Mando is a deodorant brand that advertises 72 hour odor control. It's primarily marketed to men, and the brand describes their product line as "Skin Safe and Science Based."
But does Mando deodorant contain research-backed ingredients for odor control? Does it contain any unhealthy ingredients? Is it really effective for 72 hours? And is Mando better or worse than other "natural" deodorant brands like Native?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Mando deodorant to give our take on whether or not it's likely to be effective for odor-blocking, and whether or not it's healthy.
We'll share our concerns about the brands efficacy claims, and compare Mando to other popular deodorant brands to pick our winners.
Key takeaways:
- Questionable clinical claims
- Contains one inactive ingredient we consider unhealthy
- We do not currently recommend Mando Deodorant
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in the Clover Woods scent of Mando are shown below:
Corn starch was shown in a medical review to be an effective cleansing ingredient, but we can't find any evidence that it provides odor-blocking effects.
Ozokerite was shown to be carcinogenic in an animal study, but the study involved ingestion (at low levels) rather than topical use.
We can't find any clinical evidence that this ingredient is odor-blocking.
Maranta Arundinacea root powder is a natural deodorizer that we consider to be safe and effective, as we discussed in our Curie deodorant review article.
Mandelic acid was shown to have anti-bacterial effects in a medical review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, which suggests that it may be effective against armpit odor.
Fragrance was studied in a medical review published in the Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health journal, and the study authors concluded that fragranced consumer products can "impose serious risks to human health."
For this reason, we recommend the Unscented version for any consumers considering Mando Deodorant.
Overall, we consider Mando Deodorant to be potentially effective for odor-blocking, and we consider the Unscented version to be significantly healthier than the average drug store deodorant.
However, we have no idea where the brand gets its "72 Hour Odor Control" claim from, because this product doesn't appear to have been clinically tested and proven to have that effect.
Mando vs. Popular Deodorant Brands
Here's how Mando Deodorant compares to other popular "natural" deodorant brands in terms of potential effectiveness and healthiness, in our opinion:
Native Deodorant
Fragrance-free, and contains a probiotic that's clinically shown to block odor.
No unhealthy additives at all.
Winner: Native Deodorant
Humble Deodorant
Very similar product to Mando deodorant: contains fragrance and website has questionable claims, as we documented in our Humble Deodorant review article.
Mando has one more active ingredient we consider effective, so it gets the edge from a potential efficacy perspective.
Winner: Mando Deodorant
Wild Deodorant
Contains fragrance, and fewer active ingredients with research backing than Mando.
Winner: Mando Deodorant
Our Clean Deodorant Pick
Native Unscented Deodorant 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.
Mando Deodorant Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Contains some research-backed active ingredients
- Offers fragrance-free version
- Positive Amazon ratings
- Positive Google rating
Cons:
- Questionable "72 hour" odor-blocking claims
- Doesn't appear to be clinically tested
- Scented versions contain fragrance
- Expensive
- Negative Facebook reviews
- Brand's website charges for shipping
