Review of Terressentials Roll-on Deodorant

As I watched one of my favorite shows, Dirty Jobs, Mike Rowe went to work at Terressentials, an organic product company in nearby Middletown, MD. I watched in delight, and the next week my husband drove me to their location where I purchased some products, one of them being their Super Protection Deodorant.

The store was full of fun items, and I was like a kid in a candy store.  I knew I wanted to try their deodorant, so it was the first thing I grabbed.  I was able to smell all four of their fragrances, and the Organic Zesty Citrus scent was the one that appealed to me the most.  It is a spicy-type citrus, lemony but not in a traditional way.  The first time I applied it, it left a whitish mark as it dried, but since then it has always dried with no mark.  I would categorize this as a deodorant that dries clear.

The product rolls on easily, and is comfortable once applied.  I did have one painful experience with this product when I applied it to an armpit that was already irritated because I had scrubbed it too hard prior to application.  The deodorant stung when I applied it to the irritated skin, but the burning sensation stopped when I washed it off with water.  The label says not to apply to irritated skin, and I concur.  The next day I applied it with no discomfort.

I have used this product daily for three weeks and it has worked well every day.  Periodically I will do a “sniff test”, especially in the first week, and during the first 12 hours it has always smelled like the deodorant or nothing at all.  One day I decided to apply it to only one underarm before I went hiking, to use the other underarm as a control.  I applied it at 9 am and left at 10 am.  The hike was in the woods, but it was about 88 degrees out, so I got a bit sweaty, especially when my 15 month old wanted to be carried.  We stopped to play in a creek at about 11:15, and I found there was a slight odor coming from my “control” underarm while the deodorized armpit still smelled fresh.  By the end of the hike at 1 pm I really wished I had just applied the Zesty Citrus to both underarms, because I was a bit self-conscious about the smell of the other pit.

This product is certified organic by the Maryland Department of Agriculture and bears the USDA seal.  This means there has been an on-site inspection as well as annual visits to re-inspect.  The ingredients in this deodorant are:  Organic aloe vera juice°, mineral blend, baking soda, organic extract° of wildcrafted usnea, organic extracts° of organic yucca° and organic white willow°, essential oils of organic sweet orange°, organic lemon°, organic true lavender°, organic rosemary°, organic ginger°, organic tea tree°, organic clove bud°, organic bergamot°, organic ylang ylang° and organic eucalyptus°.  °USDA Certified Organic.

For those who have very sensitive skin, Terressentials makes a fragrance-free product that has none of the essential oils in the list above.  This product has been hazard rated by the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database.  The product is rated a 3/10, with a 10 representing the greatest concern.   I was surprised that it had such a high level of concern, so read the report thoroughly.  The ingredients that brought up the EWG’s score were the ethanol used in tincture of some ingredients, baking soda, clay minerals (rated highly because the content is considered unknown) , and lavender.

I am very pleased with this product.  It works very well for a natural deodorant and I like the fact that the company took the time to go though the organic certification process.  I also have not had any sensitivities that were the result of this product, which is often a concern with deodorants.  This is a product I will continue to use and buy.

Pros

• Great citrus smell
• Good consistency to the roll-on
• No white marks
• Maintains scent for several hours
• Available in a 3 oz container

Cons

• Uncomfortable on irritated skin