Vegan Deodorant

Vegan deodorant works like regular deodorant, but it's made without any animal products or byproducts. These products often contain plant-based ingredients as an alternative to animal-derived ingredients. Examples of ingredients in vegan deodorant include: 

• Baking soda 

• Bentonite clay 

• Arrowroot powder 

• Aloe vera 

Like traditional deodorant, vegan versions aim to stop underarm odor by addressing bacteria that make sweat smell bad. This is different than antiperspirant, which helps cut down on sweating in your armpits. Some products combine deodorant and antiperspirant into one to protect you against odors and sweating. You can find a variety of forms of vegan deodorant, including solid deodorants and liquid versions. They're also available in various fragrances to keep your armpits smelling fresh. 

Not all brands of deodorant are vegan. Many deodorant brands don't have obvious animal products in them at first glance, but it's common for them to include animal byproduct derivatives, which means they aren't vegan. Some common deodorant ingredients that aren't vegan include: 

• Beeswax 

• Gelatin from animal collagen 

• Lanolin from sheep's wool 

• Glycerin from animal fats 

Looking for these ingredients and other animal products and byproducts on personal care labels can help you determine if you've found a women's or men's vegan deodorant. Vegan products also typically include that information on the labels and in marketing.  

Cruelty-free and vegan descriptors for deodorant and antiperspirant both refer to animals, but they do so in different ways. Vegan deodorant refers to the ingredients used to create the hygiene product, while cruelty-free describes product testing. 

If the deodorant is labeled as cruelty-free, the company is saying it doesn't test it on animals, but it's not necessarily vegan. While many cruelty-free deodorants are vegan, not all are. Traditional deodorant products that include animal byproducts could be called cruelty-free if they don't test on animal products. 

"Cruelty-free" isn't a regulated claim on cosmetics products, though, so companies don't have to meet any requirements to use it. Some companies call products cruelty-free if the finished product isn't tested on animals, but individual ingredients might use animal testing. The cruelty-free indicator can also apply to a single product from the company and doesn't always mean all the company's products are cruelty-free.