouts to work days—while being kinder to the planet. Her other non-negotiable was that it needed to be a stick deodorant, rather than a roll-on, due to years of having to blow-dry her underarms after roll-on application.
Over the last year, she has invested in three different deodorants with glowing reputations: Wild (from £13.19), Fussy (from £12), and Making Waves (also from £12). All share the same stick-like creamy texture and refill process: a pretty casing that comes apart easily and slots in a refill square.
Design and Refill Process
Wild’s cases can be decorated in a host of playful patterns, while Making Waves’ cases and the majority of Fussy’s are block colours in a range from green and blue to pink and purple. Making Waves’ case, made from 100% recycled plastic, is more angular with a hexagonal shape, while Fussy and Wild’s casings are more rounded, making them more comfortable to hold. When swapping refills, Rowlands found Fussy and Making Waves to be a lot easier than Wild. Her Wild case got stuck and took several attempts to open, although she notes this is not a widely shared issue.
All three deodorants’ applicators are eco-friendly. Fussy’s casing is made with recycled plastic and ABS, with refill wrappers from waste sugarcane. Wild’s case is made from durable, anodized aluminum, and its refills are encased in bamboo packaging. Making Waves’ refill packaging is also made from recycled materials.
Application and Scent
All three deodorants glide onto the skin smoothly, do not leave a white cast when dried, and do not irritate the armpit area. However, Rowlands experienced white marks on darker tops when wearing Wild and Fussy, typically on creases that brush past arms when putting on or taking off a top. This is potentially due to their powder-based formula with waxes and oils. Making Waves did not leave any residue or marks on clothes.
Rowlands is a fan of sweet, fruity fragrances, and the range of scents across all three is brilliant. Her favourite is coconut and vanilla, available in all three brands. She noted that Wild’s deodorant stick browned over time due to vanilla fragrance oxidising, but this does not affect quality. Each deodorant’s fragrance is potent but not overpowering and masks unpleasant odour well, though it diminishes over the day after strenuous activity.
Sweat Test
The most important factor is how well the deodorant tackles body odour. Wild and Fussy are not antiperspirants—they neutralise odour rather than stop sweating. They include moisture-absorbing ingredients like tapioca starch and sunflower wax, which help keep sweat patches at bay for billowy tops but fall short with fitted tops after a few hours. They keep body odour under control for those who do not sweat heavily.
Making Waves takes a different approach as an eco-conscious antiperspirant. It incorporates natural ingredients like sunflower seed wax and shea butter but also uses aluminum salts to block sweat glands. Rowlands noticed a significant reduction in moisture during gym workouts or sweltering summer days, giving her confidence to wear fitted tops without fear of sweat patches. While not completely sweat-proof, it reduces moisture and keeps underarms smelling fresh even after a 5K run.
Rowlands concludes that Making Waves is the winner for her heavy sweating, but she plans to try Wild’s new natural roll-on antiperspirant to see how it compares.
