For a long time now, I’ve been preaching the gospel of Schmidt’s deodorant ($11 HERE), which is now a go-to for myself, my picky hubby, and countless others I’ve told. It’s not only the best natural deodorant I’ve ever used, it’s the best deodorant in general. I literally can’t say enough good things about it.
But my wandering eye (damn you Instagram) led to a purchase of PiperWei ($17 HERE including shipping), the investment-worthy selection of the show Shark Tank. Soon after it show aired they were instantly backordered and blogged to death with mostly positive reviews. But is the higher cost worth it?
You know I love activated charcoal so I was happy to see that’s what PiperWei uses to absorb wetness, along with baking soda and tapioca starch. It’s sort of a creamy paste consistency that easy to apply and blend in. The scent is fresh and gender neutral without being overpowering, but that’s where the good news ends. I’ve been using natural deodorants for years so I know when something works and when it’s a miss. I used it for several days (as did Mike) but it didn’t keep us dry at all, in fact it didn’t ‘dry’ on our skin leaving a wet slip that I even tried to set with powder. It’s first ingredient is coconut oil so maybe that’s problem? I don’t know but I didn’t love paying $17 for all-day swamp pits. I can sweat on my own for free.
Schmidt’s uses shea butter as a base which is more crumbly and why a little spatula is included in the jar. I think this texture, although a little more effort to apply, is what helps it ‘dry’ to the skin so I don’t feel it once I rub it in. They also use baking soda and arrowroot powder, 2 widely used wetness absorbers they keep me dry as well as any clinical strength chemical bomb out there. It’s also cheaper and available in stores which is a huge plus for me
If you’re new to the natural deodorant game, I’d check out Schmidt’s first. Hype sometimes is just that.