Hey Humans Deodorant is branded with a luxury feel but priced very affordably. Their deodorant is “naturally derived” using “safe, effective formulas” and “99% plastic free packaging.”
But is Hey Humans deodorant actually healthier than drugstore deodorant? Does it have research-backed ingredients for odor-blocking? Does it have any unhealthy ingredients? And is it better or worse than other "healthy" deodorant brands like Native Deodorant?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Hey Humans Deodorant to give our take on whether or not it's likely to be effective, and whether or not it's healthy.
We'll also compare Hey Humans to drugstore deodorant brands like Degree, as well as "healthy" deodorant brands like Native, to pick our winners (and losers).
Key takeaways:
- Contains research-backed ingredients for odor-blocking
- Contains fragrance, which we consider unhealthy
- We do not currently recommend Hey Humans Deodorant
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in the Rosewater Ginger scent of Hey Humans Deodorant are shown below:
This deodorant contains several natural, research-backed ingredients for odor control.
Sodium bicarbonate, better known as baking soda, is a well-studied ingredient for neutralizing odor which is why it’s often included in dish detergent.
A 2015 clinical trial found that this ingredient reduced odor by up to 70% in industrial settings.
Coconut oil is one of the most effective natural antibacterial and antifungal agents.
A clinical trial published in the Scientific Reports journal found that coconut oil reduced levels of harmful bacteria and increased levels of healthy bacteria when applied to the skin.
Arrow root powder is a natural deodorizer and is used as a non-toxic, botanical alternative to talc, as we documented in our review of Lume Deodorant.
Zinc ricinoleate is a zinc salt that was shown in a clinical trial to reduce underarm odor for up to 24 hours.
Clearly this formulation contains a number of effective, natural, odor-blocking ingredients, but it also includes one ingredient we recommend avoiding.
Fragrance is included in all Hey Humans deodorant scents at the time of updating this article, and the chemical compounds used to create cosmetic fragrances may be harmful to human health.
An extensive medical review published in the Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health journal analyzed consumer health data and concluded that “Results of this study provide compelling evidence that everyday fragranced products can impose serious risks to human health.”
It’s unfortunate that Hey Humans does not currently sell an unscented version of their deodorant, because we would recommend their unscented version if they did. It’s a very well-formulated and fairly priced product otherwise.
Overall, we consider Hey Humans Deodorant likely to be effective for odor blocking, but we don't currently recommend it due to the use of fragrance.
Hey Humans vs. Drugstore Deodorant
The typical drugstore deodorant contains a number of questionable additive ingredients that we recommend avoiding for health reasons.
As an example, below is a list of some of the ingredients in Degree Advanced women's deodorant:
Fragrance is included and we already documented its health risks in the previous section.
BHT is a synthetic preservative with a metabolite shown to cause tumors in animal studies, as we documented in our Monday Shampoo reviews article (on another cosmetic product containing this ingredient).
Talc is a cosmetic ingredient used to absorb moisture, and a 2020 clinical trial found that 3 of 21 cosmetic products containing talc were contaminated with asbestos (a carcinogen).
Given that Hey Humans is talc-free and preservative-free, we consider it to be significantly healthier than Degree's deodorant and than the majority of commercial deodorants.
Hey Humans vs. Popular "Healthy" Deodorants
Here's how Hey Humans compares to other popular "healthy" deodorant brands in terms of potential effectiveness and healthiness, in our opinion:
Native Deodorant
Contains a probiotic species which is clinically shown to have odor-blocking effects when used on the skin.
Native Deodorant offers an unscented version.
Winner: Native Deodorant
Humble Deodorant
Humble Deodorant has unclear total ingredient number and unclear fragrance ingredients.
At least Hey Humans is straightforward about what they are selling.
Winner: Hey Humans Deodorant
Lume Deodorant
Brand offers unscented version, making it the healthier choice.
We consider the potential effectiveness similar.
Winner: Lume Deodorant
Our Clean Deodorant Pick
Native Deodorant Unscented is our top clean deodorant pick.
This deodorant contains the probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus which was shown in clinical research to reduce odor and normalize bacteria levels when applied topically.
It also contains coconut oil which is another natural antibacterial and antifungal ingredient.
Most importantly, this deodorant is entirely free of questionable additive ingredients like fragrance.
Hey Humans Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Research-backed odor-blocking ingredients
- Affordable
- Aesthetic packaging & branding
- Positive online customer reviews
- Healthier than most drugstore deodorants
Cons:
- Contains fragrance
- No fragrance-free version
- Currently unavailable for purchase on the brand's website
