Natural deodorants and I have a love-hate relationship. I'm a big fan of going clean across my entire beauty routine, but
better-for-you antiperspirants don't exactly have a stellar rep for keeping me smelling my best from start to finish of a sweaty workout. Which is why, when I came across a natural option
made with CBD (the non-psychoactive compound in cannabis plants), I laughed. As in haha, CBD: If you think you can handle my workout BO, go ahead, give it your best shot.
On a morning when I've penciled in a HIIT-style treadmill session, I slip on my workout outfit and spritz the product, which is Apothecanna's "Everyday Deodorant Spray" ($26), under my arms. Along with cannabis, the formula contains zinc ricinoleate (the primary ingredient that keeps odor at bay), mandarin, geranium, and cedar. So the scent that now permeates the air around me is crisp and earthy rather than artificially floral like my usual deodorant. Honestly, if I had to name the scent, I'd call it eau de woodland fairy. "Sure, I smell great now," I think. "But after one sprint on the treadmill, I'll be regretting this decision." Oh, how wrong I was.
Haha, CBD: If you think you can handle my workout BO, go ahead, give it your best shot.
The product works so well that get this: I forget that I'm wearing it. I make it through my 40-minute workout, dripping head-to-toe in sweat. And it's only during my cool down, when I'm spending some QT with the gym foam roller, that I remember to give my armpits an incognito sniff. I lift my arm to take the most subtle inhale and, aha!, I still smell the way I did 4 miles earlier. It's a small miracle. By the time I unlace my shoes, however, I'm kind of wondering why the CBD concoction worked so well. And by this I mean: Why I should be rubbing it in the nether-regions of arms? To get some clarity, I ask co-founder of Apothecanna, Joie Meffert, to explain.
"To us, it’s all about how the ingredients work together. The CBD and zinc ricinoleate act to neutralize odor and soothe your skin," she tells me. "Mandarin geranium and cedar keep you smelling fresh." The ingredient has also has antibacterial properties that help fight odor. Plus, because it's a powerful anti-inflammatory, it soothes the irritation that can result from razor burn.
Needless to say, a natural deodorant has finally earned a permanent spot in my gym bag.
One writer tried a CBD facial and this is what happened to her complexion afterward. Plus, cannabis-based products designed to target your achy muscles.
