Sometimes, I wonder if the whole concept of natural deodorant is one big scam, purely because some of the products I've tried seem to CREATE B.O. rather than chase it away. (I'm looking at you, <a href="http://www.tomsofmaine.com/products/deodorant.aspx" target="_blank">Tom's of Maine</a>.) After doing a handful of interviews on the whole do-antiperspirants-cause-cancer subject over the years, I hate the thought of rubbing aluminum, parabens and other chemicals on my armpits every day. (The jury's still out, but didn't doctors also once tell us that smoking was harmless?)

Anyway, given my career of choice, it's become one of my product-finding missions to locate natural deodorants that actually perform better than simple soap and water. (Not that I'm knocking soap and water, actually. Since I'm chained to my computer most of the time, it's not like I'm really<em> sweating</em> that much... it's more of a mental, beauty editor thing that I need an additional product for that, er, area.)

There are VERY FEW natural deos that are in my inner circle: <a href="http://usa.weleda.com/our-products/shop/wild-rose-deodorant.aspx" target="_blank">Weleda</a>, of course (Kate Hudson once famously used it as a styling spray), <a href="http://www.origins.com/templates/products/sp_nonshaded.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY13684&amp;PRODUCT_ID=PROD13478" target="_blank">Origins Organics</a>, and now, a new product from Nuxe called <a href="http://en.nuxe.com/les-soins/tonific-deodorant-fiche-62.html" target="_blank">Tonific Deodorant</a>. It uses coconut oil and corn powder to absorb and neutralize sweat and odour, while Brazilian mimosa reduces perspiration. It's not sticky, smells fresh (think lemon, orange, jasmine and cedarwood) and seems to last a really, really long time. Bonus: no aluminum or parabens.

<em>Priced at $18 for a 50 mL roll-on and available at Ogilvy and The Bay stores across Canada.</em>