When you are travelling you need a deodorant that can withstand all sorts of weather conditions. Because who wants smelly pits whilst on holiday?
I spend a lot of time in very hot countries, both dry spiky heat and sticky humid heat. When I’m not basking in the heat, I’m back home in the cold grey UK. So I have been able to put these travel-friendly deodorants through their paces.
All of the travel deodorants in this guide have at a minimum been able to keep my pits smelling nice. They are also compact enough to fit inside your hand (or hold) luggage when boarding a plane! Oh, and they are all 100% vegan and sustainable of course!
Please note: Everyone’s pits are unique. What works for one person may not work for another. It has taken months of testing these to find what works best for me. If you purchase one and it stops working, try out another! And if you end up with a spare refill case, pass it on – it could be someone else’s perfect deodorant.
Our top picks
- Best antiperspirant: Make Waves | Skip to review
- Best deodorant balm: AKT | Skip to review
- Best deodorant scents: Wild | Skip to review
- Best probiotic deodorant: Fussy | Skip to review
- Best natural deodorant: Salt of the Earth | Skip to review
Make Waves
- Type: Antiperspirant and natural deodorant
- Applicator: Refillable case
- Scents: Bergamot & Amber, Coconut & Vanilla, Pink Pomegranate, and Sandalwood & Patchouli
- Travel: The deodorant is solid so can be placed inside hand luggage
- White marks: No (unless overapplied)
Make Waves is the first deodorant brand to bring out a natural and eco-friendly antiperspirant. Much like other eco deodorants, you buy a refillable case and top it up with their refill deodorants. Find out more in my Make Waves review.
You can choose from an antiperspirant or natural deodorant refill, but I personally really enjoy using the former. It is by far the best deodorant that I’ve used! Most natural deodorants stop working for me after a few months of use so I end up having to cycle them. But the Make Waves antiperspirant has been holding up well!
I have sensitive pits, and the antiperspirant refill has been getting on absolutely fine with them. But like Wild and Fussy, their natural deodorant contains sodium bicarbonate, which can cause issues with sensitive skin.
Discover more: Read my in-depth SURI Toothbrush review.
AKT
- Type: Natural deodorant balm
- Applicator: Apply with hands or their Gua Sha applicator
- Scents: After Thunder, The Onsen, Halcyon Summers, Columbia Road, Orange Grove, and Unfragranced
- Travel: Each balm contains 50ml which can be taken in hand luggage
- White marks: No
The AKT deodorant range has to be the prettiest I’ve seen. The deodorant itself is also really effective and the scents are luxurious. It comes packaged inside a recyclable aluminium tube and you can buy a metal assistor to help squeeze out every drop of deodorant.
You only need a pea-sized amount of balm to ensure your pits stay fresh. This means you get about 2 to 3 months of use out of each tube. This makes it rather economical and great for travelling with. It is small enough to fit in your hand luggage or toiletry bag.
The deodorant balm is effective, but the scented options contain sodium bicarbonate. So if you have sensitive pits you should try their sensitive balm – SC.00.
Wild
- Type: Natural deodorant
- Applicator: Refillable case
- Scents: Fresh Cotton & Sea Salt, Coconut & Vanilla, Ocean Mist, Thunderstorm, Unscented, limited edition scents, and much more!
- Travel: The deodorant is solid so can be placed inside hand luggage
- White marks: Yes
Wild is probably one of the most well-known eco-friendly deodorant brands out there and for a good reason. They were one of the first to show that it is possible to create a plastic-free refillable deodorant that is 100% vegan. Find out more in my full Wild review.
What I love about Wild is their large variety of scents. They offer regular limited edition scents that keep things exciting, plus they have quite a few of their scents in a sensitive version. If you want to try out their deodorant you don’t have to commit to a case, you can buy their mini travel deodorants.
My biggest gripe with Wild is that it can leave white marks. If you are in a hot country and you are prone to sweating, the deodorant can also drip onto your clothing throughout the day. So, you need to apply small amounts!
Fussy
- Type: Natural deodorant
- Applicator: Refillable case
- Scents: Tropic Tonic, Cloud Nine, Coconut Milk, Parma Violets, Wide Eyed Citrus, Wavy Days Mint, and more
- Travel: The deodorant is solid so can be placed inside hand luggage
- White marks: Yes
Fussy is very similar to other refillable natural deodorants, in that you buy a case that you refill with solid deodorant capsules. The key difference is that their deodorant contains probiotics which can help to fight off any bad smelly bacteria living in your bits!
This is the deodorant of choice for most of my family, but it didn’t work for me. I tested it out for a few months and found myself smelling worse than if I’d not put anything on. This just helps to show how unique each of us is, and that you need to find what works best for you.
Salt of the Earth
- Type: Natural salt crystal
- Applicator: None
- Scents: Unscented
- Travel: The deodorant is solid so can be placed inside hand luggage
- White marks: No
This salt crystal is the deodorant I used to use when I went vegan in 2015. There weren’t a huge variety of deodorants on offer back then and this natural rock worked a charm.
It is the most natural deodorant you can buy. It is quite simply a stick of salt rock. And the rock will last you for years, no kidding. To use it, you either need to wet your armpits or wet the rock and then slide it over your pits. The salts will help to eliminate any bad smells from your pits throughout the day.
I do find this deodorant to be quite effective, but you will need to top it up throughout the day. Especially if you are somewhere hot!
Update: I have recently been testing out Salt of the Earth’s refillable roll-on and have been enjoying it. It keeps me going through the day, but it can leave my pits feeling dry after working out. Check it out here.
Leave a Reply