Routine is a small Canadian company specializing in all natural deodorant with a number of formulas (baking soda, reduced baking soda, baking soda free, vegan) and many different scents, so there is a routine for everyone.

After using conventional antiperspirant and making the switch to an all natural deodorant, the Akita roll-on, I was looking for something where the scent would last longer. I’ve never had skin sensitivity, so ordered from Routine’s baking soda line, Like a Boss and Sweet Jane. These also contain clay and beeswax.

Like a Boss ingredients: cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), zea mays (corn, non-gmo) starch, kaolinite (kaolin clay), cera alba (canadian ethical beeswax), theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), calendula officinalis (marigold) infused olea europaea (olive) oil, tocopherol (vitamin e), citrus aurantium bergamia (bergamot) fruit oil, lavandula officinalis (lavender) oil, pelargonium roseum asperum (rose geranium) oil, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil, citrus reticulata (mandarin) oil, citrus sinensis (sweet orange) oil, mentha viridian (spearmint) leaf oil.

Sweet Jane ingredients: cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), zea mays (corn, non-gmo) starch, kaolinite (kaolin clay), cera alba (canadian ethical beeswax), butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), calendula officinalis (marigold) infused olea europaea (olive) oil, tocopherol (vitamin e), theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter, flavor (organic vanilla, pear), vanilla planifolia oil, citrus medica limonum (lemon) peel oil, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract.

Like a Boss is a unisex, stronger smelling deodorant that I bought for use at the gym. I was worried it might smell too masculine, but I found it just fine for me, smelling like geraniums with an undercurrent of rosemary. Sweet Jane smells like brown sugar and vanilla cupcakes. Both of these contain kaolin clay that helps absorb a bit of sweat, and beeswax. They are both quite solid, with a bit of powdery grittiness from the baking soda.

After about a month of using the baking soda formula, my underarms turned very dark with what looked like thickened skin. I was surprised, as I had no redness or itchiness; symptoms that might be linked to sensitivity. I emailed the company asking if this might be due to the baking soda, which they confirmed it might be, and kindly sent me a sample of the reduced baking soda line, Superstar, and the baking soda free, The Curator.

Superstar is made with charcoal, prebiotics and reduced baking soda. The scent comes from the tonka bean, and smells like vanilla and a bit spicy, kind of like cinnamon. This is my favorite scent of the deodorants I’ve tried thus far. Superstar has a creamy, smooth texture that is dark grey in color, but doesn’t turn the underarms grey.

Superstar ingredients: cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, magnesium hydroxide (dietary magnesium), kaolinite (kaolin clay), zea mays (corn, non-gmo) starch, maranta arundinacea (arrowroot powder), cera alba (canadian ethical beeswax), sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), calendula officinalis (marigold) infused olea europaea (olive) oil, tocopherol (vitamin e), activated charcoal, inulin alpha-glucan oligosaccharide (prebiotic), cetearyl olivate (and) sorbitan olivate (natural olive based stabilizer), brassica glycerides (natural cruciferous vegetable emulsifier), pogostemon cablin (patchouli) oil, vanilla planifolia, elettaria cardamomum (cardamom), vetiveria zizanioides (vetiver) root oil, dipteryx odorata (tonka bean), roseum asperum (rose geranium) oil, salvia sclarea (clary sage) oil, melaleuca ericifolia rosalina) oil, piper nigrum (black pepper) oil, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract.

I just want to point out that topical activated charcoal doesn’t detoxify skin.

The Curator is baking soda free (the baking soda is replaced with magnesium) and smells like marigolds and eucalyptus. This is a good deodorant to use while at the gym. It feels more smooth going on than the bit of grittiness in the baking soda formulas.

The Curator ingredients: cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, magnesium hydroxide (dietary magnesium), kaolinite (kaolin clay), zea mays (corn, non-gmo) starch, maranta arundinacea (arrowroot powder), cera alba (canadian ethical beeswax), theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), calendula officinalis (marigold) infused olea europaea (olive) oil, tocopherol (vitamin e), cetearyl olivate (and) sorbitan olivate (natural olive based stabilizer), brassica glycerides (natural cruciferous vegetable emulsifier), eucalyptus globulus leaf (eucalyptus) oil, aurantium bergamia (bergamot) fruit oil, pogostemon cablin (patchouli) oil, pelargonium roseum asperum (rose geranium) oil, tsuga canadensis leaf (black spruce) oil, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract.

I also ordered a couple samples to try, A Girl Named Sue (reduced baking soda) and Blackberry Betty (baking soda free). A Girl Named Sue smells like raspberries and sage and Blackberry Betty smells like blackberries.

I use a pea-sized amount rubbed onto the underarms. As for residue, I find that this de-odor-cream will leave white marks on clothes unless it is left on for a minute to be warmed up by the underarms and rubbed in a bit more.

For each deodorant I tried, I used one application in a number of different scenarios; at the office, at the gym, out hiking in 30ºC full sun weather, to get a sense of how well each deodorant worked. The scent of the deodorants lasted 10 to 12 hours in an office setting. I applied before the gym and a hike and the scent lasted through those, with fade of the lighter scented ones, A Girl Named Sue, Superstar and Blackberry Betty. Even though these scents faded, my underarms didn’t smell like sweat at the end of the day. While the clay in the deodorants absorbed a bit of wetness, this isn’t an antiperspirant, so I still felt some moisture. I found as well that if, for example, I woke up sweaty and stinky, once I put the Routine deodorant on, the sweat smell was gone; not just covered up (as I’ve found to be the case with conventional antiperspirants). I applied before going to bed, hoping it would mitigate the sweaty smell when I woke up; it did not.

My favorite combination I’m using now is a half pea size of The Curator and a half pea size of a Girl Named Sue. It’s a great combination that provides a more feminine scent without the fade of a lighter scented deodorant for days when I need a bit more sweat smell protection, like at the gym.

I’ve already made a repurchase of Routine cream and will continue to do so.

Thank you for reading.