A True and Unbiased Review: Bend Soap Natural Deodorant

I expressed my frustration with natural deodorants (looking at you, Tom’s) to the Bend Soap team when they were in the early stages of developing a new formula, and this got me on their testers list. No shade to the natural deodorant brands out there, but most of them just didn’t work for me. I’ve heard from some people that Tom’s and other brands have been sufficient, but for me? Nothing worked. 

Some natural deodorants even had the unfortunate outcome of making me smell worse, so I was beyond excited when I was offered the opportunity to be a tester for Bend Soap’s new line of deodorants! 

Here’s my unbiased experience as a tester, including the good, the bad, and the smelly. 

The Blind Smell Test 

I didn’t really know what to expect when I received the box of deodorants. They all arrived without any kind of label other than A, B, C, D, and E. 

I immediately jumped in, smelling each one. I already knew that these deodorants would be aluminum free, so I was most excited about the different scents. I have a fine-tuned sense of smell (which is not the super-power you might think it is). The first three each smelled of lavender, with differing potency. When I later found out that the blend was Vanilla Lavender, I was surprised because I hadn’t picked up on the vanilla. However, I’ve always been more sensitive to the scent of lavender, so it’s personally difficult for me to distinguish other smells once I’ve caught a hint of it. 

Deodorant D had a darker color consistency, but I didn’t smell anything. At first I thought my sniffer was broken after all the deep inhales of the lavender line, but it turned out to be the unscented natural deodorant offering. 

Last but not least was option E. It was love at first sniff! This one had a very soft scent that was less heavy on the florals and had a slightly sweet earthiness to it. I later came to find out that it was Apricot Blossom. The fragrance here is very subtle, which I found more my speed. 

Consistent Consistency 

Maybe the most impressive aspect of the Bend Soap natural deodorant line is just how smoothly it glides on. I’ve been using deodorant since I was a teen, and regardless of the brand - natural or not - I’ve only ever encountered chalky consistency. I once ventured into the realm of gel glide-on deodorant and found it to be unpleasantly cold and…wet. 

The Bend Soap natural deodorant slid onto my skin almost as though it were a more fluid type of beeswax. There was no white residue on my skin OR my clothes, a point I had to explain in great detail to my husband was a PERK for anyone who wears darker colors. I’m personally notorious for applying deodorant straight out of the shower only to give every black garment deodorant-zebra stripes when pulling them over my head. 

The formula Bend Soap uses, both in its opaque and transparent deodorants, makes them slide on clear without any build-up. 

The Most Important Question…How Did They Hold Up?

Here’s how I’d rate the different scents out of 10:

Keeping in mind that all product testing is subjective and dependent on so many personal factors, I felt that there was a clear winner though each had its own strengths. 

Overall, each deodorant consistency was excellent regardless of it’s label. 

Vanilla Lavender 

I found I rated Vanilla Lavender slightly lower (despite my attempts to be unbiased) because I personally don’t like the way my sweat smells when combined with overly floral elements. However, because of it’s potency, I rated this one the highest when it came to having to reapply because I felt it had the longest endurance quality. 

Unscented 

I wish I had liked this one more, but I have the unfortunate quality of having very pungent sweat (too much garlic, I’m told!) I gave the unscented option a run for its money, but it didn’t quite work for me.

That being said, after a few days of vigorously applying the Unscented deodorant to no avail, I cleaned it off and gave it to my husband - who apparently naturally smells like roses. He doesn’t have very strong body odor, and he gave the Unscented option a whopping 10 out of 10 across the board! 

Apricot Blossom 

This one was a stand out for me. I loved the soft subtle scent from the start, and the subtlety of its earthy florals mixed with perspiration only emanated a mellow scent. I did have to reapply once during the day, which I didn’t consider a major deal-breaker as I’m living in Texas where the temps regularly exceed triple digits. 

The Clear Winner 

After finding something positive about each one, I think there’s a Bend Soap natural deodorant option out there that can suit anyone - it just depends on your personal scent profile and perspiration needs. 

For me? Bend Soap’s Apricot Blossom natural deodorant was such a clear winner that I made sure I had it on me at all times this summer - yes, even across the ocean to Italy!