It's a new year and admittedly very, very, very similar to the last. So if at least the first quarter? third? half? of this year is basically just a continuation of 2020, I feel obliged to also continue on with the search. I cast the net for some of the internet's most listed must-try's and gave three of them two week trial period for each from January 18-February 28, following the recommended wisdom for how long it takes to adjust to a new formula.

The first couple of days, anytime I felt a little bit of prickling, I became paranoid that the baking soda burning and itching would begin. But you know, it never did. I was amazed at my fortune. Perhaps I was one of those lucky people who didn't get a bad reaction to baking soda. Or, just as likely, I had EiR's formula to thank. Maybe the combination of "just enough" baking soda and arrowroot, something I hadn't seen in any of the other products, had cracked the code for an effective natural deodorant.

Effectiveness: Granted, I spent the majority of January supine whilst I tested this product. It was pretty damn cold month and spent indoors. 11° and a light routine of part-time work from home isn't really a challenge for any deodorant. I was pleasantly surprised when a heavily layered walk in the park for a couple hours didn't have me peeling away layers to reveal sweaty layers and soaked pits. Perhaps more of a true test was a long, though very brisk shop at Target for our usual quarantine essentials. I didn't remove my coat, foolishly thinking the process wouldn't take long, despite the length of my list. By the time I got home and lay on the couch to recover, I could feel that the product had melted and was congealing a bit under my arms and clinging to my long sleeve shirt. It wasn't the greatest feeling in the world, but I primarily smelt the pine needle scent and not an onslaught of BO, so I called it a win.

I would say the EiR Pitted Deodorant does a top notch job keeping me dry. As bone dry as the aluminumed Secret Essential Oil? No. But post-light indoor workouts, aggressive afternoon naps, and blanket bundled nights, I never woke up sweaty or felt excessively damp.

My only real complaint is that EiR's pitted deodorant has the hand feel of a glue stick and unfortunately, the accompanying feeling of applying a glue stick to your armpit. Plus, as predicted, I needed to rub it all over, multiplying the usual back and forth swipe of a normal deodorant to a furious four swipes to cover my whole armpit, compounded by the fact it was a tacky formula that needed to be dragged over my skin for the product to catch. It did go on dry and stayed in place, which was a marked improvement to the slicking and crumbling off of the Equate and Dove ones respectively. It's a drawback that's given a pass from me by the environmentally friendly packaging and overall effectiveness of the product, however.

This one definitely strikes me as being more of boutique brand. For one, there are actually two women founders you can put names to (Lauren and Mikah) and e-mail directly. In the age of faceless mega corporations, I really appreciate that kind of thing. I also like that they have a number of buying options and free shipping. When your product isn't in stores to pop open and sample, it's important for indecisive people like me to have something like a minis option that allows me to sample multiple scents without breaking the bank or to reward die hard fans with bulk savings. Lauren and Mikah were kind enough to offer to send me two full size products so I could get a full experience. I picked what was seemingly their flagship scent (Lavender & Citrus) and the one I kept seeing as a social media favorite (Rose & Vanilla).

First Impressions: Again, unscrewing the lid of the Lavender & Citrus, it's that familiar gin scent, similar to the sharpish citrus essential oil scent from other organic citrus products I've encountered. However, actually on the body, I get more of the softer lavender notes. The Rose & Vanilla smells a little more like roses doused in citronella, which would perhaps be desirable as a natural bug repellent but not exactly what I'd call appealing for something meant to mask my stink. Big applicator and smooth glide which was a nice change from the EiR Pitted Deodorant. Applicator is plastic and sort of ugly, although points for developing an incentivized recycling program and coming up with a new sugar cane packaging. No antiperspirant of any kind with this one due to their "sweating is healthy" philosophy, which I'm circumspect about, but willing to give a try.

The real MVP for me with the Each & Every was the size and feel of the applicator. It's not as pretty to look at, but it gave me the much better experience of a big easy swipe and then done. It still went on slightly damp after a shower and it didn't need to be warmed a bunch like so many of the stiffer natural deodorants do. It does meant there's a little more residue left in the screw top, but it's creamy enough that it doesn't obstruct it much. This one did leave a sticky-ish residue. Noticeable only in the way that compared to a traditional deodorant, you did notice it under there. Plus, this one was another winner for not waking up damp and might have to do with the unique formula.

First Impressions: This was the first product that smelt exactly as advertised. While I came around to the Rose & Vanilla Each & Every scent, Megababe's Rosy Pits smelt exactly like high quality rose water. I was poised to love the product due to its refreshing scent and non-baking soda formula, which opted instead for a combination of sage, sandalwood, and horsetail plant to combat smelly bacterias. It has a funky, retro design which I enjoyed unveiling from the boutique packaging. And unlike some of the other natural deodorants brands, Megababe actually has an assortment of other scents or deodorant alternatives, as well as other products including no-talc body powders and anti-friction thigh sticks. I went into the trial period thinking this could finally be THE ONE.

The Full Experience

TLDR: Once the bloom left the rose, I was glad to be rid of this deodorant. You won't be satisfied with Megababe's if you've tried other natural deodorants.

Overall I was really happy to have the privilege to try these more boutique natural deodorants and get a better price point spread. As I said in Part 1 of this whole saga, natural deodorants are not created equal and every formula has its own quirks. I think what I learned from this whole experience was that for people who absolutely need an alternative due to allergies or skin sensitivity, there are ABSOLUTELY wonderful choices that do work and could quite possibly be a life changing. For those of us simply looking to get away from more chemical-y products, myself included, natural deodorants feel like a more environmentally friendly choice which I could probably commit to three seasons a year. Even with three more natural deodorants in my repertoire, I'm not fully convinced there's one that could keep me dry and fresh during the humid New York summers. But who knows? Maybe I'll find one in my next exploratory batch.