Some people are afraid of clowns or heights, but I fear stinky armpits. That’s why I’ve been a diehard antiperspirant user my entire life. As a long-time beauty editor, I’ve tested practically every type of antiperspirant and deodorant out there with zero trepidation—except for the natural ones. But since the natural deodorant category is more popular than ever and it’s my literal job to test and vet beauty products, I put two crowd-pleasing favorites, Native and Lumē, in a head-to-head battle.
Was I nervous that my biggest fear would come true during the weeks of testing? Yep. Did it? Read on to find out—and see which natural deo came out on top between Native vs. Lumē.
About Native deodorant:
Native was founded in 2015 and burst onto the scene with clean, simple products crafted from naturally derived ingredients. Their deodorant sticks originally launched with the brand, and the formulas have been updated over the years, plus they’ve introduced new formats. But one thing hasn’t changed: they’ve always been free of aluminum, parabens, sulfates, and phthalates. The brand has earned a following for its creative scents and whimsical limited-edition collections (Girl Scout cookies, anyone?).
About Lumē deodorant:
Instead of covering it up with fragrance, Lumē is all about stopping odor before it even starts, blocking it with mandelic acid, a gentle alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that nixes the bacteria that cause odor. The brand was founded by Dr. Shannon Klingman, an OB/GYN who was tired of seeing women receiving misdiagnoses for odor concerns. Determined to find an answer for them, she created a safe, low-pH formula to nourish the skin’s acid mantle and use anywhere on the body, from the underarms to intimate spots. Lumē is always free of parabens, phthalates, dyes, and baking soda, plus it’s vegan and cruelty-free.
Native vs. Lumē Deodorant Sticks: My Reviews
Their OG aluminum-free deo, the Native Deodorant Stick, boasts 72-hour odor protection. Though I didn’t go nearly that long between my daily showers to truly put that claim to the test, I found that even after a sweaty barre class, I still felt (and smelled!) pretty fresh. The stick was smooth and easy to swipe on, and it went on relatively clear, too. It felt very light on my skin, and my skin felt noticeably softer after application, which I’ll credit to the formula’s nourishing ingredients including shea butter and coconut oil.
The Native deodorant stick comes in 27 scents, plus limited-edition ones throughout the year. I liked all the fragrances I tried, especially Cedarwood & Bergamot, which felt very unisex with a woody but fresh ambiance. Native also offers a Sensitive Deodorant Stick for those with delicate pits. t’s available in four scents sans aluminum, baking soda, or parabens. I found this one to be just as effective as the non-sensitive version.
I immediately put the Lumē through the wringer on its first day by wearing it to a sweaty workout. Also claiming 72-hour protection, I was pleasantly surprised that I left the gym feeling fresh as a daisy. My go-to scent was Vanilla Bliss—I liked that it smells like natural vanilla extract instead of the cloying dessert-like note that vanilla can often veer toward. The stick formula is a little thicker and heavier than Native’s, but it also cocoons the skin. It did rub off on my clothes on one occasion, but to be fair, I was wearing a thick black fabric.
Native vs. Lumē Deodorant Sprays: My Reviews
The first thing that impressed me about the Native Deodorant Invisible Spray is how fine its mist is. It felt refreshing on my skin, dried quickly, didn’t leave any residue, and it never felt soggy, as some spray deodorants can be. Also promising to deliver 72 hours of odor control, once again, I wore it to a tough barre class and didn’t feel nervous that it was going to give up on me at the barre. It comes in 10 classic scents plus limited-edition ones. I like the Lilac & White Tea scent for being very light and refreshing. Native also offers a Whole Body Deodorant Spray in four scents that’s safe to apply on the feet and other stinky spots, and it kept me fresh without leaving a white residue. The spray is powered by nitrogen instead of chemical propellants, a big bonus for Mother Earth.
I liked that the Lumē Whole Body Deodorant Invisible Spray could be used all over the body. Though the spray wasn’t quite as fine as Native’s and took a teensy bit longer to dry, we’re basically talking milliseconds here. It held up on a super-hot feels-like-summer-but-it’s-still spring day and was comfortable to wear all day. The Vanilla Bliss scent was just as nice in spray format.
Final Verdict:
TBH, I went into this faceoff with my antiperspirant on standby, but I never ended up needing it. Both Native and Lumē stood up to my sweat at the gym and on unseasonably hot, long days. I was very impressed.
Deciding between Native vs. Lumē really comes down to personal preference. I liked the wide fragrance of offerings from Native a lot, including options like Santal Leather, Coconut & Vanilla, Cucumber & Mint, and Sandalwood & Shea Butter. Both the sprays and sticks were comfortable to wear.
As for Lumē, though the scents aren’t as wide-ranging or elevated, I like that they were simple and subtle (shoutout to Toasted Coconut). The science behind the AHA-forward formula really seems to work to stop smells before they start, which I was obviously a fan of. Though the formulas are slightly heavier, they’re still comfy to wear.
Why trust Cosmopolitan?
Celia Shatzman (she/her) is a Brooklyn-based journalist who has covered beauty for two decades and was an antiperspirant diehard who was afraid to try clean deodorants. Writing this story changed her mind about them.
Celia Shatzman (she/her) is a Brooklyn-based writer and editor who has penned stories on topics ranging from beauty to fashion, travel, celebrities, health, entertainment, finance and more. A graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, she is a beauty and style contributor at Forbes and her work has appeared in New York, Cosmopolitan, WWD, ELLE, Conde Nast Traveler, Afar, Travel + Leisure, Women’s Health, Marie Claire, Byrdie, Refinery29 and NYLON, among others.
