Category: Tips

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Native Deodorant is the deodorant you didn’t know you needed.

Native Deodorant by Gaby Zagoridis

Here’s the deal, Native Deodorant actually works better than I remember any deodorant working for me.  It goes on relatively smoothly, they have some really cool scents and it keeps me dry – without needing to rely on Aluminium or Talc.

Why use Native Deodorant:

Sure there was that time in high school where all of us were more a collective cloud of Lynx and Impulse sprays than we were people. Back then it didn’t matter how much you had sweat as there were layers of protection designed to mask it. Then we moved on to the more sophisticated Rexona where sweat wasn’t supposed to occur since you were using the antiperspirant but somehow a bunch of people still ended up with yellow pit stains anyway.

Here’s where Native comes in.

Instead of masking the odours or clogging up your sweat glands with aluminium, Native uses “baking soda to neutralize odors, arrowroot powder to absorb moisture and acidophilus to eliminate odor-causing fungi, yeast, and bacteria” and let me tell you it works.

My referral link for a free travel sized deodorant: https://refer.nativecos.com/x/Ht8nRB

I’ve been using Native for nearly 2 weeks now after switching to ‘natural’ deodorants for about 3 years and not using anything with aluminium in it (unless I was desperate) for about 8 years. With the exception of one aluminium-free Rexona deodorant that I could only ever find at one specific chemist, I have been disappointed in my deodorant for 8 years.

The worst offenders:

  • are sprays or occasionally a really watery roll on that have you fanning your underarms as you walk around the house hoping for them to somewhat dry before you finish getting dressed. Or give up and acknowledge your shirt is going to be reasonably wet before you even start sweating.
  • require a reapplication after 1-2 hours.
  • make you wonder how there are people out there who never sweat and if you can become one of them.

By comparison Native is:

  • that weird American style deodorant block thing but goes on smooth and dry.
  • doesn’t require reapplication.
  • makes you feel like you don’t sweat! (At least under your arms anyway)

Other benefits include:

  • free shipping and free returns! (Though mine did take just shy of a month to arrive, so I would definitely re-order before you run out)
  • funny emails that make you feel like you are the only customer that matters to them, even if you know that it’s just a mass email template.

My most sweat filled day that Native held up against like a pro:

  • an hour long body pump class
  • the world’s most terrifying bike ride to work (you try not riding a bike for 12 years, the subsequent terror is real)
  • a 3.5 hour shift at after school care with over 100 kids in what is basically a stuffy tin shed
  • dinner and a movie

And all of that was in one day with no reapplication and no body odour at the end of it. It has honestly been life changing, I didn’t even know I spent so much time worried about body odour until I didn’t have to any more.

The Scents

When I ordered my first lot of Native Deodorant, I didn’t know what scents I wanted so I figured I’d buy the classic women’s pack and add on two travel sized deodorants (from the sensitive range just in case).

Then in true Gaby fashion, I conducted a weird experiment.

I wanted to see not only how well the deodorant did but also how the various scents held up against each other. Now a normal person might try to find four upcoming days with a fairly similar structure to compare the deodorants from day to day. Instead I wore 1 scent on one armpit and another on the other, and made my friends and family sniff my armpits throughout the two (technically 3) days.

The results:

Unscented deodorant: after 8 hours still holding strong with no body odour seeping through.

The unscented deodorant is just that. There’s just nothing there – no body odour and no fruity deodorant, so if you like your deodorant to be as subtle as a cat burglar go for this one.

The subtle scented deodorants:
Cotton & Lily and Coconut & Vanilla. Like the unscented deodorant I had no body odour after 8 hours of wear but by about hour 6 the scents of the deodorants themselves had basically disappeared.

The Cotton & Lily did seem to last a little bit longer but that could be that that it reminded me of that scent of really clean sheets and so stuck in my mind even after the scent disappeared. My cat also seemed interested in that one as she spent the time between me taking off my shirt and putting the laundry on just sniffing at it.

The Coconut & Vanilla one should have been one that I loved (and it is considered one of Native’s best sellers) but it just brought to mind the absolute mess of a time I had with one of the DIY natural deodorants 2 years ago and apparently that unease to trust anything coconut scented has remained. That being said it is a really nice scent and my mum has had exceptional results while using it.

The strong scented deodorants:
Pear & Lavender and  Lavender & Rose continued to ward off the body odour at 10+ hours of wear and still had a bit of their scent left.

Pear & Lavender is my absolute favourite. As my dad said, it is something that you would think shouldn’t go well together but actually smells really pleasant. I’m not sure if it actually smells like pear and lavender mixed together but it makes me happy and isn’t that what you want in a deodorant?

My mum and sister both found the Lavender & Rose to be the most appealing out of the scents (though mum found the Coconut & Vanilla one appealing as well). I personally found the Lavender & Rose to be a bit too overpowering for me but that’s why the fact that Native has such a range of scents is so great.

The sensitive option:

As I have a history of reacting to products like shampoos, conditioners, body washes, lotions, hair removal products and many, many more (including deodorant) the fact that the scents I prefer are part of the sensitive range works in my favour and I’d recommend maybe trying them or buying the classic pack (which comes with 2 sensitive and 1 non-sensitive) if your skin is similarly inclined to hate anything chemical.

Either way have fun on your deodorant journey,

Gaby

My referral link for the both of us to receive a free travel sized deodorant: https://refer.nativecos.com/x/Ht8nRB 

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Zoo Friends Membership at Taronga Zoo

Elephant at Taronga Zoo by Gaby Zagoridis

If you’re like me and enjoy going to the zoo, Zoo Friends is the way to go.

Why I’m a Zoo Friends Member:

  1. Cost of entry:

    While the cost of entry for a one time visit may not be something you’re all too excited to spend when you’re a relatively broke twenty-three year old, the zoo friends membership is truly something worth buying, especially once you realise that if you go more than twice a year you’ve already saved money. The price of the membership helps fund Taronga Zoo and their conservation projects, which makes me feel like my money is worth something.

  2. Kids go free:

    Not just the usual under 4 years old either.

    In 2017, Taronga Zoo introduced a new sign up system where each paying adult or concession can have up to two children (under 16) added to their membership. Keep in mind these two children have to be the same two children for the duration of that membership, so it’s not a transferrable guest pass.

    Despite that small concession, it works out that if bought online 2 Adults and 4 Children could visit the zoo for a year for $198. Split evenly that works out to $33 per person and if you pack your own lunch it is quite a reasonable expense for a single day out, let alone unlimited days out for the year.

  3. Freedom to leave:

    After watching a mother at Disney Word try to get her children to behave by threatening to leave even though they’d just arrived, I appreciate the sense of security that Zoo Friends gives you. While you likely wouldn’t follow through on that threat unless you had an annual pass to Disney, it’s the same thing with the zoo. By having the Zoo Friends membership if you happen to go on an off day (whether it is an off day for yourself, the people your with, the animals or the weather) you can leave with absolutely no worries about how much that visit just cost you – except maybe petrol and parking or public transport costs.

  4. Parking:

    Having spent 1 hour waiting to get on the ferry because so many people were trying to leave the zoo at the same time, I have a new appreciation for driving to the zoo. Yes the ferry brings with it it’s own excitement but once you’ve done that enough times, parking for (I believe) a $12 flat fee is something I will be eternally grateful for. Especially as it allows the tired zoo trekkers to fall asleep without having to worry about herding them on and off the ferry and subsequent other transportation.

  5. Discounted prices around the zoo:

    There’s something weird about having fish and chips at the aquarium but I have no such qualms at the zoo, I generally split the adult serving between myself and another adult or myself and two kids because I find it is too much food for me. Despite this reducing the cost of the meal I do appreciate the 10% off food that Zoo Friends provides. I am also definitely a fan of the 15% off the Zoo Shops because one of my little cousins seems to live for the souvenir shop whenever we go somewhere.

  6. Free admission to other zoos:

    Not only does Zoo Friends give you free admission to Taronga Zoo and Western Plains Zoo, you also get free admission to Adelaide, Melbourne, and Perth Zoos. (Note: the free child pass does not transfer in Perth and Adelaide.)

    While you will have to pay for your transport and lodging (unless you’ve got some very nice friends) having the ability to go to something for free in another city is always something I enjoy.

The Takeaway

While these are some very nice perks for me it always comes back to cost per visit, for as long as I know I’m going to visit the zoo a few times a year I will be a zoo friends member and if it suits you I’d definitely recommend it too.

See you next time,

Gaby