MUCH OF MY life is spent damp. I’m a heavy sweater in a walkable city: Days consist of traversing streets, packing into musky subway cars, and working in a stuffy office. It’s true people move fast in New York City (but we’re nice here), and haste only exacerbates my problem. Summer was spent commuting in one shirt and changing as soon as I arrived at work. For those who glisten, count your blessings; to those who sweat, you know the plight.
Deodorant is the solution to swelter, and for years I used Old Spice Wilderness. I loved the strong lavender scent and the clear stick that went on smoothly. Its formula promised zero aluminum, parabens, or dyes and didn’t irritate my skin. That is, until last April.
My old reliable had turned on me, causing a burning, itchy rash under both of my arms. Whether the culprit was a change in me or the formula, who’s to say? I just knew I was entering the hottest season of the year without a reliable stick of deodorant.
My preconceived notions of natural deodorant was they don’t irritate your skin, but they’re not as effective, especially for real sweaters like myself. I put my implicit trust in Grooming Editor Sean Zucker and went with his number one recommendation, Salt & Stone.
While Zucker is a fan of the Santal and Vetiver Scent, I opted for the Black Rose and Oud. I loved the floral lavender of my Old Spice and wanted something similar. However, Salt & Stone’s version is a complex, cologne-level scent I didn’t expect to enjoy this much. At first swipe, I’m kissed from the rose (scent) much like Seal, which settles nicely as the day goes on. It’s strong without overpowering my Irfe cologne, and I can still catch a whiff of it at the end of the day.
As much as I love the scent—and now want my entire apartment to smell like it—my biggest worry was the sweat. As Zucker notes, “deodorants do not block sweat; they mask body odor,” and if you want an antiperspirant, “aluminum is required to plug sweat glands”.
Maybe I’m just lucky, but Salt & Stone does a pretty good job of keeping dampness at bay. I still sweat, but it’s nothing extraordinarily obtrusive like I expected when switching to a natural deodorant. Applying Salt & Stone in the morning and after my nightly shower kept me fresh and (mostly) dry throughout summer.
I had an old boss who loved the adage “good shit ain’t cheap, cheap shit ain’t good” (shoutout Jason at Reserve Supply Company, go tell him what’s up). At $20, Salt & Stone costs more than Old Spice, but it’s worth it: I’m rash-free, sweat-free, and smell great no matter how many subway stairs I’ve climbed or how stuffy the office may be. It’s also opened my eyes to an entire olfactive wonderland of colognes, scent wardrobes, and the art of smelling fresh.
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Danny Perez is a Reviews Editor for Popular Mechanics with a focus on men’s style, gear, and home goods. Recently, he was coordinator of partnership content at another product journalism outlet. Prior to that, he was a buyer for an independent men’s shop in Houston, Texas, where he learned all about what makes great products great. He enjoys thrifting for 90s Broadway tees and vintage pajama sets. His spare time is occupied by watching movies and running to impress strangers on Strava.
Sean Zucker is the Grooming and Reviews Editor at Men’s Health. He brings over half a decade of experience covering health, wellness, and lifestyle. When Sean’s not writing about hair products, you can find him running for exercise, or toward the nearest food truck.
