Public Goods Deodorant Review 2020 | Natural, Cruelty-Free Deodorant
The Top Line:
The Public Goods deodorant is a paraben-free, limited chemical deodorant (note: NOT an antiperspirant) that has the smoothest texture (and no residue!) we have tried. While we do not like the idea of being locked into one brand, a Public Goods membership makes sense if you replace between five and seven regular use items, particularly since the products are reasonably priced (read: budget pricing). The Deodorant ($4.25), is a BUY, if you are looking for limited ingredient deodorant that is still very convenient to apply. The bummer is that it is in a non-refillable container, but it IS made from sugarcane, not petroleum.
Check out our Big Deodorant Roundup Review.
Note: we did a Public Goods Roundup Review here!
The Breakdown:
Cost: Excluding membership, $4.25 for 2.5oz.
How ‘Clean’ Is This? No aluminum compounds, parabens, or alcohol. Biodegradable ingredients and natural fragrance but…
Packaging: Public Goods deodorant is packaged in a sugarcane-sourced plastic case and it is not refillable. Sugarcane based plastic is better than petroleum based plastic because as it grows, it removes CO2 from the environment. Read about it on Public Goods blog here.
Through our research, the alternative is housing deodorant creams in a glass jar and applying with fingers, like some other natural deodorants currently do. However, we get that this may not jive with a quick morning routine — we are still using plastic applicators ourselves.
Purchasing & Shipping: The website is cleanly designed and ordering is a straightforward. The free shipping threshold seems a little on the high side at a minimum of $45.
We almost with the membership fee was waived in lieu of higher individual prices for products.
Good to Know: The Public Goods blog goes out of its way a bit to compare products, reveal ingredients in its content, or even encourage you to not buy deodorant in the first place if you do not need it. No, really. Apparently there are people who biologically do not need deodorant but are still buying it because of advertising. Check it out here on their blog.
Coupons: Two-week free membership with first-time orders. $10 off first time orders if you subscribe to their newsletter.
What’s Your Impact? It’s an improvement: The product is encased in a “better,” sugarcane-based plastic. Additionally, made from more natural ingredients, significantly fewer questionable chemicals (no aluminum, TEA, DEA, parabens) are absorbed into your skin than would be with a standard deodorant/antiperspirant stick. We really like that.
The Efficacy:
Context: We have been trying to ween ourselves away from potentially toxic chemicals for about two years in deodorants.
We’ll be honest: we would not rely on Public Goods, or any natural deodorant at this point, for that big presentation day at work or any other day when we would need to stay dry
That said, for us, Public Goods deodorant does limit some sweating, somehow, so we use it for everyday, normal, less than peak-stressful days
The deodorant does a good job of neutralizing odors, which means we’re happy to apply it before hitting the gym
For those of you who dislike the powdery or cloying smells of some standard deodorants, but still want some scent, we really enjoy this clean, citrus, light spice smell
Solids, creams, gels, roller balls: we have tried them all (on shaven underarms) and nothing compares to the smooth, no-residue application of the Public Goods deodorant
The Cost:
Context: The average user of underarm deodorant/antiperspirant uses between two and twelve sticks per year.
Public Goods Deodorant | $4.25 | Yearly Cost: between $8.50 and $51
Dove | $5.99 | Yearly Cost: between $12 and $72
Old Spice | $5.50 | Yearly Cost: between $11 and $66
Schmidt’s | $6.99 | Yearly Cost: between $14 and $84
Tom’s of Maine | $4.99 | Yearly Cost: between $10 and $60
Native | $11.99 | Yearly Cost: between $24 and $144
Money Thoughts: Public Goods is cheapest among even the most recognizable brands. We didn’t think it was right to compare the ultra-strength antiperspirants here.
The Round Public Goods Deodorant. Sugarcane-based plastic packaging, but no aluminum, paraben, alcohol or phthalates.
The Good:
✔ $4.25 for 2.5oz - the cheapest option
✔ Scent is unisex, very subtle, and clean (light citrus and spice)
✔ Does not leave any residue
✔ Super smooth application, do not have to wait for the product to “warm up” on skin contact
✔ Al- natural fragrance, Paraben-Free, Phthalate-free, Vegan-friendly
✔ Still in a familiar solid, more earth-friendly plastic applicator format for easy application…
The Bad:
✗ Still in a familiar solid applicator that is not refillable
✗ Though considered generally safe for public use (FDA-approved for use in oral medicines etc), includes fossil fuel ingredient Propylene Glycol
✗ The annual membership for those who may not want to commit (first two weeks free, thereafter $59/year)
✗ High free shipping threshold ($45)
Our Recommendation:
Should you buy it? Probably, because it is one of the best textures, neutral scents, and odor blockers that we have tried and even helps us with a little bit of perspiration. So we are going to probably continue using the Public Goods deodorant … while also looking for a deodorant that is refillable or more zero-waste friendly.
We're on a mission to reduce our personal carbon footprint with small, hopefully easy, changes in our home to fight against climate change. This means we're looking for products that may be all natural, ideally zero waste, reusable or compostable -- while still being affordable!
