A review of Ethique deodorant, its sustainability, and the science behind its claims
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Botanica is a vanilla and lavender-scented solid deodorant bar. Botanica comes in a compostable cardboard box. (2022 Update: you can now get Ethique deodorant in a cardboard tube.) You apply by rubbing one end of the bar onto armpits. The deodorant bars also come in Rustic (lime, cedar, and eucalyptus-scented) and Minimalist (unscented). United States customers can purchase it from Amazon and at some Target stores.
Sustainability
When it comes to sustainability, Ethique gets top marks, which is one reason why it is my first review. I am still developing the sustainability standards I will use to evaluate products. Whatever criteria I decide on, I’m pretty confident Ethique will meet most, if not all. Ethique is climate neutral, vegan, PETA-certified, cruelty-free, and plastic-free. As far as I can tell, none of their products contain water. All packaging is compostable. Yes, ALL packaging! They only use renewable sources. Paper only comes from PEFC certified forests. Ethique is currently certified palm-oil free but supports harvesting sustainable palm oil efforts. They employ fair trade practices, such as paying farmers fair prices. Ethique isn’t just B Corp certified but made the Best for Community in 2019 and 2021 and Best for Overall lists in 2018 and 2019. Oh, and they donate 20% of profits. I could go on.
Claims
Botanica’s highlighted ingredients are bamboo (Bambusa arundinacea) extract, magnesium hydroxide, zinc oxide, and jojoba esters. To verify these claims, I looked only at patents and scholarly sources. I must see that it has been studied in the science community and backed by quality research to accept a claim. Magnesium hydroxide and zinc oxide control bacteria, the main culprit for body odor. There is evidence to support this claim. The use of jojoba as a moisturizer is also well documented.
Ethique claims that bamboo extract “absorbs 200% its own weight in sweat and oil.” I found sources that stated bamboo was used in deodorants, but no reliable sources supported this claim. Ethique sent me information regarding GREENSIL, the bamboo powder they use. However, the results appeared to be from a test conducted by the manufacturer of GREENSIL and included no details of the tests.
Review
It is essential to remember the difference between deodorants and antiperspirants when considering deodorants. Antiperspirants decrease sweat by blocking sweat pores. Deodorants work by controlling the bacteria that cause body odor. With deodorant, you will still sweat, but your body odor will be improved because the deodorant inhibits the bacteria that cause the odor. That being said, Botanica is an effective deodorant. It has a light, pleasant scent, and I have had no problems with body odor when using it. Of course, I have yet to try it in a Texas summer. I suspect in the summer, or anytime you sweat more than usual, a second application will be needed.
Would I Buy Again
Yes, I have been pleased with Botanica and I am eager to try other Ethique products.
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